Newsletter No. 65

CUHK Newsletter No.65 4th March 1995 3 Marriage of Academic Intent Now in its fourth year, the Office of Academic Links (OAL) has been acting as a go-between for individual academic units and eligible potential partners for exchange all over the world. In a recent interview, OAL director Mark Sheldon describes the trends of the trade and how these interacademic and intercultural unions benefit those involved. The Universit y recentl y signe d a studen t exchange agreemen t wit h Simo n Frase r University o f Canada 一 th e latest of many such agreements ove r the years. Othe r recently signe d agreements includ e those w i t h Yor k Universit y o f Canada, Yonse i Universit y o f Korea, and various institutions i n Japan. I n bringin g thes e cultura l and academi c exchange s t o f r u i t i on, an d i n p r omo t i n g educational qualit y an d academi c freedom, th e wor k o f th e Offic e o f Academic Link s (OAL ) i s indispensable . Set up i n 1991 , th e OAL's rol e i s t o coordinate more effectively the academic links programme s i n individua l academic units, t o negotiat e wit h intereste d institutions outsid e th e Universit y an d introduce the m t o intereste d partie s within. Mr . Mar k L . Sheldon , hea d o f the O A L sinc e it s inception , sai d th e trend fo r th e last fiv e year s ha s been th e closing o f bilatera l o r consortia l agreements at bot h th e undergraduat e an d postgraduate levels , a s oppose d t o oneway arrangements i n the past which onl y allowed fo r i n c om i n g students . Mr . Sheldon attribute s th e chang e t o a realization amon g th e Universit y community of th e benefit s o f exchange . Areas of Significant Development According t o Mr . Sheldon , on e o f the mos t rapi d area s o f expansio n ha s been exchange s wit h Japanes e universities effected b y th e Departmen t o f Japanese Studies . Previousl y a Japanese language section , it acquired full department status in 1991 . The University currently has over a dozen agreements wit h renowned Japanes e institutions , suc h a s Sophia University , Nanza n Universit y and Osak a Internationa l University . Groundwork fo r the Japanese liaison was lai d by th e colleges whic h have ha d modest one-to-on e exchange s w i t h Japanese universities fo r many years, fo r example, Chun g Ch i wit h Internationa l Christian University , and New Asi a wit h Asia University . I n comparison , th e exchanges brough t abou t b y th e Department of Japanese Studies are far more extensive, involving a considerably large r number o f students . I n fact , al l student s ma j o r i ng i n Japanes e studie s a t th e University hav e no w t o spen d a t leas t a f u ll academi c yea r i n Japan . Du e t o existing college-leve l exchange s an d developments i n th e Departmen t o f Japanese Studies , Japanes e student s ar e now th e second largest non-local studen t group a t CUHK, afte r th e Americans . Another countr y hig h o n th e OA L agenda i s Korea . Mr . Sheldo n sai d th e agreement wit h Yonse i University , on e of th e bes t privat e universitie s i n Seoul , is only part of a broader initiative to begin Korean studie s a t th e University . A proposal develope d b y P r o f . Joh n Jamieson, visitin g professo r o f Asia n Studies an d directo r o f th e Ne w Asi a Yale-in-China Chinese Language Centre , and endorse d b y th e vice-chancellor , Prof. Charle s Kao , ha s alread y bee n submitted t o th e Korea n Foundatio n t o organize librar y an d studen t exchanges , seminars an d researc h activities , i n th e hope of arousing local interest in Korea n culture. Benefit to Students Wh en aske d ho w student s ca n bene f it f r o m thes e exchang e programmes, Mr. Sheldo n sai d tha t sinc e careers — academic , business , o r otherwise —a re internationa l these days, their career prospects are greatly enhanced by international experience . Improve d language abilities, heightene d cultura l sensibility an d simpl y a n adde d 'international dimension' i n thei r resume s al l make them compelling candidates for job opportunities. Besides , Mr. Sheldo n sai d he notice d tha t student s returnin g fro m abroad ar e mor e mature , independent , self-confident an d assertiv e tha n the y were befor e leaving . ‘Whe n yo u se e students lik e that , you're convince d tha t it's wort h it. ' On th e othe r hand , attracte d b y th e dynamism an d importance o f China as a growing economic area, students from al l disciplines wit h specific Chinese-relate d or Asia n studie s interest s ar e coming t o CUHK. I n orde r t o giv e thes e student s more exposur e to local life an d customs, the Offic e o f Internationa l Studie s Programmes (OISP) organize s man y extracurricular activities, tutorial programme s and host-famil y activitie s fo r them . International student s are also given local roommates a s far a s possible . 'Asian-Surname Students' Mr. Sheldo n sai d tha t fo r th e las t five to ten years, there has been a growing number of what he terms 'Asian-surnam e students' comin g t o CUHK . Thi s i s a n interestingly divers e group consisting o f American-born-Chinese, Canadian - born-Chinese, recen t immigrant s t o th e west fro m Taiwan , Sout h China , Hon g Kong an d other Asian countries , student s originally fro m refuge e camp s i n Hon g Kong who are relocated to a third country , and s o on . 'Ver y ofte n they'r e cultura l sojourners who ' v e live d a t th e intersections of cultures , an d i t make s the m sometimes ver y confuse d an d sometime s very highl y motivated , becaus e they'r e finding some things ou t about themselve s they weren' t awar e of. ’ Mr. Sheldo n sai d thei r reason s fo r coming ar e just a s varied . Som e wan t t o seek thei r roots ; others simpl y wan t t o be i n a n Asia n environment; and ye t others wan t t o learn a Chinese dialect whic h they ma y b e abl e t o speak a t hom e bu t can't read or write. O f the curren t international student population a t CUHK , almost two-third s ar e 'Asian-surname students', with student s of Chines e descen t being th e majority . International Students Tend to Stay On Another pronounce d tren d i n recent year s i s fo r internationa l students to look for jobs in Hong Kong or Asia due to the robust job marke t o f the region. Mr . Sheldon sai d th e bilingua l ability o f these students, their on-the-ground experienc e a s we l l a s thei r professiona l training make them attractive t o companies an d organization s around here . Currentl y ther e ar e 6 0 t o 70 alumn i o f th e programm e workin g in Hon g Kong , wit h other s workin g i n Tokyo, Bangkok , Singapore , Shanghai , Shenzhen, Beijin g etc . Graduate Exchange A t th e graduat e level , th e OA L runs tw o programmes : on e wit h th e University o f Toront o an d another , a n endowed programm e wit h th e Cente r for Chinese Studies at the University o f Hawaii a t Manoa. Mr. Sheldon said that whereas i n th e past , al l internationa l students were undergraduates, there are now a larg e numbe r o f graduat e students with highl y develope d researc h interests an d often with a fellowship o f some kind , suc h as a Fulbright grant , a Rotary gran t o r a Watso n fellowship . A c c o r d i ng t o M r . Sheldon , thes e students ar e attracte d b y th e goo d research facilities a t the University, an d International students at OISP activities on campus