Page 53 - 155 Varsity ebook

/ 51

“

I guess not everyone is willing to put
themselves in an environment where

language is a problem

”
mand by 2027.
“If you want to gain enough Lim says, adding that local student
credits for a hostel place, you have societies tend to have long late-night Some universities are also trying
to attend as many activities as pos- meetings that non-local participants to deal with the pressing problem by
sible. But this is very time consum- are not used to. offering off-campus accommodation
ing,” Xue says, adding that some assistance to non-local students. The
students want to devote their time Hands from the Government University of Hong Kong provides a
on studying to get better academic and Schools rental information database to non-
performances than spending time In a bid to solve local students to help them find pri-
on school activities. Students trying the problem, vately rented accommodations in
to earn hostel credits by joining ac- the UGC intro- the city. It also offers rental subsidy
tivities may not succeed either. “The duced the Hos- amounting to HK$ 2,600 per month,
quotas of hostel activities are given tel Develop- and HK$ 26,000 per year to eligible
out on a first-come-first-serve basis. ment Fund in non-local students.
Students have to keep a keen eye on 2018. A one-off Collaborating with three non-
the news about activities and try to grant of over HK$ governmental organisations, CityU
sign up as fast as they can,” he says. Lim Her Yun 10.3 billion was provides hostels or guest houses for
Lim Her Yun, a Year 2 student approved to the non-local students to live off-cam-
from Malaysia, who is also the for- six UGC-funded universities with pus, in which the rent is more afford-
mer president of the International hostel shortfalls, hoping the supply able than hotels.
Student Association of the Chinese of student hostels can meet the de-
University of Hong Kong (ISA-
CUHK), thinks culture and language Edited by Cynthia Sit
differences make non-local students Sub-edited by Kayi Tsang
hesitate to take part in school activi-
ties. Lim notes it is difficult for inter-
national students to set up and regis-
ter a club or society with the Student
Union for members to earn hostel
credits since all required documents
must be in Chinese. The Global Eco-
nomics and Finance major student
adds that many are forced to give up
the registration.
School activities organised by lo-
cal students therefore become the
main source of hostel points, but in-
ternational students find it difficult
to join with language and cultural
barriers. “I guess not everyone is will-
ing to put themselves in an environ- Students participating in the CUHK International Student Orientation Camp 2019,
ment where language is a problem,” organised by the ISA-CUHK. (Photo courtesy of Lim Her Yun)