Hong Kong children free play

Shall We Play?

Children in Hong Kong have to juggle tests, homework, extra-curricular activities...and now some schools have forbidden running and jumping during recess. What happens to children when they don't get enough time for free play?

Under the Gaze

The taunt "If you come out to protest, you should expect to be groped!" is but one example of how female protesters were targeted during the Occupy Central movement last year. What's the difference between the experiences of women in politics, and that of their male counterparts here?
Sharing economy

Cutting out the Middle Man

The "sharing economy" is cutting out middlemen like modelling agencies and taxi-calling centres, and it's drastically changing the playing field for all kinds of industries. How are consumers and the government responding?
E textbooks

Swipe to Learn

The Hong Kong government and some schools are optimistic about e-textbooks being the way of the future. But that's not going so well. Why?

Teachers on the Edge

Contract teachers in Hong Kong's schools do much the same jobs as permanent teachers and are usually paid far less. They are also often given one-year contracts, which leads to a lack of job security. Varsity learns more.

Misfits Makes Good

There is a common misunderstanding in Hong Kong that autistic people are either severely intellectually disabled or are geniuses with special talents. Either way, they tend to be labeled as freaks. However, high functioning autistic people are embraced by employers due to their loyalty, methodical approach and sensitivity to numbers.

Invisible Disability

End stage renal disease (ESRD) patients need frequent dialysis treatment frequently to stay alive. This makes it hard for them to find jobs to pay for the costly treatment. Disability Allowance could help to ease their financial burden but the ambiguous terms in the application mean many doctors do not consider ESRD patients as eligible for the allowance.

The Return of the Non-natives

With an ageing population, Hong Kong faces a shrinking workforce. The government’s latest initiative to boost the workforce and expand the pool of talent is to appeal to the children of Hongkongers who have emigrated overseas. But does the city have what it takes to attract these second generation overseas Hongkongers, or would they prefer competitor cities like Singapore?

Bargaining for Workers’ Power

Unions have been fighting for collective bargaining rights for Hong Kong's workers for more than a decade. Yet the government and business sector insists that voluntary negotiations are good enough. Labour groups tell Varsity all they want is a fairer footing at the negotiating table.

World City Losing World Travellers

Hong Kong has long been regarded as a World City that accommodates tourists from all over the world. But the huge increase in the number of mainland tourists in recent years has dampened its attractiveness to other international tourists. Is Hong Kong losing its competitive edge in tourism?