Unequal before the Law

Sexual harassment law protects customers from goods and service providers but not the other way round By Vanessa Cheung and Natalie Tsoi Leung is a 58-year-old...

Tapping into the Future

The popularity of mobile apps presents some of the best I.T. opportunities since the bursting of the internet bubble burst in 2000 and some Hong Kong developers are grasping those opportunities. Varsity asks what they need to survive and thrive in this competitive field?

Making the Cut

Trees are a welcome sight in our concrete jungle, but they often suffer from crowding, pollution and inappropriate care. Apart from causing damage to the trees, the poor management of trees also poses a risk to human safety. Conservationists and arborists - or tree doctors - say Hong Kong needs a Tree Ordinance and better urban planning are need to improve tree management.

Squatters Keepers

When is a landowner not a landowner? According to the law of adverse possession, squatters can claim ownership of land they have occupied without the owners' consent after a statutory period of time. Advocates say squatters' rights ensure land is used while critics argue it is a kind of theft. Whatever the case, it seems adverse possession disputes are set to increase Hong Kong continues to press ahead with urban redevelopment and the development of rural areas.

Hong Kong’s Young Dream of Greener Pastures

Pollution, the high cost of property and living expenses, political discord - all are push factors for young people in Hong Kong who dream of emigrating to what they believe may be greener pastures overseas. A Varsity poll found that more than half of Hong Kong university students surveyed would like to emigrate. Here, we talk to those who want to leave, those who have left and those who have come back.

School’s Out Forever?

More than 170 school buildings are standing abandoned and idle across Hong Kong, even as the increasing number of cross-border students has led to a shortage of school places in parts of the New Territories. There have been calls for the government to reopen some school buildings to ease the pressure, and also to provide much needed community spaces. But as Varsity learns, attempts to put the buildings to use are mired in red-tape.

Mainstreaming Mothers’ Milk

The recent dispute over the shortage of infant formula highlighted tensions between Hong Kong and the Mainland. But it also shone a light on the territory's low breastfeeding rate. The ratio of mothers who still breastfeed their babies after six months lags behind most Asian countries and regions. As Varsity discovers, many mothers complain Hong Kong lacks a supportive environment for breastfeeding.

Marry First, Love Later

Arranged marriage may seem like an anomaly in a society saturated by images and stories of love, romance and dream weddings. But for many members of Hong Kong's ethnic minorities, arranged marriage is a cultural norm and an accepted fact of life. Varsity listens to their stories.

Death, Life and Everything in Between

Talking and learning about death can help us to embrace life but death is a taboo subject in Chinese culture. In Hong Kong, death education used to be associated with the elderly and the terminally ill. But this is beginning to change. Varsity talks to those who are pioneering life and death education for young people, in the hope that understanding more about death will help them appreciate life.

A Call For Speech Professionals

Speech problems and communication disorders can have a devastating impact on a child's learning, development and personality. With timely professional intervention, these problems can be significantly lessened and even overcome. But as Varsity learns, Hong Kong suffers from an acute shortage of qualified speech therapists and lacks a recognised standard professional accreditation system.