Studio apartments are now available for married couples at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) reflecting the University's emphasis on addressing the needs of its students and allowing young families to live and study together.

The apartments have been designed by the Student Residence Office of the Student Development Services and are located between the 7th and 9th floors of Jockey Club Harmony Hall.

Zhang Tiejun and Jiang Shujun are two students living in one of these studio apartments. While Tiejun is studying for his PhD in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, Shujun is studying in the PhD programme in the Department of English and Communication.

These two students, both from mainland China, met at CityU while participating in student hall activities such as hiking and going out together. They got to know each other, fell in love, got married and are expecting their first baby in November.

"When we got married, we had to live in separate rooms for a short period because there were no units for married couples," Tiejun said. "Student Development Services sympathized and took immediate action to remodel some apartments, something we are very grateful about."

The apartments make great use of space and are fully equipped with a bed, desk, refrigerator and microwave, all of which make the students feel at home. "The unit is small but it has everything we need so we can fully enjoy cooking together after class," Shujun added.

Another couple living in the studio apartments are Safa Ashrafus and Jime

Jinath Sultana, both from Bangladesh and PhD students in the Department of

Biology and Chemistry. They both feel self-contained units afford them more

privacy.

"When we first came here, we had to live in separate rooms and could not see each other so often," Jime Jinath Sultana said. "After moving into a studio apartment, I now have more time to spend with my husband."

There are at present six couples, all students in the School of Graduate Studies, living at the Jockey Club Harmony Hall. Because this is the first time the University has arranged accommodation for married couples, Professor (Chair) Matthew Lee Kwok-on of the Department of Information Systems and Residence Master of Jockey Club Harmony Hall, has arranged for a hall tutor who will offer advice on balancing studies and family life.

"We have been closely reviewing the students' needs," Professor Lee said. "The number of graduate students continues to grow and some of the non-local graduate students are married. There are also more couples studying together in the School of Graduate Studies so, in keeping with our student-oriented commitment to education, we have converted the 7th to 9th floors of Jockey Club Harmony Hall into studio apartments for married couples."