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The Department of Information Systems at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) held the Thank-the-Sponsors Sharing Ceremony for the Integrated Student Development Programme on October 24, attended by student participants in the programme and representatives of the partnership companies, including Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, HSBC, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and Cyberport. The students shared their exchange and internship experiences.

Professor (Chair) Wei Kwok-kee, Dean of CityU's Faculty of Business, expressed gratitude for the community's support of the programme. "Given that an ideal university graduate should be balanced in international outlook, leadership and professional skills, apart from possessing academic knowledge, the business faculty is very much in support of the Department of Information Systems' Integrated Student Development Programme," he said. "By integrating various learning models and channels, the programme enables students to equip themselves more comprehensively and effectively, to prepare for future challenges."

Mr Cam Ng, Information Management Manager of Cathay Pacific Airways, appreciated CityU students' overall performance. "They are highly capable and independent. They managed to come to grips with their tasks quickly and contribute to the department they were placed in."

The integrated programme consists of two core projects: CAP (Career, Academic and Professional) Scheme and Elite-PLUS, both aimed at fostering students' whole person development and international outlook.

In the CAP Scheme, students can develop both on the personal front and in the area of professional development, through participation in various activities. Each participant is required to submit a personal intention form at the start of the term, listing his academic, personal and career goals. The teachers in the department will discuss with students regularly their plans and provide comments, to ensure they can achieve whole person development and become successful in the future.

Elite-PLUS is open to outstanding students selected from within the department. Those chosen are given extra professional and leadership skills training, as well as training to enhance their awareness of international market trends and a sense of social responsibility.

Three third-year students who had actively participated in the Integrated Student Development Programme, Yang Yang, Eileen Natalie Lam Tiu and Holly Kwan Hoi-man, have shown marked improvement since participating in the programme.

Yang Yang went on exchange to the San Jose State University in Silicon Valley earlier this year, and was selected to represent the university in an inter-varsity undergraduates' case report competition organised by Cisco, against students from Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.

Yang Yang said his horizons were broadened and he had benefited greatly from his half-year at Silicon Valley. "Most of my classmates worked and studied at the same time, and they shared with me a lot about the latest trends and information from within the industry, providing me with knowledge beyond what’s taught in the classroom," he said. "Besides, being able to represent the San Jose State University made me realise that Hong Kong students are definitely no less capable than overseas students. My self-confidence has greatly improved."

Apart from exchanges, the Integrated Student Development Programme also involves collaboration with various commercial and government organisations, which offer internship opportunities for information systems students. Eileen and Holly were interns at Cathay Pacific and HSBC last summer. Both said they could put the knowledge learned in class into practice through the internship. The experience also helped them become more certain of the direction of their future career development.

Through Elite-PLUS, Eileen also went on a study tour to Taiwan. She recalled her visit to the National Palace Museum as the most memorable part of the trip. "I thought that going to museum would be boring, but then I found that the Taiwan museum was completely digitised. Its combination of ancient culture and modern technology was an eye-opener for me. The trip made me look at things from different perspectives," Eileen said.