A top student from a renowned UK high school has chosen to participate in the Horseshoe Crab Conservation Programme at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) this summer for a taste of world-class university life.

Anna Giddins, a Grade 13 student from Nottingham Girls’ High School, was sponsored to attend a summer school programme from 7-13 July at CityU, after winning the Hong Kong: A Dream Destination for University Study competition organised by the Hong Kong government.

 

Professor Arthur Ellis, CityU Provost, said he was pleased Anna has chosen to study at CityU. “CityU has been attracting increasing interest from international students because of our prominence in professional education and research,” Professor Ellis said. “CityU helps develop students’ ability to discover and innovate under the Discovery-enriched Curriculum, which will prepare them to take advantage of future opportunities.”

The summer programme gave Anna valuable insights into our university and the conservation status of horseshoe crabs, according to Professor Robert Li Kwok-yiu, Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. “It is also a good opportunity for Anna to experience the variety of university life,” he said.

 

Guided by the researchers from the Department of Biology and Chemistry, Anna learned about the conservation of the horseshoe crabs, such as rearing and artificial breeding. She helped feed and measure the size of the horseshoe crabs, learned how to identify their gender, and inserted electronic chips to track their growth and survival rates at CityU’s laboratory.

 

 

“The Horseshoe Crab Conservation Programme is amazing,” Anna said. “We are trying to learn more about this endangered species which is unique to Hong Kong, China and the region, and how we can protect them. It has been giving me insights. I really enjoy it.”

 

“I have also learned a lot of general science in the laboratory work, such as taking temperature properly and measuring oxygen levels,” she added.

 

The programme has also stimulated Anna’s interest in science. “Even though I intend to study humanities at university, I am now looking at doing some more scientific modules because I really enjoy what I have done at CityU,” she said.

 

In addition to the horseshoe crab programme, Anna has joined various activities at CityU, including writing Chinese calligraphy at the library and visiting the unique “Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang” exhibition and major facilities on campus. She also stayed at the student residence during her time in Hong Kong.

 

“CityU is modern and connected,’ said Anna. She was impressed by CityU’s state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities, and the convenient connections to the campus. “The summer school programme helps me become more independent and confident, which is very rewarding.”