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Talks, trips and advice-giving sessions are the mainstay of orientations for international and non-local students at City University of Hong Kong (CityU).

CityU held a number of such events at the start of this semester to welcome the 354 new international and non-local students from 26 countries/regions.

The majority of exchange students come from Australia, Canada, France, UK and the US, and this semester saw students from Australian National University and Curtin University of Technology join CityU for the first time.

The Global Services Office (GSO) supports new students as they begin their journey at CityU. Its Orientation Week of this semester included a number of activities explaining everything from academic systems and community norms to campus resources and student services.

For example, during an Introduction to Resources and Support at CityU session, the students learned from faculty, staff and current students about opportunities to foster personal growth while at CityU.

Other activities also included a session on safety delivered by representatives from the Hong Kong Police Force, and campus tours and shopping trips led by buddies from the International Friend Club (IFC), which helped new students to familiarise themselves with the campus and its surrounding areas.

One of the highlights of the orientation activities was an excursion organised by IFC to Grass Island. The trip gave the non-local and international students a chance to mingle with local students in one of Hong Kong’s most scenic spots.