Imagine this.

You return to CityU after the summer break, check in at the dormitory, swing open the door of your newly assigned room and to your surprise your roommate welcomes you in a thick German accent with, "Hallo, do you alzo vant ein bier?"

During the first lecture of the semester you desperately look for your favorite classmate who had those fabulous ideas during the group work that earned you an A grade the previous year. You enquire about her and learn that she will be staying in Australia for the entire semester. While your mind wanders and you imagine your 'A grade' heroine feeding kangaroos and playing didgeridoos, you receive the course assignment list that also shows your teammates' names.

Instead of familiar names, the first one on the list reminds you of a Spanish soccer player. Or is he Italian? Portuguese, maybe? Next on the list you find your own familiar friendly name. You take a deep breath before moving on to the third name. hmmm. is it really a name? You count over twenty letters and at least five times more consonants than vowels. Cautiously, you move your lips and tongue in a concerted effort to vocalize the string of letters, and then it happens. between the third and fourth syllable you bite your upper lip. You yell in pain, drawing the attention of the whole class, and run off to the clinic in a panic. What a nightmare it is to kick off the new academic year!

No, it's not a nightmare. This is what the latest craze known as "Internationalizing the Campus" is about (except for the lip biting part). While "internationalization", "globalization" and "exchange programs" may sound like fancy terms to you, employers surely take a different view. Your future employers do not just look for degree holders; they look for candidates who possess savvy interpersonal skills, can master foreign languages and demonstrate relevant experience coupled with international exposure. While a standard curriculum remains the basis of your academic training, internships and international exposure occupy an increasingly prominent place in your overall education.

Aside from adding international flavor to your campus, exchange programs offer you the chance to study in another part of the world. They challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and offer you the opportunity to live in a place where people talk, eat, laugh, dance and think in ways you never imagined. This might sound daunting, but it comes with a bag full of advantages.

Going on exchange.

•  broadens your mind

•  helps you to appreciate different cultures

•  encourages autonomy and builds your confidence

•  helps you learn a new language

•  teaches you to think differently

•  allows you to develop new friendships

•  enhances the quality of your CV

And best of all: going on exchange is fun!

At the Department of Economics and Finance of the City University of Hong Kong we believe that overseas study enhances students' international exposure and becomes a decisive advantage when graduates compete for jobs. Most students who went abroad testify that the experience is truly life-changing. The EF Department actively pursues student exchange programs with quality institutions outside of Hong Kong . The departmental exchange programs are an alternative to programs offered by the College of Business at CityU and are especially designed for EF students. The list of programs has grown steadily in recent years. Currently, our students enjoy exchange opportunities at the following institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Zhejiang University College of Economics in the Mainland ; the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands ; the University of Paris I Sorbonne-Pantheon in France and the Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal; Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, and the University of Texas A&M International in the United States. These universities have an excellent reputation and are located in pleasant cities.

Dr. Tom Vinaimont (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and Finance

We joined the exchange program and went to the University of Maastricht last semester. What we had seen and experienced will remain invaluable to us for the rest of our lives.

As students, the most impressive thing for us is the learning environment. We really appreciate the learning facilities and resources that the university had offered us. The teaching style in the University of Maastricht is very different from what we have here. Small group discussions, self-studying and real life case studies gave us an idea of how Dutch students learn business and why these business students are so brilliant.

e spent a lot of time on traveling around Europe during that semester. Despite the time limit, we saw the best of Europe and got to know the real European culture. Among all the countries, we both think that German and Dutch are among the kindest people in Europe . Whoever we talked to, they would always reply us with a nice smile on their faces. And their English was so good that there seemed to be no language barrier between us. We believe that strong religious belief may have a great influence on how they treat others as well as themselves.

Looking back on those days in Maastricht , what we feel most is happiness. Maybe we will be there again in the future, but as a student, this may be the only opportunity in our lives to study in a European college and live in a student hostel with students from all over the world.

Chen Xiaojun Siemen and Zhang Shichen Arial (Year 3 students of BBA Business Economics)

Orientation:

•  Three I's Gathering (for JUPAS applicants), 6 July 2005

•  First Mentor-Mentee Meeting, 13 August 2005

•  EF Departmental Student Orientation 2005, 1 September 2005

•  Welcoming Party for Freshmen and New Teaching Staff, 14 September 2005

Learning Support:

•  "Books Give Us Wings" program, Semesters B, 2005/2006

•  Supplemental Instruction (SI) Scheme (FB2400, Semester A, 2005/06; and FB2401, Semester B, 2005/06)

•  Student Exchange Program 2005/2006

•  Study Tours to Shandong , Sichuan and Hubei (joint collaboration with Chinese Civilization Center ), Summer 2006

•  Staff-Student Consultative Meeting, 19 October 2006 and 9 March 2006

•  Moon Festival Celebration with Non-Local Students, Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Club, Sai Kung, 19 September 2005

•  Hiking in Expedition, 13 November 2005

•  Sharing with Scholarship Winners of 2005/2006

•  Visit to Hong Kong Stock Exchange, 26 May 2006

•  Mentoring Program 2005/2006

•  EF Whole Person Development Award Scheme 2005/2006

Career Preparation:

•  Internship Programmes 2005/2006 organized by EF (Hebei Baofeng Wire and Cable Co., Money Concept Co., and Fuji Hong Kong Commodities Co.), College of Business (FB3800), and Student Development Services

•  Career Seminar for Undergraduate students - "Career in Banking Industry", 14 October 2005

•  Career Seminar for MSc Applied Economics students - "How to find jobs in Hong Kong " (by Cherry W.M. Lum of SDS, Lynda W. Zhou and Sabina P. Cheng of EF), 24 May 2006

•  Career Talks (AIG on 23 May 2006, Fuji Hong Kong Commodities Co., on 29 Apr 2006, and Winterthur Life ( Hong Kong ) Limited on 4 April 2006)

•  Career Advice Program (by Mr. Franko T.L. Wong, Mr. Mark M.L. Tusi, and Miss Sabina P. Cheng), Semester B, 2005/2006

Alumni:

•  Dinner Sharing: "How we obtained our first job after graduation?", 20 October 2005

The total amount of donation is HK$15,800 in year 2005/2006. We thank very much the following alumni: Chan Kwok Keung, Chan Tsun Choi Arnold, Chan Yeung Kit Kitty, Hon King Lun, Hui Kin Wai, Ip Wah Hon, Ip Yi Lam, Jong Chun Man Eric, Ko Chun Hay Kelvin, Kong Chun Hung, Lai Ming Kin, Lam Yim Ngo Wendy, Li Kwok Kiu, Liu Wen Ting, Lo Tak Shun, Mak Wing Keung, Ng Wing Yu Tiffany, So Pui Shuen, Wong Wai Man, and Wong Wing Man; for their generous donations. We use the money to establish "The Department of Economics and Finance Alumni Giving Academic Advancement Awards" to reward those students who make big jump in their academic studies.

(Details of the teaching and learning activities listed above can be found on the website "EF's Co-curricular Learning Centre", which is located at http://fabweb.cityu.edu.hk/efelearn .)