From Coins to Coral: New Senior-year Entry Students Chart Their Paths at FLASS

FLASS believes in equity education, where students with different learning pathways should have access to high-quality education. To support this, the Faculty offers two-year senior-year admissions undergraduate programmes to help students work towards their goals. On 4 August, the Student Affairs Office and FLASS co-organised the Faculty Orientation Reception, with support from other university centres. Around 150 senior-year entry students attended the reception’s introduction talk, followed by six programme briefings led by their respective programme leaders.

Stephanie Poon Tak-yiu is a new student of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Personal Finance (BA(PF)) programme. She chose EdUHK for its strong reputation and long-standing academic excellence. She learnt from her admission interview that both the University and the government have invested significantly in the development of the personal finance sector. This strengthened her confidence in the BA(PF) programme.

“When searching job opening websites and other social media platforms, I noticed a gradual increase in positions related to ‘personal financial planning’ in recent years,” said Stephanie, a graduate of Hong Kong Community College (HKCC) with an associate degree in accounting. She believes the industry’s future is bright as more people place value on wealth planning and asset management, including family wealth management. “I would definitely consider pursuing a career in financial planning or a related field after graduation,” she said.

Coming from his home province of Henan, Johnny Hu Haoming enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology (BSc(AI&EdTech)) programme offered by the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT). “I want to study AI because I noted that the technology has already been heavily embedded in education, daily life, work, and even the military, and that its usage will continue to expand,” he said.

Johnny believes AI is part of a technological wave that is changing the world. By pursuing systematic study in AI-related areas, he hopes to build a solid foundation in the technology, and develop the skills needed to work in the field. “Educational resources is distributed unevenly in Chinese Mainland, which sees poorer education facilities and teacher shortages in more backward regions. By providing personalised teaching support, generating learning materials, and assessing learning outcomes, AI-powered tools can help students in under-resourced areas gain access to quality education,” Johnny said. He added that by contributing to the development of educational technology, he hopes to help improve access to education in under-resourced parts of the country.

Also attending the programme talk was Jasmine Afandi, who joined as a third-year student on the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies (BSocSc (SCS)) programme, hosted by the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies. Originally, she planned to apply for geography-related programmes, but a field research experience prompted her to ask a broader question: how citizens connect with the government, and how those relationships shape outcomes in community engagement work. “The perspective shift sparked in me a desire to understand society more deeply: how communities function, what people really need, and how institutions can respond more effectively to people’s needs,” she said.

Through volunteer work, Jasmine learnt firsthand about community projects, including expectations of different stakeholders and how to measure improvements in people’s welfare. Volunteering also gave her a genuine sense of achievement and strengthened her determination to make positive changes. “I hope the BSocSc(SCS) programme can help me develop stronger connections with my community and teach me how to apply knowledge effectively in future community projects. In summary, I hope the programme can improve my capability to support people in need,” she said.

John Chung King-man is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Environmental Management (BSc(IEM)) programme because it strongly matches both his long-standing interests and his future goals. From his secondary school and associate degree studies in geography, he developed a deep passion for environmental studies. “I believe that the programme can teach me practical environmental knowledge. Its accreditation by the Hong Kong Institution of Qualified Environmental Professionals (HKIQEP) is another attraction to me,” he said.

John expects the BSc(IEM) programme to go beyond textbook knowledge and equip him with practical skills for real environmental work. He was especially keen to learn how to write environmental assessment reports. “I want to learn more about environment-related information and develop skills for environmental management. I hope to find a job in air or water quality monitoring, or in environmental assessment. I believe this programme can help me better prepare for future employment,” said the newcomer to the BSc(IEM) programme. Looking ahead, he hopes to put what he learns in the BSc(IEM) programme to work at government departments such as EPD or AFCD, contributing directly to environmental protection in Hong Kong.

Click here to know more details about senior-year admission programmers offered by FLASS.