A Taste of University Life: FLASS Summer Programmes Bring Learning to Life

Summer brings long days and plenty of heat, along with more chances to try new things, test fresh ideas, and learn in a hands-on way. This year, EdUHK welcomed secondary school students from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to its Summer Programmes, where they took part in a range of engaging learning activities and campus-based experiences.

For the first time, FLASS organised the Summer Programmes for local and non-local students. From June to August, its four departments delivered five programmes for local students. Secondary learners from the Chinese Mainland also joined a five-day Summer Programme tailored by the Global Affairs Office and the Faculties. Through lectures, interactive activities and campus experiences, these programmes sought to broaden students’ horizons and prepare them for their future academic and career paths.

The programmes for local students covered a wide range of subject areas, including AI and mathematics, STEM education, environmental science, financial education, and sports science. They included both three-day immersive activities and one-day themed experience tours. Participants attended lectures by FLASS scholars, joined sharing sessions with frontline practitioners and alumni, took part in interactive workshops, and visited laboratories and external organisations, among other activities.

On a July night, local students became little astronomers, searching for Venus in the western sky and connecting the dots in the star chart to identify constellations. On a July morning under the summer sun, young environmentalists ventured out to collect water samples from Tolo Harbour. When they came back to Tai Po campus, they observed the micro-organisms in the samples under microscopes at the biology lab of the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES). At the workshop organised by the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), mathematics fans used the online learning platform Polypad to convert fractions and geometric figures into music, understanding abstract mathematical concepts through their ears.

In the “Finance Quest” organised by the personal finance programme team of the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies (SSPS), participants role-played as university students, earning Campus Dollars to cover their expenses for EdUHK studies by completing games that challenged both their critical thinking and physical dexterity. In the summer activities hosted by the Department of Health and Physical Education (HPE), students tried different workout equipment at the gym and learnt how to measure physical fitness at the Human Performance Laboratory.

To enable non-local students to experience learning at EdUHK, a Summer Programme was specially tailored for them from 27 to 31 July by the Global Affairs Office and the Faculties. In addition to learning activities, the programme also included residence and dining experience, campus tours and city excursions. This gave participants insights into university life and local culture alongside their academic learning.

On 30 July morning, about 130 participants from 15 Chinese Mainland schools attended taster lectures and experiential workshops delivered by academic staff of SES, HPE, SSPS, and MIT, as the final part of the programme. In the afternoon’s concluding session, they were updated by representatives of the Registry and the three Faculties on campus information, the admissions process, and the undergraduate programmes available. Dr Bob Sun Fenghua, Assistant Dean (International Engagement) and Associate Professor, represented FLASS to brief the participants on the undergraduate programmes and learning support on offer. Finally, student representatives along with their teachers from different schools presented their key learnings from the Summer Programme in turn.

Chen Xinlan (陳欣蘭), a student from the High School Attached to Zhejiang University, said that compared with universities in the Chinese Mainland, lectures at EdUHK are stronger in building students’ motivation and self-learning abilities. “Whether teaching in English or Putonghua, teachers here use a variety of methods to immerse students in the lectures. Their approaches struck a better balance between building professional knowledge and supporting personal growth,” she said.

Looking ahead, Xinlan is interested in learning more about the use of AI in education, such as how AI can be used to evaluate students’ instant responses in large classes. “Besides AI-related programmes, I’m also interested in educational psychology,” the student from Hangzhou added. She also noted that Hong Kong’s food and climate are similar to her home city, which provides extra motivation for her to study in Hong Kong. FLASS and the High School Attached to Zhejiang University have a special connection: the Faculty’s representatives introduced its latest developments to the school’s students at an admission event held there in February. (Read related story.)

Upon completing the programmes, participants received a certificate of recognition. The FLASS Summer Programmes gave secondary learners opportunities to learn, create and build new friendships.

Please read separate stories on star-gazing, environmental boat tour, “Finance Quest” campus hunt game, and how technologies can assist mathematics learning.

List of Summer Programmes for local students organised by the four departments of FLASS:

List of schools participating in the Summer Programmes for non-local students: