Details

• China
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

I would suggest reading all the exchange reports of your target universities first before creating a list and selecting your favourites. I decided to choose Hong Kong as my preferred city, as it is basically a gateway to almost all destinations in Asia, often at very low travel costs. As for the interview itself, it is quite difficult to prepare for, as it depends heavily on the interviewer. Sometimes you get lucky, while other times you may receive unusual or very difficult questions, which can lead to unfair grades. It is not uncommon that some students receive only As in the interviews, while others with significantly better academic performance receive worse grades. This often feels unfair and inconsistent. Ideally, the WU should ensure a more standardized and fair evaluation process for all students. In my interview, I was asked why I wanted to go to Asia, what my previous extracurricular activities were, and what I expected to gain from my semester abroad. Regarding preparation for an exchange semester in Hong Kong, I would recommend completing the "Feststellungsbescheid" in advance. Although, be aware that you will most likely not get into all of the courses you initially select. My friends and I all experienced issues with course registration and also issues with what has economic relevance. For example the course "Negations in Business" has according to the WU no economic relevance yet is is only offered to business students at HKUST. Additionally, it can be very helpful to connect with other WU students who are going to the same city, so you have a broader friendgroup in advance already.

2. Accommodation

If you go to HKUST, it is mandatory to use their accommodation options. They offer two types: on-campus housing and off-campus housing (Jockey Hall). You can't choose your roommate initially, but you have the option to switch within the first two weeks if you find a suitable match and both parties agree. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND CHOOSING JOCKEY HALL (OFF-CAMPUS), since with the free shuttle bus going to HKUST you are even fast to your courses than walking from the halls on campus! Plus the facilities are better. Several of my friends who lived on campus later shared the same opinion. One major disadvantage of on-campus housing is the lack of a direct MTR (metro) connection to the city. In contrast, Jockey Hall is located directly next to an MTR station and has two big shopping malls nearby. From there, you can reach the city center in about 30 minutes. Additionally, you can take bus line E22A for just 22 HKD (around €3), which takes you directly to the airport. As in all parts of Hong Kong, the area around Jockey Hall feels very safe and clean - be prepared that there is no alcohol in both halls allowed and they randomly check the fridge / room for that.

3. Academic life at host university

If you are considering going to Asia, you may encounter the stereotype that fellow students only receive top grades, are extreme hustlers and are generally better educated in Europe. However, based on my own experience and that of my friends, university life and the academic workload are rather chilled. The campus infrastructure is perfect. There is McDonald’s, Subway, multiple canteens, and even supermarkets directly on site. Hungry Korean was my favourite place to eat, where a full meal cost around €6 (two Coke Zeros for 1€!!!). The canteens are even cheaper, although the food quality varies and some taste weird for Europeans. As business students, you can consider yourselves lucky, since the business building is the newest on campus and very modern. At first, the academic environment may feel a bit intimidating, as every lecture is recorded and there are cameras at the back of the lecture halls. The teaching style is very participation-based: in almost all courses, around 10–40% of the final grade depends on class participation, meaning actively contributing meaningful comments. However, this is quite easy, as many local students are very shy, introverted, and fear to raise their hands in class. Most lecturers come from overseas, so you should expect a different teaching style compared to Europe. But personally, I really liked it. I took three courses: Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Tech Startups (20 ECTS in total). All of them were chilled. Only Entrepreneurship & Innovation had an exam, which was Single Choice Exam with no point deduction, if something is wrong (unlike WU). The other courses didn't even have exams; presentations play a major role at HKUST, which I found very enjoyable. One thing worth mentioning is that grades can sometimes look unusual (for example, 4.06 out of 4.4), and none of the courses mentioned above were curved. I highly recommend taking any course taught by Coral, since she has been the best lecturer I've ever experienced and provides extremely valuable insights into startups in Hong Kong and doing business in China.

5. Every day life in the host country

Hong Kong is an amazing choice for an exchange destination. It feels completely different from Europe, yet you can still clearly see the heritage of British influence. We always felt very safe, and people were generally extremely friendly, although many elderly people can't speak English. The MTR and bus system are excellent: always on time and very well connected across the entire city. The orientation days were great for making friends and were perfectly organized by HKUST. There are countless activities you can do, such as hiking, surfing, or simply strolling around the vibrant city. HKUST offers many free sports facilities, including a gym, tennis courts, squash courts, and more. In addition, there are events happening every day throughout the city. Mr. Wong is a great place to get cheap drinks (around €5 for all-you-can-drink beer, which is always full of exchange students from all universities). Lan Kwai Fong (LFK) is very diverse and ideal for going out, and you should definitely not miss the horse races at Happy Valley, where exchange students gather every Wednesday. Hong Kong is known for its amazing rooftop bars / clubs, which are mostly free on weekdays. In general, going out is more expensive than in Europe since drinks in the clubs are expensive and sometimes it is mandatory to buy two drinks with entry already (costing you around 40€ entry already then as guy). And don't forget about always having to take a cab home! This really drains your pocket, if you plan to go out a lot.

6. Testimonial

Go on exchange, you won’t regret it!!! It might be the peak of your life. I met so many amazing people from all over the world, and no week felt the same. Every day brought new impressions and experiences. Traveling on weekend trips with people you had only met a few weeks earlier was incredible and created memories very quickly. Since Hong Kong is one of Asia’s main hubs, you can find extremely cheap flights across the region, for example, round trips to Tokyo for around €180. Traveling in China was also an unforgettable experience. It felt very modern and different from what I had expected, and having the freedom to explore so easily made the exchange even more special. Every single moment of the exchange was absolutely worth it. I hope you will love Hong Kong too, but be prepared for sweaty weeks since it is very humid and hot.