Details

• China
• MAWiRe-21
• Graduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

The application process was simple: just write a short 1-page motivational letter why you want to go on exchange there and choose CityU as one of your 7 choices. No interview was conducted. Make sure you still have courses that can be taken on exchange like the courses abroad for example. Include enough time to arrange private accommodation as well as applying for the visa as this takes several weeks/months

2. Accommodation

I personally booked a 4-bed quad in Weave Prince Edward in Mong Kok. I found them through online search and recommendation. I also looked for AirBnBs or other co-living options, but didn't find a better option in the end. It is 2 MTR stops away from CityU, door to door takes you roughly 25 mins. It is a very safe location, as everywhere in HK. It is a private co-living space. There are other Weave locations as well, but Prince Edward is the most social one and most exchange students book this one. I would not recommend booking an AirBnB as you should be careful not to get scammed and sometimes the conditions are way worse than advertised. In retrospect, I would not book Weave prince Edward again. It is incredibly expensive (10,000 HKD/month) for what you get (a 5m2 room where you barely fit) and they also have no heating, so in December it just gets cold in the room. I would recommend trying to find something on HK Island as this location is much nicer than Prince Edward.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus infrastructure is excellent: they have a big library, new classrooms, a 50m swimming pool, a gym, music rooms, study rooms, several canteens and cafes, a garden, and are located directly next to a big shopping mall. The academic culture is very different to WU. Generally, a course includes some kind of presentation, active class participation and sometimes small weekly homeworks or quizzes. So it's more effort during the semester, but the final exams are easier and carry less weight for the total grade. The teaching style is mostly frontal, there are not a lot of questions being asked in class by students, and rarely any discussions. However, all the teachers I had were very qualified in their field and taught in an engaging and interesting way. In comparison to WU, the course matter is easier and less effort. But it also depends on the course, some are harder than others.

5. Every day life in the host country

Hong Kong has a very good public transport system, with the MTR buses and mini-buses. The MTR stops every day at around 1 AM, so it doesn't go all night long. It is very reliable and a ride is fairly cheap (I never spent more than 5-6 euros a day if I used it the whole day) There are also taxis that you can easily take from and to anywhere, but they only take cash. There is also Uber and DIDI (Chinese version of uber and much cheaper) It is very safe through out the whole city, I never felt unsafe once. HK has a lot of social and leisure options, from running/sport clubs to events, hiking trails, beaches, going to Mainland China for a daytrip, networking opportunities, etc. I personally recommend reaching out to Advantage Austria and the Austrian embassy, they also always organise events which you can attend.

6. Testimonial

I had an amazing experience there and would definitely choose this destination again for my exchange semester. It is very different to Europe/Vienna, and this opens doors to meet people from everywhere, try new things, take different courses and learn more about chinese and south east asian culture in general. It's a great way to make new connections and friends and travel at the same time. Uni was not too challenging so you will have lots of free time to explore the city, especially during the first months.