In addition, mainland students have now reached a critical mass and organized themselves into various students' unions and interest clubs. They will never feel lonely even if they do not want to reach out to the local community. But most mainland students do mingle well with other students, both local and international; and within a year, they all speak fluent Cantonese and English.

    Mainland students will also find there is a different culture of learning in Hong Kong. Students are taught that accepted wisdom needs to be examined from different angles, and held only as temporary hypotheses until better ones come along to replace them. Unlike back home, they are encouraged to use their critical faculties and to challenge their teachers.

    In these aspects, studying in Hong Kong is like studying in any top western university - but here it is in a Chinese environment, and all the Western practices have been adapted to suit our Chinese psyche. This crossroads between East and West is uniquely Hong Kong, and this is a truly wonderful combination that cannot be found on foreign soil.

    This is also one reason why some of the universities in the SAR are ranked among the top academic institutions in the world. These universities have pledged to reach the very top, and the academic achievements of some of the brightest mainland students will contribute to the accomplishment of this goal.

    In their studies, they enjoy unprecedented academic freedom. Their extracurricular activities are all self-organized without any assistance - or interference - from the university authorities or the government. In fact, such training is regarded as part and parcel of university education.

    Students are free to choose activities, organize them, find sponsors to finance them, and be responsible for their success or failure. Students learn a lot through such activities, and build up invaluable networks that last for a lifetime.

    Ironically, many local students, for various reasons, are not very active in these extracurricular activities, and mainland students are on the whole more involved, especially in hostel organized activities. In a way, they benefit more than their local counterparts from the university education here.

    Hong Kong needs high-quality manpower for its future development. The SAR's government is planning to encourage mainland students to remain after finishing their studies. With their mainland background, they are in the best position to help integrate Hong Kong's economy with the mainland.

    (Source: China Daily)