The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is a public research university in Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong. Founded in 1991 by the British Hong Kong Government, it was the territory's third institution to be granted university status.

HKUST is commonly regarded as one of the fastest-growing universities in the world. As of 2019, the university was ranked seventh in Asia by QS and third by Times, and around the top 40 internationally. It also ranked first in Times Higher Education Young University Rankings in 2019 and second by QS world's under-50 universities in 2020.

Today, the university consists of four main academic schools, offering programs in science, engineering, business and management, humanities and social science, along with the Interdisciplinary Programs Office, HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School / Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study and HKUST Institute for Public Policy.

Overview:

A flagship undergraduate program launched by the School of Humanities and Social Science in 2011

The Global China Studies program is designed as an ELITE program, which aims to broaden students’ horizons and help them develop a unique portfolio of knowledge about China with a global outlook. This is achieved through multi- and inter-disciplinary training in humanities and social sciences, and thorough training in comparative and advanced research methods. Envisaged as a means to develop skills for future leadership, the program will train students in verbal and written communication, critical thinking, and analyzing social, cultural, historical, economic and political issues about China in relation to the modern world. The program will also help students enhance their understanding of their roles, rights, and obligations as citizens of Hong Kong and China and as members of the world community. The skills and capabilities learned from the major program will make our graduates suitable for positions in government, research institutions, business, education, community organizations, media, and other cultural institutions.

Program Features:

• An interdisciplinary curriculum

  Our program provides a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that builds on our specialized strengths in the humanities and social sciences. It also offers the best of both worlds. We aim to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and mindset to be able to think across boundaries, generate new ideas and perspectives, and appreciate cultural diversity in a fast-changing world.

• Balance between structure and flexibility

  Our program ensures that students will acquire systematic and broad-based knowledge relating to China and the world, while at the same time relating to social and cultural inquiry through required and restricted elective courses in a carefully designed structure. It also includes ample free elective credits for students to develop their own study paths with flexibility, based on their interests and needs.

• Intensive academic advising

  Our program draws on faculty support from a dedicated team of 60 professors from both the Division of Humanities and the Division of Social Science. As a small elite program, we take pride in being able to develop intimate ties with our students and provide in-depth advice through our academic advising and faculty mentoring schemes.

• Inquiry-driven pedagogy

  Our program includes a First-Year Seminar offered exclusively to Global China Studies students in their first year of study. This allows students to have a taste of university research through small-group, interactive learning under the guidance of the professors. In the course of their studies, students will be guided to complete a Capstone Project or an Honors Thesis in their final year.

• Solid language training

  Our program offers solid language training in both English and Chinese to enable students to develop high-level written communication skills and strong oral communication skills that are essential tools for leadership.

• World-renowned faculty in China research

  Our faculty has gained a strong international reputation in the China research field in various disciplines, including anthropology, art and music, history, linguistics, literature, and philosophy (Humanities); including economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and science, technology and society (Social Science). The results of their academic research have been published widely.

• Global and Mainland learning experiences

  To help students develop a global outlook, our program provides them with opportunities for overseas exchange in North America, Western Europe, and Asia. In addition, we arrange for summer study programs in mainland China, which enhance students’ first-hand knowledge about contemporary China. Scholarships and sponsorships are offered to subsidize student participation.

• Co-curriculum and internship opportunities

  Our program enriches student learning through a co-curriculum that consists of an array of activities including film screenings, workshops, seminars, lectures, and field trips. We also provide wide-ranging summer internship opportunities in various sectors including, but not limited to, public service organizations, media, NGOs, firms, museums, and research institutes.

Global Experiences

Our program aims to enrich student learning through global experiences. We are eager to send the students out into the world, to experience different cultures, and to receive a world-class education at some of the best tertiary institutions in the world. Our School has established exchange partnerships with a number of prestigious universities in North America, Western Europe and Asia, through which we are able to provide students with ample exchange opportunities. We also organize study trips to the Mainland and coordinate with other parties in offering summer programs in Peking, Shanghai, and Sichuan to enhance students’ first-hand knowledge of contemporary China.

The Global China Studies program is designed to produce an elite group of graduates who can conduct a critical analysis of issues related to China in a global context. It provides students with multi/interdisciplinary training in the humanities and social science through an integrated track or a social science track after a shared first-year curriculum.

Students should follow on the tracks and complete ALL requirements as specified.

I. Integrated Humanities and Social Science (HSS) Track
Required Courses:
HUMA 1440 Modern China
HUMA 2590 The Making of the Modern World: Renaissance to the Present
SOSC 1350 Contemporary China: Continuity and Change
SOSC 2290 Understanding Globalization
SHSS 1010 First-year Seminar
NOTE: The above five courses are to be taken during the first year.
SHSS 4991 Capstone Project
SHSS 4992 Honors Thesis
NOTE: SHSS 4991 or SHSS 4992; to be taken in the final year.
LANG 2170 Chinese Communication Skills for Humanities and Social Science Studies
LANG 2070 English Communication Skills for Humanities and Social Science Studies I
LANG 3070 English Communication for Humanities and Social Science Studies II
LANG 4070 Academic Writing in Context — Global China Studies

Track-required Courses:
HUMA 2400 Approaches to Humanities in China Studies
SOSC 2140 Research Methods in the Social Sciences

Three 3000-level courses and three 4000-level courses must be taken from the lists, and in at least three of the following four areas.
Area 1: Environment, Economy & Globalization
SOSC 3120 Economic Development
SOSC 3150 Science, Technology and Environment
SOSC 4260 China’s Economic Transformation
SOSC 4280 China in the Global Political Economy
SOSC 4290 China’s Sustainable Development

Area 2: Heritage, Community & Identity
HUMA 3630 Community and Cultural Identity
HUMA 3900 Philosophical Inquiry into the Modern World
HUMA 4610 Heritage in Cross-cultural Perspective
HUMA 4700 Confucianism in a Global Context

Area 3: Political & Social Change
SOSC 3520 Understanding Comparative Politics
SOSC 3880 Social Inequality and Social Mobility
SOSC 4270 Social Change in Contemporary China
SOSC 4600 Understanding Chinese Politics

Area 4: Literature, Communication & Media
HUMA 3030 Language, Communication and Culture
HUMA 3200 Questions of Humanity in World Literature
HUMA 4020 Language and Literature in Modern China
HUMA 4220 Verbal and Visual Representation of China

Track Electives:
Six courses and at least TWO of which must be at 3000-/4000-level.
NOTE: Students opting for SHSS 4991 are required to take a minimum total of 7 courses (21 credits) for Track Electives, in which 3 of them must be at 3000-/4000-level.

Common Core Courses:
Students are required by the University to fulfill the common core requirements by taking courses in the following domains:
Humanities
Social Analysis
Science and Technology
Quantitative Reasoning
English Communication
Chinese Communication
Healthy Lifestyle

Free Electives:
Students may choose from the wide-ranging courses offered by any Schools (including the School of Business Administration, School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Social Science, and School of Science) and by the Interdisciplinary Programs Office. They may develop a Minor in another program with the credits earned from these courses.

II. Social Science (SOSC) Track
Required Courses:
HUMA 1440 Modern China
HUMA 2590 The Making of the Modern World: Renaissance to the Present
SOSC 1350 Contemporary China: Continuity and Change
SOSC 2290 Understanding Globalization
SHSS 1010 First-year Seminar
NOTE: The above five courses are to be taken during the first year.
SHSS 4991 Capstone Project
SHSS 4992 Honors Thesis
NOTE: SHSS 4991 or SHSS 4992; to be taken in the final year.
LANG 2170 Chinese Communication Skills for Humanities and Social Science Studies
LANG 2070 English Communication for Humanities and Social Science Studies I
LANG 3070 English Communication For Humanities and Social Science Studies II
LANG 4070 Academic Writing in Context — Global China Studies

Track-required Courses:
SOSC 1100 Elementary Statistics for Social Research
SOSC 1300 The World of Politics
SOSC 1440 Introduction to Economics
SOSC 1850 Understanding Society
SOSC 2140 Research Methods in the Social Sciences
Any TWO courses from two of the following three areas:
SOSC 1110 Science, Technology and Society or SOSC 1130 Science, Technology and Business
SOSC 1780 Population and Society or SOSC 1860 Population and Development in China
SOSC 1960 Discovering Mind and Behavior or SOSC 1980 Psychology and Everyday Life

Track Electives:
Seven courses from one of the two thematic areas below; of the seven courses at least four must be at the 3000-level or higher.
Area I: Economy, Politics, and Society

SOSC 2130 Education and Society
SOSC 2210 Social Psychology
SOSC 2630 Development in Rural China
SOSC 2740 Gender and Society
SOSC 2960 Educational Psychology
SOSC 2970 Abnormal Psychology
SOSC 2980 Personality Psychology
SOSC 3120 Economic Development
SOSC 3410 East Asian Economic Development
SOSC 4280 China in the Global Political Economy
SOSC 5750 International Political Economy

Area II: Sustainability, Technology and Public Policy

SOSC 2000D Environmental Politics
SOSC 2010 Environmental and Society
SOSC 2170 Environmental and Business: A Design Approach
SOSC 2300 The Pearl River Delta Mega-City: Agglomeration, Integration, Multi-Polarity
SOSC 2310 Introductory Environmental and Health Economics
SOSC 3110 Innovation and Technology in Hong Kong
SOSC 3150 Science, Technology and Environment
SOSC 3260 Sustainability Science: Policy Problems and Perspectives
SOSC 3600 Public Policy Analysis
SOSC 4290 China’s Sustainable Development
SOSC 4320 Policy Analysis and Design for Sustainable Development
SOSC 5620 Sustainable Development
SOSC 5780 Foundation in Public Policy
SSMA 5140 Innovation and Society

Courses that can be counted as either Area I or Area II:
SOSC 2000E Community/ Social Service Project
SOSC 2280 International Relations of East Asia
SOSC 2780 Modernization and Social Change
SOSC 3000G Introduction to Social Network Analysis
SOSC 3130 Hong Kong Culture
SOSC 3250 Gender and Development
SOSC 3520 Understanding Comparative Politics
SOSC 3530 Social Movements and Contentious Politics
SOSC 3540 Environmental Psychology
SOSC 3630 Democracy and Democratization around the World
SOSC 3720 Introduction to Social Network Analysis
SOSC 3880 Social Inequality and Social Mobility
SOSC 4000A China in Comparative Perspective
SOSC 4260 China’s Economic Transformation
SOSC 4270 Social Change in Contemporary China
SOSC 4310 Chinese Capitalism: Historical and Comparative Perspectives
SOSC 4600 Understanding Chinese Politics
SOSC 5130 Understanding Modern Society
SOSC 5190 Analyzing International Relations: China and the US
SOSC 5480 Issues in Contemporary Chinese Politics
SOSC 5520 International Aspects of China’s Reforms
SOSC 5660 Migration and Globalization
SOSC 5680 Democracy and Democratization
SOSC 5730 Comparative Social Stratification

Common Core Courses:
Students are required by the University to fulfill the common core requirements by taking courses in the following domains:
Humanities
Social Analysis
Science and Technology
Quantitative Reasoning
English Communication
Chinese Communication
Healthy Lifestyle

Free Electives:
Students may choose from the wide-ranging courses offered by any Schools (including the School of Business Administration, School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Social Science, and School of Science) and by the Interdisciplinary Programs Office. They may develop a Minor in another program with the credits earned from these courses.

Campus

The university is largely a campus university, occupying a 60-hectare site at the northern part of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong, overlooking Port Shelter in Tai Po Tsai. The campus layout and architecture is based on a master plan submitted jointly by Simon Kwan & Associates and Percy Thomas Partnership, the runner-up entry in an architectural competition held before the university was founded.

As the campus has a sloped terrain, buildings and facilities are built on separate terraces carved out of the hillside, with the academic facilities occupying the top-level terraces, and undergraduate halls of residence and sporting facilities at the seafront. The terraces are connected by motor roads as well as a network of footbridges and elevators known as Bridge Link.

The countryside setting of the university contributed to the fact that HKUST was once the only public university in Hong Kong not being directly served by an MTR station, prior to the re-titling of the Education University of Hong Kong. The university is connected to the metro network through public bus routes including 91, 91M, 91P, 291P and 792M, complemented by a handful of minibus services, with Choi Hung and Hang Hau stations being the major feeder points.

About Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It is a place with multiple personalities as a result of being both Cantonese Chinese and having been under British colonization. Today, the former British colony is a major tourism destination for China’s increasingly affluent mainland population. It is an important hub in East Asia with global connections to many of the world’s cities. It is a unique destination that has absorbed people and cultural influences from places as diverse as Vietnam and Vancouver and proudly proclaims itself to be Asia’s World City.

Living on Campus

Life in undergraduate halls

Leaving home and arriving at the university for the first time is both exciting and challenging! Luckily we offer a rich network of mentors including Hall Education Teams, Residence Masters, Learning Community Fellows, Residential Life Officers, Tutors, and Learning Community Coordinators.
 
Not only will you be supported every step of the way, but you will have the chance to join activities, events, and discussions and get to know everybody in the community. Pretty soon you'll be qualified to be the mentor for incoming students!
 
As the residential year begins, you'll have a Hall Orientation to help you get to know everybody, be introduced to the "dos and don'ts" of hall life, and understand the role and responsibilities expected of you. Most importantly, the orientation will be tremendous fun! You will meet plenty of people in no time at all, and feel at home.

Life in postgraduate halls – SKCC Hall and University Apartments

Enriching your educational life is what the postgraduate experience is all about. On-campus you will have convenient access to academic and research facilities, the opportunity to interact with peers, and meet the people who will not only help you learn but will become lifelong friends and maybe even professional associates in the future. Living with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds is a wonderful way to enrich yourself and enjoy an immersive experience in diversity.

Lee Shau Kee Library

The HKUST Lee Shau Kee Library, part of the Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), occupies a central location of the campus. Connected to the Academic Building, it is accessible directly from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Atrium. It spans five floors with over 12,350 sq m of floor space, providing more than 3,674 seats as well as computing facilities. It offers a wide array of information resources, both local and remote. In addition to over 720,000 print and electronic volumes and a large collection of media resources, it provides access to more than 47,000 periodical titles, a large number of e-books, databases, and other digital information resources. The library also includes 24-hour-capable Learning Commons which provides a technology-rich environment for active learning and education.

The library owns a collection of old maps of China and the rest of Asia, produced by Chinese and Western cartographers over the last 500 years. A selection of these maps, providing an insight into the history of international geographic knowledge, was published by the library in a limited-edition (1000 copies) volume in 2003.

Student Amenities

The Amenities Service Counter is located in Room LG3005 inside the Indoor Sports Complex. It provides services and assistance to users of the student amenities. These services include:

• student lockers
• loan of equipment for activities organized by student societies and teams
• information and advice on all matters related to amenities

Sports Facilities

The University provides a variety of sports and recreation facilities for the enhancement and promotion of your total well-being. All Full-time and Part-time students, staff and family members, long-serving retirees/leavers and Sports Facilities User Cardholders are welcome to use the facilities.  

The demand for sports facilities is quite keen. Sports skill classes, sports team practices and organized sports events including the intervarsity and intramural sports competitions are held in various facilities throughout the year.