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The first group of Australian students to visit Hong Kong under the New Colombo Plan will set off on May 17 for a one-week visit. Fifteen students from the School of Education at the University of Wollongong (UOW) will visit the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd).
The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney, Mr Steve Barclay, met the students today (May 7) at UOW and gave them an introduction to Hong Kong. He warmly welcomed the New Colombo Plan, saying that it would raise Hong Kong's profile in Australia and strengthen the educational links between the two places.
Hong Kong was chosen as one of the four pilot destinations for the New Colombo Plan, together with Japan, Indonesia and Singapore.
"I am very pleased to see more Australian young people going to Hong Kong. It's a great chance for them to learn about Hong Kong," Mr Barclay said.
"Hong Kong is an international city with top-notch English-language universities, which makes the city an ideal destination for Australian students who want the best academic experience that Asia can offer," he added.
The UOW undergraduates will participate in a research project with the HKIEd and will also collaborate with local schools.
Professor Wilma Vialle of UOW, who is leading the visit, said the programme will involve workshops with HKIEd students and research tasks around Hong Kong.
"This one-week programme will see the students engage in academic and cultural immersion. Not only will they forge relationships with Hong Kong students; they will also travel around Hong Kong and see what Asia's world city has to offer," Professor Vialle said.
Third-year student Ms Genevieve Vickers said she was excited about this opportunity.
"I am thrilled to be immersed in an Asian culture that I haven't experienced before and engage in everything it has to offer," she said.
Ms Brinlee Deans, another student involved in the programme, said this trip would be a valuable career experience.
"On a professional level I am looking forward to gaining a greater understanding of the process involved in academic research," Ms Deans said.
Hong Kong was recently ranked third in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Sea Turtle Index, which ranks cities in terms of overall return on investment for overseas undergraduate education. The index attributed Hong Kong's high ranking to its high academic standards and cosmopolitan qualities.
The Australian Government launched the New Colombo Plan pilot scheme late last year, with the aim of enhancing educational co-operation with Asia-Pacific countries. Under the scheme, more than 700 Australian students will travel to Asia this year with Australian government scholarships and grants.
Ends/Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:32
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