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HKBU international students adapt to life in Hong Kong through Host Family Programme (Wen Wei Po)

  • The report said that HKBU’s Host Family Programme has been extended from Mainland students to international students since 2017. HKBU staff volunteers serve as hosts to help new non-local students adapt to life in Hong Kong through sharing and social interactions.
  • Ms Serena Yim, Senior Guidance Services Officer of the Student Affairs Office’s Counselling and Development Section, was quoted as saying that the Programme has built up a total of 900 host families who have received about 2,000 non-local students from countries such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Myanmar.
  • One of the hosts, Ms Christina Chan, is from the International Office. Due to the nature of her job, she often contacts with the non-local, short-term exchange students. As she likes to have more personal connections with the younger generation outside the workplace, she has joined the Host Family Programme, with the support of her husband.
  • The report said that international student Proud (COMM, Year 2) from Thailand was received by Christina’s family. She was accompanied on a visit to the Peak, tasted roast goose in Sham Tseng and watched horse racing. Proud thought that the host family members are not just her companions as the long-lasting relationships with them can become a crucial ingredient contributing to her growth and development. She finds that Hong Kong is a place full of love.

wenweipoSource: http://paper.wenweipo.com/2019/06/27/ED1906270002.htm

The “Wish” programme of Cable TV produced a special coverage on the HKBU Host Family Programme and it was broadcasted on 8th October 2022.  Featuring one of our host families Dr. YUE Kin Man, Kevin and his students, the episode told the story of how host families of HKBU help the students adjust and integrate into Hong Kong.

Dr. Yue has been participating as one of the host families for 14 years and has served more than 30 students as his “sons and daughters” over the past years. His students, Amos and Monn who are from Singapore and Beijing, were interviewed. They expressed that Dr. YUE was not only their teacher at the university, but also their father in Hong Kong. The care and love from Dr. YUE’s family helped them cope with the separation with their own families and adapt to the new life in Hong Kong. They feel loved and would hope to pass the love to other new students, no matter where they come from.

Ms. Wendy Cheung, Assistant Director of Student Affairs/ Head of Counselling and Development Centre, mentioned that there are over 2000 students benefited from the Host Family Programme, and the students are from Mainland and nine other countries.