Exchange Return Report

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Magnus Skinner
5 years ago
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1 Exchange Return Report University of Edinburgh, 2010 to 2011 Name: Curriculum: Host Institution: Exchange duration: Shing Jou BBA(Law) University of Edinburgh 1 year

2 The exchange experience at the University of Edinburgh had been a most rewarding one. I remember when I first arrived at the Edinburgh Airport, there were representatives from the university s Student Association in red uniforms, taking foreign students like myself to the coach heading straight to the university just 30 minutes drive away. To me, it was a great relief in view of the long-distance flight which I have just undergone, and the same went, I believe, for my fellow schoolmate, who would be on exchange for one semester instead. Luckily for her, she didn t seem too troubled by the completely new surroundings. In fact, the bus ride was much like a first venture into foreign surroundings which, as it turned out, would in the end leave a very deep impression upon our eyes, ears, mind, and most importantly, how we feel and perceive the progressively more internationalized world in which we live. Edinburgh is a small city at the border between England and Scotland, and it is known for its historical and current position as the capital of the land of whiskies, marmites, and people so different and yet so polite, friendly, and helpful all the same. The phrase My pleasure. that came after a Thank you. seemed ever so much more sincere than I have experienced anywhere else. Amidst all of this foreign culture stood the institution for which I came the University of Edinburgh, situated right at the hub of the city. I remember when I first made my way to the college, it felt like a stroll into the scenes of history of which I had so far only managed to catch a glimpse between the two-dimensional pages of those haunting tomes of the past, quite unlike the streets upon streets of architecture that have been carefully preserved in this city recognized for its deep historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds by the granting of its status as a UNESCO city of literature of the United Nations. It was then, perhaps, no surprise that the quality of teaching I received at the host institution far exceeded my expectations. The international-related courses, such as European Union law and Competition Law, were particularly well-taught. The jurisprudence course, widely regarded by many as an inevitable pain in the tight, fast-paced, result-oriented curriculum of the Bachelor of Laws, was turned into something of an unexpected pleasure by the lecturer who made sure everyone followed and threw in appropriate, interesting examples which served to wake everybody up and achieve the purpose of relating legal theories, which can seem much too ephemeral at times, to the realities in which we live. The Public Law of the UK and Scotland course served to enlighten me about the historic origins, underlying mechanisms, and peculiarities about the political and legal system of the United Kingdom, which in turn helped me understand the similar political and legal system that had been transplanted to Hong Kong by the English colonists. Scotland itself was much like an English colony eventually assimilating to become one with England, and the cries for independence by the Scottish were always resounding somewhere in the background. The system of devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament by the English Westminster was a not dissimilar parallel of the relationship between Hong Kong and the central government in Beijing. It seems Hong Kong is not alone in having an intriguingly special status under the political structure of the same nation, and a walk around the Scottish Parliament somehow felt like a quick stroll across the piazza outside the Legislative Council building. Besides these highly interesting and enlightening courses, I also took part in activities organized by the Student Association. The hike to Arthur s Seat, a small mound by the accommodation complexes of the university, was something of a refreshing pause to the academic life that could get needlessly hectic and monotonous at times. The students of

3 Edinburgh were, in general, very attentive to personal developments beyond the field of mere academic excellence. My roommates all joined this activity and that, and were always more than willing to invite me to take part. There was one occasion on which one of my roommates appeared in the traditional Scottish kilt, and it was obvious to me that he was going to attend a traditional dance party called ceilidh. He invited me to join, saying it didn t matter even if I did poorly, but I said, Yeah, but still it won t be so okay if I dance too badly. He smiled and left. Be frank, the accommodation experience at Edinburgh was probably something impossible to get in Hong Kong. The residents and the staff of the accommodation services were all so friendly, helpful, and down-to-earth that they made it something of a rarity comparables of which would seem hard to be found elsewhere, and it opened my eyes as to the highly different nature of foreign culture, which I most certainly couldn t get to know if I had stayed at home, flipping textbooks page by page and marking important sections of the text down, sitting in a cubicle with a highlighter. My exchange experience at the University of Edinburgh was an enriching one, which served to put what I ve learnt in a wider, more internationalized perspective. I learned later that the lecturers on European Union law and public domestic law were all leading researchers in their fields. No wonder the classes were organized so well and I got so much out of it. Despite being a small city with minimal population, Edinburgh is a city that seems to offer more than its size and appearances would otherwise suggest. My experience there opened my eyes to things I otherwise surely wouldn t know, and helped me adjust my own way of life in view of the ways of life of people so far, both physically and culturally, from home. It was an experience I will most certainly cherish and bring forward, as I look back to those times through photographs taken of those scenes that will surely stay for long in the depths of my heart, of that beautiful city named Edinburgh, in which I have spent a most rewarding and unforgettable year on exchange from the home university. Photos:

Fall Exchange Report

Fall Exchange Report Exchange Report Name: XU Qili, Cherry Curriculum: LLB Host Institution: University of Nottingham Exchange Duration: One Year Type of Scholarship received: Madam Lau Kit Fong (Sau Chee) Memorial Scholarship