CUHK
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) hosted an Academic Roundtable on international education and exchange on 10 April 2015 to mark the 50^th anniversary of its first exchange partnership which was established with the University of California (UC) system in 1965. Being a forerunner in international education, CUHK is the first university pioneering international exchange in the territory, unveiling a new page of global education for students in Hong Kong and facilitating cultural exchange between China and the West. CUHK is also the first local partner of the UC system, whose exchange program is administered by the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP). 

Co-chairing the Roundtable, Prof. Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK, remarked, “CUHK enjoys special ties with the University of California system as it is the first partner with which the University has entered into a student mobility partnership. Committed in the cross-fertilization of Chinese and Western academic and cultural traditions, the University has been striving to nurturing global citizens while promoting the Chinese culture to foreign students. Today, we take pride to have established a diversity of education programs of various nature and duration with over 280 partners in 35 countries/regions in advancing our mission.” 

Themed “Hong Kong and California: Strategic Initiatives, Ideas, and Innovations for the Next Generation of Global Leaders”, the Roundtable was co-chaired by Prof. Joseph Sung and Prof. Hsiu-Zu Ho, Associate Dean, UCEAP. Dr. Richard Armour, Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee spoke on the new initiatives in internationalization in Hong Kong. 

Other seasoned educators from Hong Kong and the US discussed rising issues in international education and exchange, covering strategies of international education, the role of the language of instruction in international education, opportunities and challenges in various overseas learning programs, and issues faced by US students while on exchange in China. Some of the speakers included Mr. Eric Ng, Registrar and Secretary, CUHK; Prof. Hong K. Lo, Associate Dean, School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST); Prof. Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, The University of Hong Kong (HKU); and Prof. Cindy Fan, Vice Provost for International Studies, UC Los Angeles. 

Hong Kong is the second study abroad destination in Asia for UCEAP and the sixth worldwide, following France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain. With the benefit of instruction in English and a wide range of coursework related to all UC majors, Hong Kong remains among the top 10 places of interest for UC study abroad. Apart from CUHK, HKUST and HKU are partners of UCEAP. The alliance with HKUST was formed in 1997 while that with HKU was formed in 2000. 

Since 1962, UCEAP has served as UC systemwide international exchange program, organizing and coordinating exchange programs for all 10 UC campuses*. UCEAP currently offers over 380 program options in 42 countries. 

* Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and San Diego