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The Office of Student Affairs of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is holding its first Nordic Festival (the Festival) on campus from 22 to 31 March, aiming to present the kaleidoscope of Nordic culture and encourage cultural interaction through a wide variety of activities, including talks, experience sharing sessions, a movie screening and a hands-on workshop. The Festival is supported by the Consulate General of Sweden in Hong Kong, the Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao, the Danish Seamen’s Church and IKEA Hong Kong. 

The Nordic region usually refers to Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, which are well-known to the world for their magnificent natural landscapes, innovative designs and rich cultures. On 22 March, a dialogue between Prof. Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and Mr. Patrik Lindvall, General Manager of IKEA Hong Kong, raised the curtain on the 8-day festival. The two guest speakers exchanged views on various topics such as education, work, culture and lifestyle in the Nordic countries. The interesting dialogue was greeted with enthusiastic responses from the audience. Many of them were surprised to learn about the culture differences between Hong Kong and the Nordic countries. For example, Swedish young people usually take a gap year before entering university. Although doing a gap year is less common in Hong Kong, Professor Sung encouraged young people to do so to widen their global vision. The work-life balance valued by Swedes also struck a contrast with that in Hong Kong workplaces. 

Nordic Cultural Experience on Campus 

Booths managed by some CUHK students from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden were set up to showcase their particular cultures, where visitors could take  tourism or information brochures and sample Nordic snacks – salty and sweet liquorice, candies and Finnish chocolate. The traditional Swedish game – fiskdamm, or fishpond- also attracted the attention of people who tried their hands catching ‘fish’ (candies) by using a fishing rod. Many visitors were keen to talk to the Nordic students as well. 

Cecilie Moeller, an exchange student from Denmark felt delighted to participate in the Festival promoting her home culture. ‘Many fellow students are interested in travelling or studying in Denmark. It was an interesting feeling when I introduced my country to the visitors at CUHK and received their impressions of it.’ 

Nordic Culture from Different Perspectives 

An exciting lineup of talks and experience sharing sessions covering topics in different fields is on offer to present Nordic culture over a broad spectrum. The Consul-General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao gave a talk on Finnish history, society and how their ‘do-it’ spirit has shaped a country that takes pride in its education and innovative technology today. Two CUHK EMBA alumni told the audience about the Swedish business landscape, while two well-travelled CUHK students shared their travel experiences in Norway and Iceland. A Swede living in Hong Kong will be having dialogues on Swedish society with a local blogger who used to live there, whilst a CUHK postgraduate student will introduce the Sami people, an indigenous group in Scandinavia. 

The screening of the Finnish comedy, Lapland Odyssey, provided a glimpse of Finnish culture, while the hands-on workshop for making a traditional Danish apple cake and floral crowns, which Swedes wear to celebrate the mid-Summer festival, allowed participants to have another taste of Nordic culture. 

To receive updated information about the Nordic Festival, please visit www.facebook.com/CUHKCulturalEncounters.