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We know Hong Kong pretty well and have some experience with answering even the most complex of HK related questions. So, feel free to post your Hong Kong question here and we'll do our best to help. Expect ~48 hours for an answer from our HK team.
International masters students at HKU / HKUST and expected salaries
However, I can't seem to find too many international students who are applying to or going to HKUST/HKU. I have applied to both these universities for the Master in Economics program. Can you tell me if I will find any international students in such programs? Also, which university gets better employment opportunities? I found some salary statistics on both websites but they are either out-dated or too old. Is $20,000 HKD/month too much to expect after graduation? Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.
Ask the universities, they'll be happy to provide information
I'm honestly not too sure about your program, but I'm quite sure that the university would be happy to provide you with that information or to introduce you to internationals that are studying for a masters here.
I think that when it comes to business, HKUST enjoys a slightly better reputation. Please see the HKUST/HKU comparison I replied to just a few days ago : http://www.itshongkong.org/hk-forum/questions-about-undergraduate-bba-hk...
I'm also not sure about salaries, but I'd say that even some of undergraduates make more than 20000HK$, but that depends on their accomplishments in terms of grades and social involvement. It is harder for internationals who don't speak the local languages. I suggest this is something you ask the university as well. Don't be shy to pick up the phone and talk to them.
Fili
Foreigners website and language
Thank you for responding so quickly to my email. I read the post you linked to and I think I understand your point. HKU seems to have a better overall experience whereas HKUST is a better business school. I am mainly worried about the international student population in my program. Neither university explicitly mentions them but, HKUST posts the universities that previous students came from. I only see 4 foreign universities in the past 3 academic years. That is 3 out of 240 students? I also hear that students there tend to mingle with their own kind. Are they difficult to talk to? (inside and outside the class)
Additionally, do you know any website or forum where prospective students usually go to? Every website I found seems to talk about undergraduate courses only. I hardly see one or two posts on postgraduate education.
Lastly, how hard is the language? I mean..is it possible to learn the basics in a few months?
Geoexpat and Cantonese
Cantonese is tough. For a western foreigner, I would say you can probably be able to communicate well with the locals after 2-3 years of putting effort into it, perhaps much more to be completely fluent.
Foreigners in Hong Kong usually use Geoexpat for most things. there are other smaller communities, but this is essentially it. Nothing student specific as far as I'm aware for HK, though there are some Facebook groups you can try and search for the specific universities.
As for the number of foreign students in PG program in HK, yeah, it's small. I'm the only "western" PG student in the entire business school and I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon. For stats, you should talk to your intended department.
Hi, This is a bit off topic.
Hi,
This is a bit off topic. I am curious to know if you've heard back from HKU.
I also placed an application for Master of Econ at HKU. I am eagerly waiting for a reply.
I think I will be facing similar problems, even though I am of chinese decent I was born and raised in Australia. I am hoping to spend one or two year in HK for a life experience.