Marco Polo Report City University of Hong Kong

Transcription

1 Marco Polo Report City University of Hong Kong Mark Alexander Wilming S

2 Host institution and exact dates of semester abroad I have been studying at the City University of Hong Kong from September 1 until December 19. There was an introduction week from August 25 until August 29. During this week the university organizes some introductory courses on how everything is arranged and what you should pay attention too. Next to that they organised some trips like going to the IKEA the first day to buy the necessary stuff for your room. I strongly recommend you to attend this week as it is the perfect opportunity to already get to know tons of people and know your way around the campus. The classes ended at November 28 and my first exam was at December 11. Contact with home faculty, preparation and journey Before going abroad, the university provides you with enough information on the Marco Polo grant, possible other grants, vaccinations etc. so this is really helpful. If you have any questions you can easily the Exchange Office which will respond within one or two days. You have to get a student visa before entering Hong Kong, but the CityU is arranging this for you which is really convenient. You just have to fill out some forms which you can find on the website of the university and then send them to Hong Kong. After everything was processed they would send your visa directly to your home address. During my stay I only had contact with my home university once, which was in the first week. I had a question about one of my courses and whether I could change this. Within a day I got a response, so this went all fine. When I arrived in Hong Kong I couldn t find the document which said the location of the shuttle service, but I ran into some other students from Sweden who had the same problem so we shared a taxi. 3. Residence abroad As I already said the CityU arranges the visa for you so this is really convenient. For the CityU you do not need an elaborate health check, but it is recommended to get vaccinated especially if you want to travel before/during/after your semester. The GGD or your doctor knows exactly what kind of vaccinations you need. I do recommend you to have a look at the policy of your insurance company concerning vaccinations. For me to get my vaccinations covered I already had to have the travel insurance 4 months before I would get my vaccinations. If I would have known this before I could have saved quite some money, so this might be worthwhile to have a look at! Also, there may be some price differences between different instances so this might be worth to check out as well. I left the Netherlands at August 24 from Amsterdam and I flew back at January 10 after having travelled through Vietnam for 3 weeks. The CityU has a campus with 11 different halls of which Hall 10 and 11 are the newest. Once you are accepted at the CityU the exchange coordinator, Ada Kwok, will keep you very well updated by sending several s. Once I got the saying the application for the on campus residence was opened, I immediately applied. This is because they can t give everyone a spot at campus, as there are more students than available rooms on campus. I think living on campus has a few benefits compared to having to find your own room off campus. First of all, it saves you a lot of money since the fee for living on campus is approximately just as much as one month of rent off campus. Next to that, living on campus is the perfect way to stay in touch with other exchange students since most of the students will be living here. Once I arrived at the campus there were signs everywhere telling you where to go and there were students who helped you with signing into your room and enrol onto the Nestor of the Cityu.

3 In general, the level of the courses at the CityU is lower compared to the RUG. This was really nice as you did not have to spend all your time studying, but instead you could fully enjoy the exchange life. With this I mean travel around, hang out with the other exchange students and do fun stuff with everyone. The language which most people in Hong Kong speak is Cantonese. Some people are also able to speak English, but don t expect people like the taxi driver and the guard of your hall to speak perfectly English. All street and MTR sings are in English and in Cantonese though, so it is very easy to find your way around in Hong Kong. 4. Grant - Amount If you go to Hong Kong you will receive in total 1,000 euros, so 700 beforehand and 300 after you return. The grant for me was enough to cover part of my flight ticket. As I said if you live on campus your housing expenses won t be that high. I had a double room and I paid around 480 euros for the whole semester. Compared to other cities in Asia Hong Kong is quite expensive, but still it was cheaper than in the Netherlands. The food was quite cheap and especially at the canteens on campus you could have dinner for around 2 euros. So you don t have to cook during your exchange, as going out for food is usually cheaper than cooking it yourself. Buying a drink in a bar can be quite expensive though, but students usually solve this by grabbing some beers from the small supermarket 7-11 which can be found literally everywhere in Hong Kong. Transport in Hong Kong is quite cheap as well, you will get a student octopus card (which can be compared to the Dutch OV-kaart), which gives you around 40% discount on all MTR rides. The taxi is not that expensive as well, when you want to return from another night partying the MTR is not functioning anymore, but a taxi ride will cost you around 100 HKD (10 ). This is quite decent as you have to drive from Hong Kong Island all the way back to the campus which is on the mainland. Travelling to other countries is cheap as well and also really convenient from Hong Kong as its airport is one of the largest and offers a lot of cheap flights. 5. Study (general) As I said before, the academic level is a bit lower than it is at the RUG. Already before you go to Hong Kong you have to select your top 10 of courses you would like to follow at the CityU. Even though you only have to take 5 courses I strongly recommend you to fill out all 10 options. I did not get one of the courses in my top 5, but luckily I got my sixth choice. I met several people in the first week who had only filled out the first 5 options, but got rejected for one or more courses. So they had to find new courses in the introduction week, which some found to be quite stressful. So you can easily avoid this by just immediately selecting a complete top 10. Almost all of my classes had lectures which lasted for 3 hours, so sometimes this might be a bit tiring as you are used to having just two hours of lecture here in Groningen. Also, for every course I had to make some sort of group assignment and/or presentation as they are very keen on group work in Hong Kong. The courses I took were: - Security Analysis & Portfolio Management - Corporate Finance II - Data Management - Managerial Accounting - Mandarin for Non Chinese Speakers I

4 I really enjoyed the course Security Analysis & Portfolio Management as this was taught by a really nice professor and the course was really well set-up. I was a bit disappointed about Data Management as this course only taught you how to create a database. The remainder of the courses were quite interesting. 7. Summary I really recommend you to go on exchange to the City University of Hong Kong. I have had an absolutely amazing time there and I would love to go back. There are a lot of exchange students, so you get the opportunity to get to know a lot of new people. Next to that, the staff of the CityU also wants you to have the best time of your life and they really do so by always being available to help you. Furthermore, Hong Kong is an amazing city where you can do almost anything you like. You can have a drink at the highest skybar of the world, go to The Peak to have a magnificent view over Hong Kong or wonder around through the old part of Hong Kong or the new financial centre of Hong Kong. Also, you can do hours long hikes through the mountains and end up at beautiful beaches. I also really recommend to go travelling during your exchange. Once you are in Hong Kong going to another Asian country is really cheap compared to flying from the Netherlands and it is such a nice experience. If you would like to know more about the university or about how my exchange was, feel free to contact me!

5 Specific Report Corporate Finance II 1. Host institution and study period City University of Hong Kong, September 1 until December Lectures and literature 13 weeks with one 3-hours long lecture 1 textbook 3. Overview of lecture program This course aims to provide students with advanced-level training in analysing corporate fundamentals with emphasis on financial statement analysis and security valuation. 4. Contents Wee Handout Date Chapter/Presentation/Examination k 1 1 and 2 CH 1. Introduction to Investing and Valuation CH 2. Introduction to the Financial Statements 2 2 and 3 CH 2. Introduction to the Financial Statements CH 3. How Financial Statements Are Used in Valuation 3 4 and 5 CH 4 Cash Accounting, Accrual Accounting, and Discounted Cash Flow Variation CH 5 Accrual Accounting and Valuation: Pricing Book Values 4 5 and 6 CH 6 Accrual Accounting and Valuation: Pricing Earnings 5 6 CH 6 Accrual Accounting and Valuation: Pricing Earnings 6 7 CH 7 Valuation and Active Investing 7 8 CH 8 Viewing the Business Through the Financial Statements 8 9 CH 9 The Analysis if the Statement of Shareholders' Equity 9 10 CH 10 The Analysis of the Balance Sheet and Income Statement CH 11 The Analysis of the Cash Flow Statement CH 12 The Analysis of Profitability CH 13 The Analysis of Growth and Sustainable Earnings 13 14,15 CH 14,15,16 parts of Forecasting and Valuation Analysis 5. Lecture-related activities We had one group project which had to be handed in at the end of the semester. Also, every three weeks some individual assignment had to be made and handed in for grading. 6. Relevance to Groningen study program Really relevant to my study program as this was an extension to the corporate valuation methods I had already learned in Groningen. I think that this course is comparable to Financial Statement Analysis. 7. Study load Lectures: 3 hours per week Group Assignment: 15 hours

6 Individual Assignments: 1,5 hours per assignment 8. Assessment in Groningen The professor was visiting assistant professor Dr. Milos Vulanovic Mandarin for non Chinese speakers 1. host institution and study period City University of Hong Kong, September 1 until December 19, Lectures and literature 2 weekly lectures of 2 and 1 hours for 13 weeks. 1 textbook and 1 workbook 3. Overview of lecture program This is a beginning language and culture course designed for non-chinese speakers in the university. This course will enable students to apply their knowledge of Chinese language and culture to communication in daily life. The aims of the lectures are as follows; Describe the phonetic system of the language. Expand the vocabulary of basic Chinese Identify basic sentence patterns and ways of expression in Mandarin Demonstrate the ability to read and write in basic Chinese Apply their knowledge of Chinese culture and tradition to communication 4. Contents This course consisted of the following parts; 20%; weekly homework assignments Every week you had to practice writing some Chinese characters and some grammar. This would be graded by the professor. 40%; quizzes There was the opportunity to make three of these quizzes, but only the 2 quizzes with the highest mark would count towards the final grade. These quizzes would test on Pinyin, characters, grammar and translation. 10%; Class participation 30%; Final test This test consisted of a written (80%) and an oral part (20%) which would cover all the material discussed during the semester. 5. Lecture-related activities The weekly homework assignment 6. Relevance to Groningen study program With China now being the largest economy of the world, I think having some basic notion in their language is highly relevant to an economics student like me. 7. Study load Lectures: 3 hours per week Weekly assignment: 1 hour per week Quiz preparation: 5 hours per quiz Oral exam preparation: 3 hours Final exam preparation: 15 hours 8. Assessment in Groningen 6 ECTS

7 Data Management 1. host institution and study period City University of Hong Kong, September 1 until December Lectures and literature Weekly lecture and tutorial of 2 and 1 hours respectively for 13 weeks 3. Overview of lecture program This course aims to: Introduce the concepts, principles and techniques of data management with emphasis on the modelling, design, and implementation of database applications; Explain the role of data management within the organizational information systems. 4. Contents No. CILOs 1. Explain the role of data management in business information systems and its contribution to organizational performance; 2. Develop effective conceptual data models based on a set of business requirements; 3. Convert the conceptual database design into normalised relations, and analyse functional dependencies and normalise relations to meet user requirements; 4. Develop user-friendly database application programs. 5. Lecture-related activities One group assignment where you have to create your own database with a group of 5 students in total. Afterwards, this assignment has to be presented as well. 6. Relevance to Groningen study program Development of databases is in ever-growing demand within businesses, therefore I think this course is highly relevant to my study program in Groningen. 7. Study load Lectures: 3 hours per week Group Assignment: 25 hours Exam preparation: 20 hours 8. Assessment in Groningen 6 ECTS Security Analysis and Portfolio Management 1. host institution and study period City University of Hong Kong, September 1 until December Lectures and literature 1 weekly lecture of 3 hours for 13 weeks 1 textbook 3. Overview of lecture program This course studies classical portfolio theory and standard asset pricing models at an introductory level. After completing the course, you are expected to be able to apply the fundamental principles

8 to analyse stocks and bonds investment problems, and manage financial portfolios. In particular, you will apply the theories and models of portfolio management and act as financial advisors. You will come up with portfolios for your clients, calculating risks and returns. This is an introduction to a client-facing career and will encourage you to apply your knowledge in an innovative manner. This course requires some proficiency with mathematics, statistics, and computers (Excel). We will be working with both notation and numbers. We will build on your knowledge of asset valuation rules (NPV, IRR, etc.) covered in the core finance course. 4. Contents A sample class schedule is shown below. Subject This schedule may be modified somewhat as the semester progresses as some topics take more or less time than anticipated. Date Week 1 Sep 2/3/5 Ch 1-2, Institutional Backgroud Week 2 Sep 10/12/16 Ch 3, How Securities are Traded Week 3 Sep 17/19/23 Review of Mathematics & Statistics Week 4 Sep 24/26/30 Ch 5, Return and Risk Week 5 Oct 7/8/10 Ch 6, Risk Aversion and Capital Allocation Week 6 Oct 14/15/17 Ch 7, Optimal Risky Portfolios Week 7 Oct 21/22/24 Ch 9, CAPM Week 8 Oct 28/29/31 Ch 10, APT and Factor Models Week 9 Nov 4/5/7 Ch 11-12, Market Efficiency and Behavioral Finance Week 10 Nov 11/12/14 Ch 14-15, Bond Pricing and Term Structure of Interest Rates Week 11 Nov 18/19/21 Ch 16, Bond Portfolios Management Week 12 Nov 25/26/28 Course Wrap-up and Final Review 5. Lecture-related activities There was one group assignment where you had to establish the optimal portfolio for your client. Also, there were 3 individual assignments which covered several exercises. 6. Relevance to Groningen study program I think this course is highly relevant to my study program as it extended my knowledge on the financial markets. I think this course is comparable to the course Intermediate Asset Pricing. 7. Study load Lectures: 3 hours per week Group assignment: 10 hours Individual assignments: 2 hours per assignment 8. Assessment in Groningen 6 ECTS Managerial Accounting 1. host institution and study period

9 City University of Hong Kong, September 1 until December Lectures and literature 1 weekly lecture and tutorial of 2 and 1 hours respectively for 13 weeks. 1 textbook 3. Overview of lecture program This course aims to: provide students with basic knowledge of management accounting for a career in business as well as being a foundation for advanced management accounting courses. Basic management accounting knowledge includes: technical knowledge in identifying, evaluating and computing costs by applying various tools of management and product costing systems for strategic decision-making; preparing reports and analyzing strategic planning and management performance in order to enhance decision making; and extend knowledge of inventory valuation gained in CB2100 to cover inventory valuation in a manufacturing company. 4. Contents Week Topics Reading Assignments 1: Sep 1-5 Managerial Accounting and Cost Concepts Prologue Ch 1 2: Sep : Sep Job-Order Costing Ch 2 Activity-Based Costing Ch 3 4: Sep Process Costing Ch 4 5: Sep 29-Oct 3 Cost-Volume-Profit Relationships (Online assignment #1) 6: Oct 6-10 Variable Costing and Segment Reporting Ch 5 Ch 6 7: Oct Mid-term Test: Covers Topics 1-5 on Sunday 19 October (time to be confirmed) *** NO lectures and NO tutorials this week *** 8: Oct Profit Planning Ch 7

10 9: Oct Flexible Budgets, Standard Costs and Variance Analysis Ch 8 10: Nov 3-7 Performance Measurement Ch 9 11: Nov Differential Analysis (Online assignment #2) 12: Nov Capital Budgeting Decisions (Group project due) Ch 10 Ch 11 13: Nov Review Class Review of all topics 5. Lecture-related activities There were 2 online assignments which counted towards the final grade, there was also one group assignment where a local swimming pool had to be analysed. 6. Relevance to Groningen study program I think this course is highly relevant to my study program, as this had extended my accounting knowledge. This course is comparable to Management Accounting for BE. 7. Study load Lectures: 3 hours per week Individual Assignments: 2,5 hours per assignment Group Assignment: 8 hours Exam preparation: 24 hours (for both midterm and final) 8. Assessment in Groningen 6 ECTS