Science Student Exchange Programme

Esther Tsang

Exchange Year (2003-2004)
Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

參加大學的交流計劃，很多同學也會選擇去美國，而我則選了十分陌生的瑞典，位於斯德哥爾摩的Royal Institute of Technology。

瑞典是一個科技十分先進的國家，所以我選擇了一所以科技?主的大學，希望在主修科目外發掘其他的興趣。交流期間，我讀了一科以音樂科技為題的課，發現原來我們可以寫一段短短的程式，揮動專有的棒，便可模擬一對樂團演奏，真的很有趣！

另一方面，瑞典是一個多元文化的國家，當地有相當的移民人口，所以每一課可能只有少於一成學生是土生土長的瑞典人。我的功課中，其中一份報告是與幾位中東來的同學合作，研究各自的原居地的網絡。因?這份報告，我才發現自己是身在福中不知福，因?香港擁有先進及完善的網絡，比任何國家都要先進，所以大家真的要珍惜和推進科技到其他發展未成熟的國家，好使更多人能享用科研的成果。

交流生的生活除了上課外，也應該多參與課外活動，而我也籍著不同的活動對瑞典和瑞典人有更深的了解。其中，我參加了Royal Institute of Technology的交響樂團，不但隨樂團到舉辦諾貝爾獎得獎人晚宴的City Hall演奏，更有幸代表樂團到芬蘭演出。在芬蘭，我跟團友特地去體驗真正的芬蘭桑拿，勇敢的跳進冰冷的波羅的海。

我也趁機在歐洲遊歷，分別前往北極圈和東歐的拉脫維亞和愛沙尼亞。遊歷期間我第一次看到一見難忘的北極光，第一次參觀整座以冰造的酒店，第一次坐由狗拉的雪橇。這次歐洲旅程不但嘗試了很多的新事物，對自己和出生的地方也有另一層的認識。我認?大家應在年青的時候多出去闖闖，不但可廣闊眼界，我們的思維和做事方式也會有所改變和成熟。

Many students considering going on exchange prefer going to English-speaking destinations. I, however, chose to be different and went on a one-semester exchange at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Sweden is proud of its technological achievements, so even though I am a science student, I selected a school focused on technology so that I could explore other fields of interests and dabble in academic fields different from my programme major. For instance, I enrolled in a music technology course. Thanks to this course, I now know that an entire orchestra can be simulated with a short computer programme and a specialized baton. On the other hand, Sweden is a country home to a significant immigrant population. One of the projects I worked on, involved a collaboration with a few classmates from the Middle-East. I realized how fortunate Hongkongers are after researching about bandwidths and network systems in several different cities. Hong Kong ranks top in research on bandwidth and prevalence of computer networking. Not only am I proud of being a Hongkonger, but I believe that we should treasure and help promote the use of technology to other places in the world. That way, more people can take advantage of the fruits of technological research and advancement.

Apart from my studies, I also participated in extra-curricular activities to gain a better understanding of Sweden and its people. One of the activities I took part in was the university orchestra, and we got to perform at the City Hall where the Nobel Prize winners’ banquet is held every year. We were even invited to make a concert tour in Finland. Prior to the concert tour, I didn’t know that having an authentic Finnish Sauna involves diving into the frigid waters of the Baltic Sea! Now I have experienced it first-hand, something that I could only dream of before going on exchange.

My experience abroad also included travelling around Europe. I visited the Arctic Circle, as well as Latvia and Estonia, along with other places. Living in Hong Kong, the Northern Lights, the ice hotel, and dog-sledding are only things you have heard about but never get to experience. The Science Student Exchange Programme has really broadened my horizons, and actually made me more aware of what it means to be a Chinese and Hongkonger. I am glad that I made the right choice, and I hope that all of you can take a great step forward by participating in the Science Student Exchange Programme to discover another side of yourself and a foreign environment.