Under the influence of internationalization, the number of non-local students in local universities rises continuously over the last decade. To cultivate a vibrant campus atmosphere where mutual respect, understanding, and learning can be achieved, integration of students from different cultural backgrounds holds the key. Every year, the Polytechnic University and its student organizations work ve
ry hard to facilitate interactions among local and non-locals through organizing joint-activities. As members of VOLAR and International Student Ambassadors (ISA) - student communities in the Homantin Halls and on campus respectively, both dedicating to nurturing friendship across countries and promoting cultural diversity - we have also organized numerous student-oriented events in the past to help local and non-local students bond. However despite our efforts, it appears that these groups of students still tend to prefer their ‘exclusive’ social circles. While many mainland and international students tend to perceive themselves as ‘visitors’ of Hong Kong, and naturally feeling more intimate with their “tongxiang” or students coming from common or similar cultural backgrounds; the majority of local students also seem to feel more at ease hanging out with their own in-groups. Based on our experience and observations, we acknowledge that most of the integration activities might have temporarily succeeded in motivating both parties to step out of their comfort zone and get together, and yet the connection often fails to sustain. This is because many students continue to experience cultural barriers during their interactions, without sufficient sensitivity to each other’s culture or much awareness that they are capable of overcoming obstacles and supporting each other to create an integrative community. Therefore, providing an attractive platform for students to openly explore, share and exchange cultures, and furthermore, to rise above differences and co-create an internationalized culture on campus, becomes our primary mission. We propose the Cultural Integration Tour to break the previous ‘pattern of segregation’ and help local and non-local PolyU students truly ‘connect’. The objectives of the Cultural Integration Tours are as followed:
1. To encourage PolyU students, especially locals, to acquire an international scope and open their horizons through the appreciation of cultural diversities in Hong Kong.
2. To support students, especially non-locals, to experience and understand local cultures, and have a real taste of life in Hong Kong.
3. To facilitate exchange and dialogues among local and non-local students through in-depth communication and thus, empowering both parties to co-create an integrative culture.
4. To enhance bonding and friendship of local and non-local students through the quality time they spent together.
5. To build a sustainable platform of integration with a structured buddy system. Starting with a relatively small population of participants, we aim to create a ripple effect that will eventually exert a positive and continuous impact on campus integration.
