Based on the classes I am taking now and from what I have been told from my other friends at HKU, just a very few professors require students buying textbooks. Compared to Northeastern, where it is common to spend hundreds of dollars per semester buying books, this is a great economic relief. What professors usually do is that they upload the required readings on Moodle–the equivalent of Northeastern’s Blackboard–or they just provide handouts during classes.
Classes at HKU are very different than the ones at Northeastern. The biggest difference is that students at HKU do not interrupt professors to ask questions or to provide comments on the topic. Most classes have what they call “tutorials”, which is kind of a recitation, where an outstanding current student of HKU that took that specific class on a previous semester encourages discussion among students. Another big difference is the evaluation system. There is no constant evaluation but rather a major final project usually worth 40% and a final exam of 60%. That is the case at least of economics and politics classes. My roommate who is taking MIS does have some homework, but nothing compared to Northeastern. This method of evaluation is great for me as I do not have constant examinations nor homework, so I can travel without the pressure that I need to study or turn in a homework. And a final significant difference of HKU classes, which truly called my attention, is the attitude of local students in class. A significant percentage of the class have the laptop out and do non-class related browsing on internet. Another big group of the class have their phone out and chat or use social media just in front of the professor. In the two weeks of classes I have been, I have not seen any professor telling students to take away their electronic devices. This would be very difficult to see at Northeastern.
Besides those differences, classes are overall similar to Northeastern’s: no dress code, professors teach using PowerPoint presentations, not all classes are attendance required, professors have office hours, they are willing to accept questions through email and there are ten minute breaks between classes. The size of the classes, based on what I have seen, varies from thirty students to one hundred. The best aspect of classes is the quality of professors. One professor from a political class I am taking, for example, is a famous public opinion researcher in Hong Kong who constantly appears on television and local newspapers. It is a real privilege to have recognized professors who are experts on the theory and the practice of the topic they teach.
