Programme fee (US$700 or HK$5,460 per module) and/or accommodation fee for overseas applicant (US$300/HK$2,340) should be paid while making on-line application. Please click here for the details of Payment Methods. An Offer of Admission will be sent to you upon receipt of your payment.

A certificate of attendance will be awarded to students who have successfully completed the course at the end of the module.

Accommodation for overseas applicants will be provided on request from July 24 to August 9, 2008 (16 nights). Students will be assigned student dormitories on a share-room basis at the University of Hong Kong which all rooms are air-conditioned and well-furnished.

Sheets and blankets are provided in the hall, but you are reminded to prepare the daily necessities, including towels, body care and bath product, etc. Laundry facilities are also available which tokens are purchasable from the dormitories.

Due to limited number of hall places, the Faculty of Social Sciences will try its best to facilitate those students who wish to extend their hall stay and the request letter should reach the Faculty Office before May 15, 2009.

All non-local students are required to obtain a student visa to Hong Kong. Students from overseas can choose to lodge their applications for Hong Kong student visa at least two months in advance via the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) of HKU [3/F, Meng Wah Complex, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (Tel.: (852) 2859 2305; Email: cedars@hku.hk)]. All applicants should name CEDARS of HKU as the visa sponsor. A cost recovery fee will be charged for each application of visa sponsorship. Please visit <http://cedars.hku.hk/nonlocal/visa.html> for details.

Hong Kong International Airport is situated in Chap Lap Kok on Lantau Island. There are several ways to get to HKU:

• Airport Express Train from Airport to Hong Kong Station, Central District – The train fare is HK$100 for a single trip
  and the train ride is 24 minutes. It arrives in an Arrival Hall connected to a taxi rank. It takes only a minute to cross
  from the train to a waiting taxi. Then take a taxi from Central District to your hall. For off-peak hours, the taxi fare
  should be around HK$50, plus luggage fee. The traveling time from Central to the HKU campus is around 15
  minutes; or

• Cityflyer Bus no. A11 from Airport to Central – The buses are located at Level 4, Ground Transportation Centre.
  Allow at least an hour for the bus ride. The fare is HK$40. Have a few HK$10 coins and notes with you, as exact
  fare is required (You can change HK$ at the airport). Then change to a taxi in Central; or

• If your budget allows, simply take a taxi from the Airport directly to the hall, the cost is about HK$350 and the
  traveling time is approximately 45 minutes (You can share with your friends if you happen to travel together).

Most taxi drivers understand enough English to get you where you want to go.

Maps of Hong Kong and the campus: click here

The Summer School will cover some meals during your studies. You are recommended to include the daily meal expenditure in your budget. University canteens are available and a variety of restaurants/food stalls/coffee shops are also located nearby.

Meal on Campus
Three major restaurants (Fong Shu Chuen Amenities Centre Restaurant, Chong Yuet Ming Amenities Centre Restaurant and Union Restaurant) and three coffee shops (Starbucks, Oliver's Super Sandwiches and Pacific Coffee) are located on the main campus. Meal cost varies from around HK$20 to HK$40. In the student canteens, both Chinese and Western style menu are provided.

Off-campus Meals
Other than student canteens, a wide variety of restaurants, food stalls and coffee shops at reasonable price are also available. For example, McDonald's and Chinese style restaurants are located within walking distance from the main campus.

You are advised to bring enough cash, traveller's cheques, or bank drafts to cover your expenses during the programme. If you exchange money before you come, remember to ask for small denomination bank notes (Taxis normally do not accept notes larger than $500). However, do not carry too much cash at any time. It will be easy for you to locate banks and currency exchange services at the Airport as well as on campus.

If you do not have a bank account in Hong Kong, you will need to transfer money for use on arrival. This can be done, either
• by instructing an overseas bank, one or two weeks prior to your departure. Arrange to send money in your name to
  a bank in Hong Kong (both HSBC and the Bank of East Asia have branches on the HKU campus); or
• by carrying traveller's cheques or a bank draft for deposit in a local account (personal cheques can also be
  deposited but may take up to three weeks to be cleared).

The majority of banks are open from 0900 to 1630, Monday to Friday, and from 0900 to 1230 on Saturday. Most establishments in Hong Kong accept major credit cards such as VISA, MasterCard and American Express but the University and most campus outlets take cash or cheque only.

Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with distinct season and the summer weather is usually hot and humid. Temperatures range from 26°C to 33°C. July is particularly a typhoon season. When a typhoon is approaching, warnings are broadcast on TV and radio, and signal indicates the storm's distance from Hong Kong. If a typhoon comes near (Signal 8), businesses and shops close down and flights may be cancelled.

Hong Kong Observatory: click here