While my main field of study is neuroscience, the main attraction of Hong Kong has always been the very vibrant academic exchanges and beautiful natural environment, especially during my stay at Robert Black College (RBC), University of Hong Kong (HKU), in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong Island. Robert Black College is located just below Lung Fu Shan Country Park, which is a heavily forested parkland on the steep slopes above University Drive. By contrast, the area downhill from the main HKU campus has evolved into a dense maze of urban spaces, which continues all the way down to the Central District and Star Ferry Pier at the ocean harbour level. The Lung Fu Shan parkland is so heavily forested that it is easy to forget that the city is down below.
Since the whole university is built on a mountain slope, this often involves navigating steep but picturesque staircases with views of the ocean and outer islands in the distance.
Opened in 1967, Robert Black College on University Drive has historically been the preferred residence for visiting overseas scholars at HKU. The main campus is just down the hill and it’s an easy walk to the library and other research departments. Since the whole university is built on a mountain slope, this often involves navigating steep but picturesque staircases with views of the ocean and outer islands in the distance.
Scholars staying at RBC have had the opportunity to engage in international exchanges which might be hard to facilitate otherwise. A large number of RBC visitors are not only experts in their fields but are also part of Hong Kong history. In past years, these have included Lady Pamela Youde, wife of the late governor Sir Edward Youde; Frank H.H. King, author of The History of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation; filmmaker Ruby Yang, who won an Academy Award in 2006 for best documentary short film; Lord Julian Hunt, professor of climate modelling and a meteorologist known for his scientific work on fluid mechanics and turbulence; Elizabeth Ride, who has collected and organized archival material from Hong Kong's WWII period and who is the daughter of the late Sir Lindsay Ride, vice-chancellor of HKU in the late 1940s. This is to name just a few individuals. Former masters of RBC have included Vincent W.S. Leung, known for his invention of the experimental magnetically-levitated train at HKU in 1975, and Professor C.Y. Jim, internationally known for his work on stonewall trees in Hong Kong. Besides having had the opportunity to meet the people mentioned above, I should mention that my research also benefited greatly from consulting experts in math modelling, one being a distinguished professor visiting Robert Black College and another at the local Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
Photo gallery
All photos by Daiga Helmeste
Visiting scholars have the opportunity to access HKU library materials, which is especially important for scholars studying local history and culture, because these materials have not necessarily been digitized and are not likely to be available overseas. By contrast, scientific publications do not generally have this type of problem because they are usually published in English in international journals which are available online.
Besides Honorary Consuls for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in Hong Kong, there is also a small Baltic expat group called TALKA in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is home to the largest French expat community in Asia. It’s probably safe to say that it is easier to study the French language (thanks to Alliance Française HK), read French books (thanks to Parentheses French Bookstore on Wellington Street), and attend French cultural events in Hong Kong than in North America, outside of certain parts of Canada. For example, there is “Le French May” Arts Festival every year, as well as the Francophone Film Festival and French May Cinema. I would like to thank Josette Balsa, art expert and former guest at RBC, for organizing the “Le Petit Prince” art exhibit at the Fringe Club several years ago, which was inaugurated by the French Consul and Lionel de Saint Exupéry (nephew of Antoine de Saint Exupéry), who lives in Hong Kong. It can be said that Hong Kong also has a very large Chinese arts community with numerous art galleries and museums. Scholars can not only study Chinese paintings in these collections, but can also often meet the artists themselves.
What about the Hemingway quote I mentioned at the beginning? Besides Honorary Consuls for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in Hong Kong, there is also a small Baltic expat group called TALKA in Hong Kong. One of their organizers was instrumental in helping to organize the “Amber: Baltic Gold” exhibit at the City University of Hong Kong last year. Several TALKA members, such as Lithuanian book author Laima Vincė, have taught at local Hong Kong schools for several years before moving back overseas. There are so many opportunities and possibilities!
