International exchange students broaden horizons in Hong Kong
Exchange programmes benefit the students who participate and those from host schools by enabling them to learn about each other's culture, writes Mabel Sieh
The prospect of communication and cultural barriers did not deter Eduardo Jose Andres Medina from becoming an exchange student in Hong Kong. Hailing from Mexico, he is 1.9 metres tall - much taller than his peers in Form Four at the SKH Lam Woo Secondary Memorial School in Kwai Ching.
He chose Hong Kong to experience a different culture. "Hong Kong is interesting as it has both Chinese and Western sides," he says.
"Everybody was looking at me [like they're saying]: Who's this weird tall guy? The other boys didn't talk to me much; the girls did," says the 16-year-old.
This is about learning what they can't learn in the classroom
Eduardo is one of 50 exchange students from 17 countries who have come to Hong Kong under the AFS Intercultural Programmes.
"It was my dream to be an exchange student - it's a popular concept in Mexico because it's a good way to meet people from outside the country and learn about their cultures."
AFS Intercultural Exchanges is an international non-profit organisation that has been promoting international exchange activities since its inception in 1947. It aims to establish understanding among participants with a view to achieving world peace. The Hong Kong office was established in 1982, providing teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 a 10-month overseas exchange programme.
Hung Truong, executive director of AFS Hong Kong, says the programme affects local schools, communities and families. "The programme allows local people who may not have a chance to study or live abroad the chance to build friendships with foreign teenagers, practise foreign languages in a relaxed environment and understand other cultures. Host students internationalise local schools by offering a glimpse of their world to local students," he says.
