Exchange Student Recommends the Department

 The other day when we googled our department (yes, we do google ourselves, sometimes), we found that a Finnish student who did exchange in our department in 2007 gives great compliments to the department: "All in all, I can only praise the level of the anthropology department of the CUHK. They do amazing job, they love anthropology and their work, and they are amazing anthropologist role models.” Here, we would like to share some of his experiences of studying in our department. If you want to learn his whole story as an exchange student at CUHK, please have a look at the original blog entry.

Photo: Simple Anthopology Blog

University rankings, CUHK and my thoughtsabout anthropology in the CUHK

Posted on June 3, 2012

My Anthropology studies in CUHK

I had three Anthropology courses in the Chinese University of Hong Kong：

Meanings of Life, Anthropology course: prof. Gordon Mathews

Chinese culture, Anthropology course: prof. Joseph Bosco

Magic Myth and Supernatural, Anthropology course: prof. Joseph Bosco

Photo: Simple Anthopology Blog

Both professors were top of the class, and really seriously into anthropology, they were enthusiastic about their work and about the university and about Hong Kong. I would recommend anyone taking any classes with them. The readings were totally awesome and I still have my notes and articles somewhere in safe. Bosco was really professional and good instructor, quite demanding, but in my opinion that’s only a good thing. He has funny humor and he uses lot of good examples in the class.

Professor Mathews was totally awesome in every ways. I consider him the best professor and a lecturer I have ever seen, in any of the lectures in all of the Universities I’ve visited. I got totally hooked on all of my anthropology classes and encourage anyone who has a possibility to take classes in CUHK to go see anthropology lectures, especially from prof. Mathews. He even brought some of his informants to follow up his lectures, and even gave them money so they could come. That is really exemplary way for an anthropologist to thank the informants.

Mathews also took the graduate class to participate in his fieldwork in the famous Hong Kong colossus, Chungking Mansions, a building famous from the Wong Kar-Wai movie Chungking Express. At that time prof. Mathews was preparing his book about the building, the book is now ready and on top of my Amazon wish list (Ghetto at the Center of the World: Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong)

Amazing experience in a top of the top university

Photo: Simple Anthopology Blog

All in all, I can only praise the level of the anthropology department of the CUHK. They do amazing job, they love anthropology and their work, and they are amazing anthropologist role models. Teaching methods are great and even with the high amount of students, its easy to get personal attention from the professors.

Also I can give them extra points from the location. The university campus is Beautiful with capital B, on top of a mountain, covered with tropical trees and amazing amazing views everywhere. And the university is in Hong Kong(!), one of the most interesting multicultural hotspots in the world! I cannot imagine better place to study anthropology. If you have a chance to apply to study anthropology in CUHK, I would warmly recommend doing that.