5 perks available for students in Hong Kong

During my 2.5 years studying in Hong Kong, I realised that there is a huge number of facilities for students that have become something commonplace for us. In this selection, I've put together five of them that make life a lot easier and help save money.

Logos of 10 Hong Kong universities (8 of them UGC funded). Source: Google

1. Universities via CSL

Universities via CSL is a Wi-Fi network run by CSL, one of Hong Kong's big cellular operators. The network is mainly available at MTR stations, but there are also phone boxes in the city that are also access points. To connect to the network, students log in via university email addresses. It might be worth mentioning that free public Wi-Fi networks are also available in metro stations and on some buses, but Universities via CSL is much faster and more convenient.

2. Notebook ownership program

At the beginning of each year, most (if not all) Hong Kong universities launch a "Notebook Ownership Program", a programme where students can buy a laptop, tablet, and various peripherals at a very good discount. Each university partners with different companies, so the choice of equipment varies from university to university. In addition to the discount, some laptops also come with different gifts. For example, Apple laptops usually also come with a case, film, adapter and printer or clicker.

3. Microsoft Office & other software

Throughout their studies, all students have access to Office 365 which includes Office, PowerPoint, Excel and other software. At our university these can be installed on up to 5 devices. In addition to this, universities also provide free antimalware software, and other programs, a list of which can usually be found on the university's tech support site (At our university, students in the computer science department also have access to Microsoft Azure).

4. Library subscriptions

Libraries in universities in Hong Kong, of course, deserve a separate post. In addition to access to the huge databases and the possibility of ordering books from the libraries of other institutions, they offer subscriptions to various publications and services. Our library gives full access to The New York Times and the PressReader application, where you can read about 7000 different newspapers and magazines published in 60 countries.

5. Overseas trips insurance

The university provides students travelling abroad for various activities and programmes (including academic mobility) with free travel insurance. The insurance is available for all students, and is active during foreign trips organised by the university. Most universities in the world probably have something similar, but I can't help but say that it is unspeakably convenient. The biggest convenience is that it helps a lot in the visa application process, in which having insurance is usually a must.

Extra: MTR Subsidy Scheme

Off the list, I've also decided to mention the government transport subsidy, which is available to all public transport users. Generally speaking, students can get a student travel card, with which underground rides cost half as much. However, people who spend more than HKD 400 (~20000 KZT) per month on public transport (including buses) may get one-third of the exceeded amount back on the card (subsidy is capped at HKD 400). The best part is that the entire transaction can easily be done via a mobile app.