When and How to Apply?
You are required to complete the Summer Exchange Online Application Form by 23:59 (Hong Kong Time), 28 January 2024. A 150 words personal statement is required so please prepare in advance. Late/incomplete application will not be processed.
You can pick up to 5 preferred choices of exchange institutions/programmes and it is your responsibility to ensure the chosen Host institutions have the appropriate programmes and subjects to fulfil your degree requirements at PolyU. Please check with your academic department on credit transfer.
Eligible applicants will be invited by email to sign up online for an interview slot during 1 and 2 February 2024. Face-to-face interview with the Global Engagement Office will be taken place from 6 to 8 February 2024. No alternative interview format/date could be arranged. Details of the interview process will be sent to successful applicants by email.
GEO will announce application results to students via email from late February 2024. Students should confirm their offer by the offer acceptance deadline. Upon students’ confirmation, GEO will send out confirmation email and nominate you to Partner institution. Once you have received your confirmation of nomination, you can start preparing for the application to your Host institution. You must submit your application to Host institution by application deadline. If Host institution requires you to submit your application via Home university, you should consult GEO and submit a complete set of documents to GEO at least two weeks before the application deadline. Late submission will jeopardise your submission.
Financial Support
Global Exchange participations are supported by a range of financial assistance. Eligibility and exact amount vary across destinations and durations.
Details will be provided to successful participants during the Pre-departure Briefing and in a follow-up email from GEO. Online Application for GEO Exchange Funding by said deadlines is required. No late application will be entertained.
Your Faculty/School/Department may offer additional sponsorships and/or scholarships aim at covering expenses such as flights, accommodation or living costs. Check with your Faculty/School/Department and/or Student Affairs Office for further details.
The subsidy provides financial assistance to students participating in Global Exchange at PolyU’s Student Exchange Partner institutions with tuition fee waiver and earn credit(s) upon completion of such Exchange. Exchange period is at least 4 weeks for Summer Exchange.
You are eligible to the funding:
- The first GEO outbound exchange activity involves physical travel during your entire undergraduate study; and
- If you are a full-time UGC-funded degree-seeking undergraduate students (Local and Non-Local) participating in Global Exchange programmes; and
- If you have attended all briefing sessions as required by GEO before departure
Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government offers Means-tested and Non-means-tested Schemes in support of Global Exchange. Read below for eligibility:
Means-tested Schemes
- You are a Local student with a Hong Kong Identity Card and enrolled in full-time undergraduate programme
- You are a recipient of grant under the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme – Publicly-funded Programmes by Student Finance Office (SFO); OR your family member is a recipient of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)
i. Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange (SSE)
- You participate in a Global Exchange for 4 weeks or more in summer
- You are eligible for SSE once only throughout your undergraduate studies
ii. Scheme for Means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" regions (Means-tested SSEBR)
- You participate in a Global Exchange in a "Belt and Road" regions (except Chinese Mainland, Taiwan and Macau) for 4 weeks or more in summer
- You are eligible for Means-tested SSEBR twice at most at two different "Belt and Road" regions, subject to maximum amount of subsidy to be received, i.e. HKD60,000, discounted by your level of student finance approved by SFO.
Non-means-tested Schemes
i. Non-means-tested Subsidy on Global Exchange to "Belt and "Road" regions (Non-means-tested SSEBR)
- You are a Local student with a Hong Kong Identity Card and enrolled in full-time undergraduate programme.
- You participate in a Global Exchange in any "Belt and Road" regions except Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Macau.
- You are eligible for Non-means-tested SSEBR once only throughout your undergraduate studies.
ii. Non-means-tested Subsidies on Global Exchange to Chinese Mainland (Non-means-tested MES)
- You are a Local or Non-local student and enrolled in full-time undergraduate programme.
- You participate in a Global Exchange in Chinese Mainland.
- You are eligible for Non-means-tested MES once only throughout your undergraduate studies.
GEO Subsidy for Global Exchange
| Destinations | GEO Subsidy for Global Exchange |
| Africa | HKD11,000 |
| Americas | HKD11,000 |
| Australasia | HKD11,000 |
| Europe | HKD11,000 |
| Israel | HKD11,000 |
| Japan / Korea / Singapore | HKD10,000 |
|
Chinese Mainland |
HKD4,100 |
| Chinese Mainland (Outside Guangdong Province) |
HKD5,800 |
| Taiwan | HKD6,000 |
| Other parts in Asia |
HKD8,000 |
HKSAR Government Subsidy
Means-tested Schemes
i. Scheme for Subsidy on Exchange (SSE)
ii. Scheme for Means-tested Subsidy on Exchange to "Belt and Road" regions (Means-tested SSEBR)
The amount of Government Subsidy is calculated by applying the approved level of student finance to the maximum level of subsidy based on the latest available application result from Student Finance Office (SFO).
** Formula: (Destination + Duration) x %
|
Destination (HKD) |
+ |
Duration (HKD) |
x |
**Proportion of Grant (%) approved as advised by The Student Finance Office (SFO) |
|
Asia (Inc Middle East) 3,000 Africa 7,000 Oceania & Europe 8,000 North America 9,000 Central & South America & Caribbean 15,000 |
14-28 days 6,000 29-90 days 10,000 91-180 days 25,000 |
** The amount of financial level will be adjusted upward to 50% if the level of student finance approved by SFO is lower than 50%
Non-means-tested Scheme
** Formula: (Destination + Duration)
|
Destination (HKD) |
+ |
Duration (HKD) |
|
Asia (Inc Middle East) 900 Africa 2,100 Oceania & Europe 2,400 Central & South America & Caribbean 4,500 |
14-28 days 1,800 29-90 days 3,000 91-180 days 7,500 |
You must declare to GEO if you receive sponsorship(s) and/or scholarship(s) from other source(s). You are required to provide relevant document(s) of such funding you receive.
PolyU reserves the right to withhold the payment of GEO Funding for Global Exchange/Government Subsidy if you do not declare other funding received (whether it is received before or after the approval of your application).
As a PolyU Global Exchange student, you are obliged to:
- Be a PolyU Ambassador and help to promote exchange opportunities at PolyU to fellow students at your Host university
- Submit Post-Exchange report within one month of the completion of your exchange period
- Be a peer advisor at least twice after your return from exchange study to provide advice and sharing your experience to future outbound students
If a student does not fulfill the above obligations, PolyU reserves the right to claw back paid exchange funding.
Financial Support from Faculty/School/Department
In addition to the funding support managed by GEO, your Faculty/School/Department also provides additional funding to support your exchange journey.
The funding link outlined below is subject to change. For further details, please contact your Faculty/School/Department directly.
Faculty of Business: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fb/experience-opportunities/student-exchange/financial-assistance/
- Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies: N/A
- Department of Management and Marketing: N/A
- School of Accounting and Finance: N/A
Faculty of Construction and Environment: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fce/scholarships-and-awards/scholarships-for-outbound-exchange-students/
- Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering: N/A
- Department of Building and Real Estate: N/A
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: N/A
- Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics: N/A
Faculty of Engineering: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/feng/experience-and-opportunities/scholarships-and-awards/scholarships/
- Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering: N/A
- Department of Biomedical Engineering: N/A
- Department of Computing: N/A
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: N/A
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: N/A
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ise/experience-and-opportunities/student-exchange-programmes/
- Department of Mechanical Engineering: N/A
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences: N/A
- Department of Applied Social Sciences: N/A
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics: N/A
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences: N/A
- School of Nursing: N/A
- School of Optometry: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/so/study/undergraduate-programme/bachelor-of-science-honours-in-optometry/scholarships-and-financial-aids/
Faculty of Humanities: Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Exchange Scholarship (For students of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies and the Department of Chinese History and Culture only, by nomination. Please contact the Faculty of Humanities for details.)
- Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies: Please contact the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies for details.
- Department of Chinese History and Culture: N/A
- Department of English and Communication: N/A
Faculty of Science: N/A
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology: N/A
- Department of Applied Mathematics: Please contact the Department of Applied Mathematics for details.
- Department of Applied Physics: N/A
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition: N/A
