To continue deepening the college's international exchange and broadening students' international perspectives, in June 2025 our college sent 84 outstanding undergraduates to Hong Kong for a two-day study visit.

During the program, our students conducted in-depth face-to-face exchanges with experts, scholars, and master's and doctoral students from the University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong, jointly discussing the development trends and challenges of frontier fields such as intelligent construction and smart transportation, and learning about the current hotspots and latest achievements of interdisciplinary research. This experience provided the students with new perspectives and ideas for career planning and academic advancement.

I. HKU Academic Special Lectures

During this study visit, two faculty members of the HKU Faculty of Engineering delivered wonderful academic special lectures to the students. Among them, the special lecture on "smart transportation" started from the concept of intelligent transportation systems, introduced application cases of intelligent transportation in urban planning, traffic management and travel services, and emphasized the important role of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence in the field of intelligent transportation, as well as the future development trend of intelligent transportation. The lecture focused on the application of data algorithms in ride-hailing software, explaining profound concepts in simple terms, giving the students a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of smart transportation, which is indispensable to the development of smart cities. In addition, around the theme of "intelligent construction," the students learned about the use of data-driven artificial intelligence technology for numerical modeling of complex renewable energy systems, and the application of these technologies to lightweight smart materials and structural design in fields such as civil engineering, mechanics and aviation. This content greatly stimulated the students' interest in the field of intelligent construction and their strong desire to explore interdisciplinary applications.

HKU's international atmosphere and rich academic resources provide students with a broad space for development. Through this study visit, the students learned about the employment advantages and career development paths of Hong Kong's civil engineering industry, as well as the research directions, curriculum and admission requirements of the HKU Department of Civil Engineering. Students of Shenzhen University who aspire to delve into the field of civil engineering are encouraged to apply actively.

II. Visits to HKUST, PolyU and CityU

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is located in the Sai Kung District of the New Territories, Hong Kong. Guided by campus ambassadors, the students enjoyed the scenery along the way while familiarizing themselves with the HKUST campus environment. Through exchanges with current HKUST students, the students gained an in-depth understanding of the academic atmosphere of the HKUST Department of Civil Engineering, as well as information on the postgraduate application procedures at HKUST, scholarships offered by the university and Hong Kong government scholarships.

During the program, led by a team of current doctoral students, the students visited The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in depth and engaged in in-depth dialogue with the doctoral student team. They not only explained in detail the overview and advantages of PolyU, as well as the pathways for further study, application procedures and scholarship information, but also shared their research achievements at the university and their practical experience in integrating industry, academia and research. This provided answers to the students' doubts about further study and scientific research, and helped those students who aspire to pursue further studies to plan their future academic development path.

As the last stop of the program, the students, carrying their deep thoughts on urban development, stepped into City University of Hong Kong, a vibrant and innovative institution. This young institution located in Kowloon Tong, with its open and inclusive atmosphere and outstanding scientific research capabilities, left an unforgettable impression on the students. The students attended an academic seminar hosted by a postdoctoral researcher in civil engineering at CityU, listened to a current doctoral student share about applying to City University of Hong Kong and the pathways for further study, and visited the heavy structural testing laboratory.

This cohort-based visit to Hong Kong is another attempt following the college's first cohort-based student visit to Hong Kong in 2024. Through such cohort-based, systematic student study-visit programs abroad, the college implements its core mission of cultivating high-level talents with an international perspective. Looking to the future, the college will continue to uphold the spirit of the college motto "Tamping the earth to build integrity, honing the timber to attain excellence," constantly explore new academic fields and practical opportunities, and devote itself to cultivating more outstanding talents with international perspectives and innovative abilities. It is hoped that the students will move toward their own academic paths with fuller enthusiasm and firmer steps, adding brilliance and momentum to their future lives.