In June 2018 25 Access to Birmingham (A2B) students and 25 University of Nottingham students were given an unprecedented opportunity to travel, all expenses paid, to Hong Kong to participate in a one-week global leadership training programme ran by 'Common Purpose' . The programme hosted at Hong Kong University included participation from 25 of their own students. "We develop … Continue reading How It Began… →

We submitted our applications, we had our interviews, we picked up our Hong Kong Dollars...now we were ready. 15 hours and counting, Hong Kong awaits.  Dubai Airport was our halfway point and it was time to change for our second leg of the journey-Dubai to Hong Kong.  After 15 hours of travelling, we made it to … Continue reading Day 1- The Journey Awaits →

Powering through our jet lag we decided to spend the day exploring the landmarks of Hong Kong starting with the famous Hong Kong landmark- 'The Peak'. The Peak is built on part of the Victoria Peak Mountain and arguably offers the best and most scenic view of the city. We decided to take the bus to the … Continue reading Day 2- Exploring The City →

Day 3 means the start of the Global Leadership Programme. We made our way to the University of Hong Kong, where the programme was being held. We met the leaders of the group and had a chance to mix with the other students by taking part in 'icebreakers' that included telling the person next to … Continue reading Day 3- Common Purpose Ready →

Day 4 was the beginning of our immersion visits. The visits were organised by Common Purpose in order to help us immerse deeper into the city, gaining first-hand experience of organisations who are trying to tackle the issue of inclusiveness in Hong Kong. We were given the option of visiting three different organisations, Hong Kong Foundation … Continue reading Day 4- Immersion Visits into The City →

Day 5 meant immersion visits round 2, we split into groups dependant on where we were heading and regrouped after lunch. Some students headed to Hi-blue Sky Energy Technology, an organisation that uses data and technology to help organisations conserve energy through behaviour change. While some visited the Hong Kong Society for Community Organization, a non-governmental … Continue reading Day 5- Networking at The Fringe Club →

Day 6 of the programme meant it was time to pitch our ideas. Over the past few days we had heard from various influential speakers and taking their knowledge and experiences of Hong Kong into consideration, it was time to finalise our own solution to making Hong Kong a smart and inclusive city. We worked in … Continue reading Day 6- Graduating from Common Purpose →

Post-arrival to the UK, we were asked to reflect once more on our time in Hong Kong by summing up our experience and answering a few questions. Below are examples of what University of Birmingham students had to say... Why did you choose to sign up for this experience?  "When I first was notified about the Global … Continue reading Day 7- Homeward Bound, What We Took From Our Time In Hong Kong →

First Year American and Canadian studies student, Sophie Harris, Vlogs her experience of the trip. Sophie's Vlog gives insight into her time in Hong Kong and what she encountered. 'What an amazing city filled with wonderful people. I learnt an awful lot about Hong Kong during my week there and gained an insight into the culture. … Continue reading A Visual Insight into Hong Kong – Sophie’s Vlog →