The College Formula

Like any other word, ‘college’ has come to mean different things to different peoples at different times. In Hong Kong, it sometimes denotes a secondary school attended by teenagers, or a residential hall in a tertiary institution where undergraduates spend the night during semester time. But the word has a special ring to those in the CUHK family which will always remain close to their hearts.

The Chinese University was inaugurated with three pre-existing post-secondary colleges, whose distinct and distinguished educational ideals and identities laid a solid foundation for the fledgling University. In the 1980s, the rapid development of the University made the establishment of a fourth College a necessity. In the 21st century, five new Colleges were added to bring CUHK’s unique college system to a new height.

The nine CUHK Colleges are united in their common objective of fostering an intimate and personal community of students and teachers with mutual learning and intellectual sharing, to provide pastoral care and whole-person education for students, and to create an environment for learning and congenial college life. College life is so important and integral to the learning experience here that one simply cannot subtract it from the equation of a sui generis university education.