Hello, Hong Kong: Collaboration and Cultural Exchange for Sustainable Solutions

By Paulina Vu

When I think back to my time in Hong Kong (which is, admittedly, not that long ago) I still have a bit of difficulty truly conceptualizing what the experience meant to me, and how it has shaped my career aspirations. Those fifteen days were a whirlwind of activity- field trips to Hong Kong’s sites from the sleepy fisherman village in Lama Island to the robust streets of Mong Kok, lectures from a prestigious group of sustainability experts and practitioners, and collaborative work with some of the most talented and driven peers I have ever met. This experience is a keystone occurrence in my life – one that I will not forget, and one that has changed my very being, whether I am conscious of it or not.

So, how exactly has studying abroad in Hong Kong affected me? On one hand, this experience shattered my preconceptions of international work and collaboration. Our course was essentially a semester’s worth of work squeezed into an intense two weeks. One moment we were viewing city from Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong, and the next we were prepping our posters for presentation to our mentors and other professors passing by the sunny lobby of the Academic 2 building of City University. I had thought, somewhat naively, that if I worked abroad, that deadlines were somewhat looser, somewhat more relaxed, just based on the scale of the projects. I had not anticipated that the cultural and language differences would sometimes throw our team dynamic and direction off balance, sometimes for hours. I was most definitely not ready for the “tough love” I would receive while practicing my presentation. I was unprepared, overly optimistic, and stressed over the moon. And I thought, at the time, that perhaps I am not cut out for work in policy. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was my ideal line of work.

But, luckily for you (it would be way to depressing to end my last post on that note), and luckily for me, there is always a plus side. There’s always a silver lining to every cloud, so the saying goes. My silver lining is that I truly experienced what it was like to work internationally, under pressure, with real and harrowing time constraints. It might not have been pleasant, but I realized the true strength in myself and the resourcefulness of my team mates. The cultural barriers were at times frustrating, but interacting and working with students from Hong Kong offered me an entirely new, fresh perspective in the plainest sense. I have never met such passionate, hard-working people. On a professional sense, the Hong Kong students could see the city without the rosy filter that we ASU students placed on it. They grew up in Hong Kong and could look at it with a critical, objective eye. We may have suffered, but we suffered together and did all we could to emotionally support one another. And, as much as harsh criticism stings in the moment, I am entirely grateful for experience because I realize that this harshness was only to prepare me for the reality of the political and professional world. I will run across criticism, but thanks to this moment, I will fully consider and incorporate it into my work. I am able to interpret what clients want and to translate these desires into tangible products.

I can say with confidence that studying abroad in Hong Kong was an invaluable experience, one that truly changed my mindset on sustainability and cooperative work. There has always been a big emphasis on working together across different beliefs, fields of study, et cetera, but I have never truly felt the urgent need for such an approach until now. This experience has influenced the way I interact with others, whether in a work setting or not. I find it much easier to stand in another’s metaphorical shoes, and am more tolerant. It has also reinforced my passion for cross-cultural work and so, as I begin my junior year, I’m beginning to look into fields like diplomacy and even sustainable tourism. My view of sustainability and cooperative work, though changed, remains optimistic, and I take this optimism and focus into my new student leadership roles in the college council and SOS Ambassador program. As the new school year rolls around, I will keep all of my interactions, all of my feelings, all of my little epiphanies with me. And from here on out, who know what will happen? But I can guarantee it’ll be one great adventure!

To these adventures, and many more,
Paulina Vu