One of these lucky international students is Dominico Aristito Setyawan, an Indonesian who started studying logistics engineering with management at PolyU in 2019. Dominico became interested in PolyU after learning about the university during an educational fair at his high school and discovering that several of his high school’s alumni were studying there.

“My interest in studying in PolyU further increased when I learned that they’re offering a specific program that I wanted to study; logistics engineering with management. There are not many universities around the world that offer this specific program. And I feel like this field, in particular, would be beneficial in the future,” said Dominico when asked about his decision to study at PolyU.

Later, after arriving at PolyU, Dominico began to experience the university’s enjoyable learning culture, where he could balance his academic and non-academic life. He also noted the bearable amount of work he could complete while pursuing other interests.

“PolyU offers a different approach to studying that incorporates a lot of hands-on experience, which is useful in my field.”.

Dominico also appreciated the support of the professors and staff at PolyU.

“They are willing to spend their time outside of class to teach us things that we may not understand or want to know more about. The studying environment is also really nice, as both the staff and students all speak English,” he said.

Moreover, PolyU offers guidance on personal mental and physical wellness and various extracurricular activities, societies and clubs, and work consultations.

“As an international student, it could be challenging to find support as we are away from family and people that usually help us with everything. Thankfully, PolyU also takes care of our mental and social well-being and careers; for example, there are a lot of workshops to help us build our CV [curriculum vitae] and do job interviews so that we can perform well in these things,” Dominico explained.

“Other than that, there are numerous clubs and activities that we can join as students of PolyU that allow us to develop soft skills and build connections. PolyU is also generous in supporting students in enrichment activities, such as student exchange or service-learning programs, or even international competitions.”

PolyU also has recognized students’ academic excellence by offering Entry Scholarships, which are exclusively for international students, meaning international students do not have to compete for scholarships with local students. Dominico himself received a scholarship that covered 100 percent of his tuition fee for the first year and renewed this entry scholarship for another academic year.

“The scholarship has helped ease my family’s financial burden and it also gave me a chance to work harder and become a mature, responsible and independent person,” he said.

Dominico was then free to live his student life to the fullest by participating in various events and programs. In March 2021, he became a person-in-charge (PIC) and songwriter for IndoNight, an annual event held by PolyU’s Indonesian Student Association.

He was proud to be part of the event, saying that he was honored to promote Indonesian culture to other people from different countries with his Indonesian friends.

“It felt really nice to be a part of this cultural event, as I could get a sense of home while being away from home. Nonetheless, it widened my perspective on appreciating cultural diversities and valuing other cultures,” Dominico reminisced.

This year, he is also part of the PolyU Attaché, a team of current students selected to represent the university to assist in supporting new and prospective students. Throughout the year, Dominico gave presentations at high schools across Indonesia to deliver key information to students who are about to graduate about what PolyU has to offer.

“Being an attaché allowed me to explore my potential and boost my skills, such as communication and teamwork, which will increase my employability. But most importantly, I was given the chance to provide informative answers to questions from prospective students and share first-hand experience of life as a university student, ” he said.

Dominico also considered participating in exchange programs, which led to him to receive an offer from the University of Twente in the Netherlands in 2021. His exchange program is scheduled for 2022.

Hong Kong also proves to be a new, exciting world for Dominico to explore. He came to value diversity more than ever before as he experienced the city’s fusion of eastern and western culture.

“The city is always full of life, and it is a melting pot for people from all over the world.”

To Dominico, Hong Kong is vibrant, diverse, convenient and full of opportunities.

“As it is one of the biggest business hubs in the world, almost any international company can be found here. With the number of international companies, such as DHL, FedEx, UPS and Hong Kong-based companies such as OOCL and Kerry Logistics, it is easier to experience a distinct work culture, and we can directly learn from the experts,” he explained.

But despite being in another country with a different culture, Dominico assured that Hong Kong’s closeness to home provided his parents a sense of safety.

“They can visit me easily or immediately travel to Hong Kong.”

Currently, Dominico plans to work in Hong Kong for the next few years, saying he would like to experience Hong Kong’s working environment.

“Working in Hong Kong will definitely gain me a lot of experience, as the work culture here is very fast and goal-oriented, which can definitely equip me with the practical skills the market seeks. I am also planning to pursue a master’s degree after I get to experience working life. Other than that, I may also keep an eye on logistics-related employment opportunities in Hong Kong or abroad, as it has been my dream since I was a kid to work in Hong Kong or overseas, being amazed every time I went with one of my family members to the port, who were also working in the industry and inspired me to pursue this career path,” he said. [IFT[1] .

Lastly, Dominico urged more Indonesians to study at PolyU as international students or exchange students.

“From my personal experience, I have always enjoyed my time studying in PolyU, and I have never gotten any regrets. PolyU has a nice studying atmosphere, competent staff and professors, world-class facilities and an international environment, which will help students succeed in the future.”

Undergraduate admissions at Hong Kong Polytechnic University are now open for the 2022 intake. Apply now.

Questions? Check out our video series to learn about PolyU’s new programs and help you with the application process.

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