Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS)

Campus Life

The Campus Life Section of CEDARS provides high quality support services to enhance your overall educational experience. Specifically, it provides guidance and assistance in financial matters, accommodation, visas, student activities and any general concern students have on campus life. It works with other support units to promote students’ physical, social, emotional and environmental wellness.

If you want to know more about our work, you are welcome to:

visit the CEDARS website at http://cedars.hku.hk
call us at 2859 2305
e-mail us at cedars@hku.hk
visit us at 3/F, Meng Wah Complex

Careers and Placement

The Careers and Placement Section of CEDARS is committed to:

facilitating students’ entry into personally rewarding careers;
supporting the community’s need for graduate resources; and
helping HKU build its brand as the source of socially responsible young leaders with clear career objectives and plans.

Our experience indicates that students should start planning their career early, preferably in their first year of study. They could start with identifying a tentative career objective which could be done with the help of Prospects Planner at the Careers and Placement Section of CEDARS website at http://cedars.hku.hk.

The Placement Help Desk of CEDARS in Room 304, Meng Wah Complex has a stock of biographies and career talk video tapes for students to gain insight into careers. The CEDARS website contains a lot of useful information on career planning and preparation. Live career talks and graduate sharing sessions are organized from time to time and are announced through e-mail messages and postings on our website.

After identifying career objective, the next step is to prepare oneself for a profession. Internship positions are organized from time to time and are also announced through e-mail messages. Part-time and summer jobs are useful opportunities for students to prepare themselves for the job market. These opportunities are posted on the CEDARS website.

Besides responding to open advertisements, students may wish to post their particulars on NETmatch, CEDARS database for job seekers. Some employers prefer to dip into the database and approach specific students rather than posting job notices openly. Students, however, must check their e-mail and respond to employers promptly when they are approached.

Final year students who are interested in the post of graduate trainees should watch out for CEDARS e-mail messages and website on recruitment talks and check the NETjobs frequently for vacancies. NETjobs is available from the Careers and Placement Section of CEDARS website, under the title “Find a Job”.

In addition to the services listed above, the CEDARS-Careers and Placement Section also runs workshops, resumé reviews, mock interviews and one-to-one consultations. Again, watch out for e-mail messages, call the Help Desk at 2859 2314, or come in person to Room 304, Meng Wah Complex.

Suggestions and questions can be raised readily through e-mail to careers@hku.hk.

CEDARS-Careers and Placement Section looks forward to working with you.

Counselling and Person Enrichment

The Counselling and Person Enrichment Section of CEDARS (CEDARS-CoPE) is committed to empowering students to build up their character strengths, live a satisfying and psychologically healthy life, and develop positive attitudes and life skills for their personal success so that they are able to contribute to their communities by demonstrating leadership and sensitivity.

To help students live a successful and well-balanced university life, CoPE offers the following services and programmes:

“Psychometer”: It is a web-based psychological assessment hub at psyax.cedars.hku.hk. Take the psychological tests on university adjustment, learning styles, time management, social life and mental health to gain a better self-understanding and identify ways to achieve university success. Immediate feedback, recommendation and enrichment tips are available.
Professional Counselling Service: Seek early consultation on any personal issues (e.g. adjustment, study-related matters, relationships, mental health, life goals) from a professional counsellor and take steps to overcome personal blocks. The service is free and confidential. For appointments, please call 2857 8388. Drop-in Service for urgent consultations is available from Monday to Friday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Person Enrichment Programmes: Each semester CoPE offers a great variety of small group interactive workshops on effective learning, self-management, time-management, social skills and emotional competence. Also watch out for the annual campaign to promote mental health and successful university life.
Accessibility Support Service for Students with Disabilities and Special Education Needs: Students with physical disabilities, mental illnesses, specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders etc. are eligible for additional learning support and practical assistance. Go to CEDARS website → Counselling and Person Enrichment → Accessibility Support or call 2857 8388 for details.
Peer Support Networks: (1) Join “Peer English Tutoring”, a peer support initiative for one-to-one conversational English practice, jointly managed by CAES and CEDARS. (2) Register for “Survival Cantonese” to learn 30 daily used Cantonese phrases from a student tutor. (3) For students with special needs, attend buddy programmes and support networks. (4) Check CEDARS website for other new initiatives.
Inclusion Funds for Learning Activities and Projects: Apply for “HKU 81 Inclusion Fund and Henry Chan Inclusive Education Fund” and “HKU Class of ‘84 Social Inclusion Fund” to expand your horizons. Details are available at http://cedars.hku.hk/edufund.

Student Development

HKU adopts a whole-person education approach that combines learning in and outside the classroom. The educational aims of HKU include fostering students’ ability in intercultural understanding, commitment to global citizenship, and preparing them to be leaders and advocates for improvement of the human condition.

CEDARS is committed to enhancing students’ learning experience and providing co-curricular programmes to help them achieve the HKU educational aims. The Student Development section nurtures students to become contributing members of the community through a variety of educational programmes and activities:

- Global Citizenship and Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals
- Service-learning Programmes
- Leadership Development
- Non-academic Induction for First Year Students
- Support for Student-initiated Projects, NGOs and Social Enterprises
- Student Participation in External Competitions and Conventions

HKU Service Network

The HKU Service Network is an online platform specifically designed to support students to contribute to global issues through joining and developing sustainable and innovative service projects. Students may promote their service projects, recruit volunteers, identify partners and opportunities, share experience and even showcase their achievements to attract funding. Students can sign up using their HKU Portal account at http://cedars.hku.hk/servicenetwork.