HKU International Affairs Office
HKUHKU ALO

APRU Virtual Exchange

Exchange

APRU Virtual Exchange

The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Virtual Student Exchange (VSE) Program Season 2 has now commenced which provides you with the opportunity to take up intensive academic courses during your S2 study (January to June).

By joining the VSE, you can:

  • Choose from a vast catalogue of intensive online academic courses, most of them credit-bearing, from oversea universities.
  • Complement your studies with a wide variety of co-curricular programmes designed to connect you with peers and experts worldwide.
  • Embark on an international exchange experience in the comfort of your home.

Programme Details

Eligibility

  • Full-time undergraduate students
  • Good academic standing
  • Fulfil English language proficiency requirements and prerequisites set by the host university for individual courses
  • Outgoing and eager to meet new challenges
  • Ready to be an ambassador of HKU
  • Willing to share exchange experiences after the study

Application Procedure

Step 1 - Application to APRU VSE Central Office

Please follow the VSE Application Instructions.

Complete the application before the university's application deadline. Please upload the documents and you will receive an application Confirmation Email containing your application details from APRU VSE Central Office.

  • a copy (scanned/electronic) of the latest transcript (official/unofficial)
  • proof of language proficiency (if required by your selected course offering university)


Step 2 - Application to HKU IAO

Your application has to be endorsed by HKU IAO before it will be processed by the course-offering university. For endorsement from HKU, please complete the following steps upon receiving Confirmation Email from APRU:

  • Upload the documents to the system: 
    • Confirmation Email issued by APRU
    • Latest official/unofficial transcript
    • Proof of English proficiency


Step 3 - Registration with the Host University

Once approved, you will be notified of the result through email from the APRU VSE Central Office and provided with further registration procedures by the course-offering university.

Application Deadline

Please observe the application deadline of each host university. Application deadlines for each host university on the website shall prevail.

Upon completion of the VSE Programme, please submit the programme report and respond to the evaluation questionnaire by the designated deadline.

Points to Note

  • The application period for Season 3: Refer to each host university's application deadline.
  • Each student can take 1 or 2 academic courses within a single season. Taking more than 2 courses in one season is not allowed.
  • Applicants who wish to apply for 2 courses are required to submit 2 separate application forms in the VSE Application System.  The 2 courses could be from the same course offering university, or from 2 different universities.
  • Course offering universities may impose English language proficiency requirements for admission and prerequisites for individual courses. The requirements could be found on each university’s course list page on the VSE website.
  • Credits earned from VSE academic courses may be transferred back to HKU. Please consult your home faculty for details.
  • No additional fees are required to take VSE courses. Any additional fees, if required, will be detailed under each course or programme.
  • Since the delivery mode is virtual, financial assistance will NOT be available.
  • The application deadline for each host university varies. Please refer to the VSE website for application deadlines.
  • Acceptance of virtual course(s) is subject to the decision of the course-offering university.