The University of Hong Kong's head of geography, Dr Mervyn Peart

Before you gallop off to study geography abroad at enormous cost, don't forget that all three Hong Kong universities that specialise in this field enjoy not only an enormous library collection of resources in both Chinese and English, but also a strong international reputation at both under- and postgraduate levels.

"It's internationally recognised that Hong Kong is a centre for China geography," explains the University of Hong Kong's (HKU) head of geography, Dr Mervyn Peart. "There's a group of China geographers based in Hong Kong who are very influential in this subject - here at HKU, at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)."

The lowdown

Why specialise in this field? "Geography straddles the divide between natural sciences and social sciences and offers a wide range of subjects that are relevant to the contemporary world. It looks at how people interact with the environment, which is perhaps more pertinent than ever. I'd argue that this is a challenging subject," explains Dr Peart.

As they must be good at writing and working with numbers and develop their project management skills, according to the Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers, geographers are also amongst the most employable graduates. But where does geography lead? "You can use it as a general degree - geographers can go into management and administration, marketing or finance, for example. And there are many jobs with an environmental dimension."

"You can also go into teaching and do a postgraduate certificate - which is quite an attractive option. One-year postgraduate training certificates to become a qualified geography teacher are also available at HKU, CUHK and HKBU."

Onwards and upwards

Geography serves as an excellent springboard into taught postgraduate courses, such as urban planning or environmental studies. Only HKU offers MA courses, including Geographic Information Systems, China Area Studies and Transport Policy and Planning; the department is considering a new MA in Tourism and Leisure.

Students can also apply to HKU or HKBU's geography departments or CUHK's Department of Geography and Resource Management for an MPhil or PhD. "Our committee would look for some description of the proposed research project and ideas, and see if there are teachers suitable to supervise you," explains Dr Peart.

Don't despair if you are a non-geographer: "Geography isn't called geography any more at postgraduate level! We also consider people from other disciplines with relevant first degrees. Maybe an engineer would be interested in doing transport planning, for example."

Indeed, geography leads naturally into postgraduate courses such as the MSc in Urban Planning offered by the Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management at HKU - which also has an MSc in Environmental Management and an MA in Comparative Asian Studies that may suit geographers.

"At undergraduate level [in Hong Kong], all geography programmes are relevant and offer a good training. They offer a wide range of choice and, to a lesser or greater extent, focus on integrating social sciences and natural and physical sciences. Some programmes may concentrate more on China, others more on Europe. It comes down to personal choice - maybe a course offers a bit more China geography, for example."

"The same thing applies to post-grad [studies], although it's easier to make your choice, as you'll know whether somebody's able to supervise your topic when you want to do a post-grad research degree."

Is it for me?

If you are thinking about majoring in geography at undergraduate level, remember that geographers should be enthusiastic about the environment. As Dr Peart says, "Be curious about the world, have an interest in what goes on!" However, he also recommends turning up at the biennial Geography Day, next held in 2004.

And if you are a potential research post-grad? "If you're considering an MPhil or PhD, we'd be looking for a 2.1 or first class honours degree," he notes. "Plus some evidence that you've giving some thought and direction to the project. It's no good saying you want to study the geography of China! As research isn't for everyone, I like to see that someone's done a project or tried some research."

Course information

If you are thinking of majoring in Geography at HKU, bear in mind that you will have to apply for entry through the Faculty of Arts. Within this highly international and diverse faculty, which currently boasts circa 500 students per annum, undergraduates can study three-year programmes ranging from Chinese literature to fine arts, languages or philosophy, although cross-disciplinary studies in, for example, American studies or European studies are another option. "Year one is almost a year of exploration," notes Dr Peart. In addition to an arts-broadening requirement and a wide range of subject choices, it features a university-wide broadening requirement for language and IT enhancement. Meanwhile, budding geographers can take one of seven introductory courses that range from economic to physical geography. Once you are in, provided that you don't completely flunk the first-year exams, you can then choose to major in geography in your second and third years. At HKU, teaching at undergraduate level focuses around three options: China, the environment or urban geography. And, in addition to requiring 180 credits in this subject over the three-year period, Dr Peart notes that it's compulsory for geography majors to attend an overseas field trip. A mandatory part of your geography major as it illustrates the width of the subject and places Hong Kong in context, the field trip is, however, probably one of the course's key attractions. For those interested in exploring geography further, the Royal Geographical Society has an active Hong Kong branch. "They have sponsored prizes for dissertation students, for example. And we're very appreciative of their efforts in Hong Kong," says Dr Peart. In addition, HKSAR boasts the HK Geographical Association, a joint schools geography association and various university geography associations.

Taken from Career Times 2003/03/14