University of Hong Kong medical school suspends classes in mainland China for rest of 2019 – no reason yet given
- School yet to answer questions about cancellation – despite complaints from students about border searches
- Students notified this week that compulsory courses at University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital were suspended
Hong Kong’s top medical school has suspended this year’s classes in Shenzhen, saying it would review the situation at the end of the year.
A spokesman for the medical school of the University of Hong Kong confirmed that students would not be attending classes in Shenzhen for the rest of the year. He did not link the suspension to tightened border checks.
“The school has always arranged for students to study clinical medicine at each teaching hospital, including in Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” he said. “Currently, the school has no plan to arrange for students to attend classes at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital.”
The sources said several medical students had written to the HKU medical school and expressed concerns about visitors to mainland China being searched.
HKU requires Year 4 students to attend classes and trainings at the hospital in Shenzhen, but the courses are elective for final year students. Medical students either spend several days in Shenzhen over the year or stay over for a few days to meet the classroom requirements.
In a email to students, the HKU’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which is part of the medical school, said had suspended its one-day clinical class requirement at HKU-Shenzhen Hospital for the rest of 2019. No reason was given.
Professor Lo Chung-mau, head of HKU-Shenzhen Hospital, said he did not know whether the medical school had suspended all teaching in Shenzhen, and he was unaware of any medical students being searched at the border with the mainland.
He said it was normal for immigration officers to search travellers.
“It happens at each and every border, it’s nothing special” Lo said. “If one has nothing to fear, a search will not do any harm to him or her. When I went to the US, I was searched inside out, that’s nothing strange.”
According to an internal document between the church and educators, the diocese said “students of Catholic schools should use their time wisely in equipping themselves” to become good citizens.