Program Reviews

Lovely way of integrating multidisciplinary students that take up real-life clients and challenges from local to global.

The diversity and board perspective allow the student to look into the world from how to understand the different culture within a different context, design thinking that leads to the creation of meaningful values, appropriately use technology as an enabler, how to plan in a business environment.

This program is project based. You can not only learn from daily lecture but also from the classmates, the projects from the local and international company clients. Also, the professors here are very professional and nice.

As a designer, who has two years work experience in an Internet company, what IDBM gives me in this year is a new way and new perspective to think and solve problems. It is very helpful for my future career.

This course provides a framework for coping with the dynamic and complex business task entailed by deeper study, and motivation to brush up on the related design thinking tools. Really interesting course and a perfect starting point for someone who wants to step into the business world with designer backgrounds. The interdisciplinary backgrounds of tutors and students also can inspire each other for an open-minded view.

With its geographical position in bridging the East and the West, the Program of Urban Environments Design allows its students to develop their design strengths with a uniquely international cultural awareness at both professional and social levels and encourages me to enhance my urban strategy knowledge and identity system thinking, which focuses on strategic breakthroughs and practical design with a wide range of objects. The ellectives from other programs has also created many successful cases in the fields of publishing, design, space and exhibition. Its efforts in promoting different culture exchange and it’s wide range of impressive projects and research from graphic to space design gives me a lot innovative ideas and concepts to understand the relationship between culture, design and business.

The course title says it all, Design Strategies. The core subjects were pretty good and allowed us to see value in design more than ever. The different design tools have also allowed me to create more design explorations more than ever in my practice.

What makes this whole experience unique and one-of-a-kind is that I am a practicing architect and have two offices in the Philippines of which I fly in between to manage both and at the same time flying back and forth Hong Kong. Imagine flying four times in a week in three different cities. And cap it with the projects we work on at school! This wasn't easy but it was very challenging and the fact that it was made me even want to push it.

Some subjects do not demand so much, others did, so it is good to ask from previous years' classmates their thoughts about the electives you wish to take so you can gauge the work load you will be expecting from work too. One should be able to balance both work and school well and not have both work and school have the same amount of work to do. Check your onward schedules and expected work load prior to deciding which subjects to take in a particular semester.

This has definitely given me a new direction in my practice and together with a new train of thought even while I was in school mid-way through. Definitely, I am expecting a good change and improvement on my practice from what I have learned from school and can definitely see a lot of applications at this point and most probably in the future.

A space I will definitely miss most is the studio provided. It has the perfect spot for you to either work on office-related stuff or down to your school work. Very conducive to such work and socialise with the rest of the classmates and student from the program in different year levels.

Taking a master's degree in Hong Kong is one of the greatest learning experience in my life. The classes was mostly held on weekends. It was perfect for me since I can still run my business in Manila on weekdays and fly to Hong Kong on weekends for my classes. Most of the subjects were intense, but it was what I was expecting since the class is a 7-hour lecture, presentation and discussion. Professors are very approachable and accommodating. In Hong Kong, local people are very hardworking. They seem to move very fast so sometimes I tell my classmates to relax a bit. Food is really great and the place is very safe. Planning to study in Hong Kong? Be ready for an adventure of food, good friends and some home works in between.

HKPU
Student-centered, quality teaching, high reputation and award-winning university. The Jockey Club Innovation Tower, the architectural awards landmark inspired many design students. It always a joy and pleasure to attend our lectures in the building.

Admission
Excellent academic support services and advisors.
Extensive library and computing facilities.

Location:
Hong Kong a city of unexpected and cross-culture with living and learning experience.

Food:
You may need to watch your happy belly, Hong Kong is famous for food-obsessed culture and savor its best-loved dishes.

The Program focuses on design thinking and its application in different sectors. we had students coming from all parts of the world, Most of the projects were team projects and gave us a better sense of cultural and social adaptation in different markets due to the wide range knowledge within the team.

In simple words, If you have 1 year to spare and have some fun in Hongkong. learn about multi-discipline and cross-cultural team management, Chinese market and tech development, get some contacts in the industry (Professors will help). This course will be a fit for you.

If your goal is to end up in a company in campus selection and have a desk job. I wouldn't recommend this.

The school of design at Polyu is well know for having very successfull projects that become reality, with innovation and creativity, seeking for improvement of real problems.
The master of urban environments design course in very well structured, the subjects have a wide understanding of different scales, going from the interior to urban and systems. Besides the main subjects, the electives are diverse and mix different areas, making the students interact with people from other majors, building up a better answer for a question through different perspectives put up together.
The specialists are always pushing the students to think further and outside the box, without slowly imposing any ideas like the traditional way to teach (at least in my country). This allows the students to test and grow according to their own interests areas.
The experience of being in Hong Kong is very constructive and unique due to the conveniency of the city and the diversity of spaces and cultures, plus, having the priviledge of having a studio in the school with so many facilities makes the experience even better.