Through the two-year Higher Diploma in Geotechnical Engineering (HDGE), I have gained many opportunities to interact
with the industry which totally changed my study mindset. Throughout the course, lecturing, project assignments and handson exercises of the specialism courses have contributed to a deep understanding of Hong Kong geology and its engineering properties for me. Performing real case studies on construction projects instilled an engineer’s and geologist’s thinking about the site environment and its interpretation which is very meaningful to me. The most significant experience is the internship program, through which I was assigned to the Geotechnical Engineering Office, Civil Engineering and Development Department (GEO, CEDD). I worked with many engineers at GEO and gained much working experience in different divisions. The main focus was on slope safety and laboratory testing, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), LiDAR scanning, drone, 3d-DMM, Digital Aerial Photograph Interpretation (DAPI), rain gauge system, Geographic Information System (GIS), etc. I was fortunate to work with such innovative developments and gained valuable professional knowledge.

My time studying at HKU SPACE Community College has been filled with enthusiasm and joy. It has been a privilege to learn alongside a group of friends who are equally eager to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative process during group research projects, where we not only applied the knowledge gained in class but also acquired new insights along the way. All the lecturers are kind, knowledgeable, and highly experienced. It has been a true blessing to learn from professional engineers who are not only experts in their field but also willing to guide us in thinking critically and engaging in meaningful discussions. The internship experience stands out as one of the most memorable parts of my journey. Through it, I truly learned how to manage my time and maintain self-discipline in both academic and professional settings. These experiences have further strengthened my resolve to
become a dedicated geotechnical engineer in the future.

I am a graduate of Higher Diploma in Geotechnical Engineering. The support from the faculty and staff has been instrumental in my academic and personal growth during the two-year-study at HKUSPACE Community College. Lecturers are full of passion and patience. They not only taught patiently on the lectures but also offered some engaging discussion and insightful feedback for us to deepen our understanding of academic theory and develop our critical thinking. I am particularly thankful for the extra time they devoted to our questions and the encouragement they provided during the challenging assignments. In addition to in-class teaching, field trips and site visits provided by the HDGE program helped me to realize the real work environment of Geotechnical engineering. I also met friends on interesting activities held by HKUSPACE Community College which enriched my college’s life.

Every failure is a valuable experience for us to move forward. The HKDSE is not the only path for you to study at a university and you should never give up. I am more motivated to study at HKU SPACE CC since I really love the programme that I studied. I am grateful for the teaching and help from all the people involved in this programme. The knowledge that I learned is highly related to my future career which encouraged me to put effort into study. Moreover, the industrial placement arranged by the College that enabled me to sharpen my skills in a professional manner. With sufficient knowledge and understanding of it, I have determined the career goals and path that I should pursue.