Criminology students get a new perspective from Hong Kong exchange

Four ANU Criminology students are getting a wider perspective on their discipline by spending a semester in Hong Kong.

Aidan Wanna, Claire Chapman, Madeline Ryan and Cassandra Wilson are attending City University of Hong Kong, one of many overseas universities with which ANU has exchange agreements.

“The main aim of the program is to help these students familiarise themselves with the rapidly changing nature of the Chinese criminal justice system,” ANU Professor of Criminology, Roderic Broadhurst, says.

“They’re also being exposed to a different focus in their criminological studies. CUHK is well-known for its practical training in skills like interviewing and conflict resolution.

“It exposes students to a completely different landscape for law enforcement and crime control, compared to Australia. Hong Kong is a complex, urban city and policing is done differently there.”

Madeline Ryan, in her second year of a Bachelor of Criminology, says she’s long-enjoyed criminology as a way of understanding why people commit crime to better prevent them.

“I chose the CityU exchange as I think heading into the future, Australia and Asia, particularly China, will have greater ties and need to work together to prevent particular cross-border crimes, particularly those of a financial nature,” she says.

She’s noticed similarities and differences between the universities.

“There is a real emphasis on group work and projects here at CityU” Madeline explains.

“Other than that, they are pretty similar. Unfortunately over here they don't appear to have much respect for their lecturers and happily talk over the top of them, which we have found quite rude.”

Studying overseas for the first time, Aidan Wanna, a Bachelor of Arts (Criminology) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) double degree student, says most of his subjects are policing-based.

“A big focus of criminology over here in Asia is crime prevention and target hardening, so I hope these courses will teach me a lot,” the third year student says.

“While ANU is a sprawling suburb of a campus, CityU is three, multi-storey buildings, connected by walkways and little alleys.

“The campus here used to be a big hospital, so there’s an Olympic-sized rehabilitation pool right next to where we have our lectures, and many of the corridors still have their rubber wall guards that stop gurneys from dinting them.”

Madeline says she hopes to gain not only a basic understanding of Hong Kong and Chinese policing, but learn something new she can apply in Australia.

“On graduation I hope to go into policing either in a federal capacity fighting child exploitation or on a state level fighting sexual crimes.”

Aidan is not sure what he’ll do after graduation, but is certain he’s learning from his Hong Kong experience.