University life is a time of growth and development, as well as a time of challenge! It is our pleasure to be your company to learn, to explore and to flourish together in your time at HKUST. Our counseling team sincerely walks you through our programs so that you can be better-equipped for your university life.
New Student Orientation sessions are organized for all students new to our campus, including local, mainland and international undergraduates (UG), research postgraduates (RPG), taught postgraduates (TPG) - introducing counseling services to students, giving them ideas how fruitful their university life could be, providing them solutions to the challenges they may face, as well as building a platform to make new friends.
Additional assistance tailored for students with different backgrounds and needs are also available:
Peer Mentors from Schools / Programs Offices
When students decide to meet with a counselor, they need sufficient emotional support to manage their life adversities and mental health concerns. A student may be going through stressful experiences, traumatic life events, fear of judgement and an emotional roller coaster ride of mental health symptoms. They may feel embarrassed, vulnerable or a sense of shame, and may be reluctant to share their private feelings and secrets if they do not feel safe and comfortable in the counseling environment. It is of utmost importance for a counselor to gain trust from a student and build rapport with them to ensure the effectiveness of counseling/psychotherapy. Sometimes, the discussion may involve substance abuse, sexual activity, and concerns about other behaviors that might violate the student conduct code.
