Courses
GEUC1000 College Assembly
Term 1 and Term 2
College Assembly aims to enhance the general knowledge of students in different fields other than their major studies. Topics presented at the Assemblies include culture, science, art and social issues. Six to ten large-scale assemblies, in Sir Run Run Shaw Hall and a number of small-scale assemblies on the College and University campus, are organized each year for students’ selection.
Important Notes before Attending College Assembly
GEUC1111 University Life and Learning (For 2024-25 onwards admission cohort)
1 unit, 1st Term
This course is designed to provide basic preparation for studying in the university. Topics include the aims of a university, the purposes of university education, campus life and the art of thinking – an introduction to the basic concepts, principles and methods of logical thinking, the rules of rational discourse and of scientific enquiry
GEUC2017 Bacchus: Exploring Grape Wine (For 2023-24 or before admission cohort)
1 unit, 1st and 2nd Term
Wine weaves in with human history from its very beginnings and developed into one of the foremost products of civilization. Great wines have their roots in the customs, traditions and history of their home ground. Celebration of vine and wine is often associated with the legend and worship of Bacchus, the wine God. Similarly, the origins of fermenting and drinking wine in China go far back in time. Tu Kang 杜康 is a household name. It is no doubt that wine occupies and important place in the culture and life of the Chinese people. Today, wine is considered as a beverage of enormous agricultural and economic importance. Starting in the 1990s, there is a great surge of interest in wine across the globe. Wine has never been so much in the public eye as it is today. In western countries wine now enjoys the same sort of respectability and passion as, say, opera and fine art and wine tourism is becoming a delightfully common reality. Wine has been a significant element in social gathering and business meetings. Not infrequently, community leaders and business executives are invited to select, order and serve wine. It is only appropriate for a university graduate to have fundamental knowledge and adequate exposure in the understanding of the art and science of wine production and wine appreciation. The purpose of this course is to lead students on a cultural journey around the world and introduces them a historical perspective on wine and its place in society. In particular, it provides students with knowledge and appreciation of wine and the relationship of wine, food and culture. The course is designed to increase students’ understanding and begin to build a strong base for lifelong wine appreciation with a deep cultural, historical, and social perspective.
GEUC2019 Design Thinking (For 2023-24 or before admission cohort)
1 unit, 1st and 2nd Term
The course aims to develop “T-shaped” characters who can develop the depth of expertise in a single field (one’s major as represented by the vertical bar of the T) while acquiring the ability to communicate and collaborate with others from different disciplines (the horizontal bar of the T) to address challenges. The ability to connect horizontally is “design thinking”. Individuals equipped with the ability to think as a designer will be able to innovate, tackle complex problems and manage changes in real life situations.
GEUC2101 Social Service: Participation and Reflection (For 2023-24 or before admission cohort)
1 unit, 1st and 2nd Term
The objective of this course is to foster students to become positive and responsible citizens through participating in community social service. Based on the principles of service-learning and theories of experiential learning, the course assists students to consolidate their prior and on-going community service experiences. Through self reflection, small group discussion, community agency visits and project presentation, students will be able to understand the needs of vulnerable groups, aware of human issues related to social justice and develop positive attitude to community social service. The purpose of this course is to facilitate students’ self development and develop a long-term interest in serving the community and populations in need.
GEUC2211 Social Service in action: Participation and Reflection (For 2024-25 onwards admission cohort)
2 units, 1st and 2nd Term
The objective of this course is to foster students to become positive and responsible citizens through participating in service learning activity to community. Based on the principles of service-learning, social enterprisingness, and theories of experiential learning, the students are required to plan and implement a series of direct services, or other modes of service-learning for selected socially disadvantaged groups. Through self-reflection, small group discussion, and project presentation, students will be able to understand the needs of vulnerable groups, develop positive attitude to service learning and community social services. The purpose of this course is to facilitate students’ self-development and long-term interest in caring of the community for sustainable development.
GEUC2212 Public Affairs in action: Participation and Reflection (For 2024-25 onwards admission cohort)
2 units, 1st and 2nd Term
The course aims to cultivate students’ sense of citizenship and leadership. In addition to covering fundamental concepts and methods related to social issues and policy analysis, the primary goal of the course is to develop students’ knowledge, attitudes, and abilities to participate in public affairs. Therefore, the course will focus on social issues, using controversial topics throughout the curriculum to stimulate students’ interest and discussion regarding public affairs. Besides classroom learning, the course will arrange for students to participate in service activities with government agencies, public institutions, and non-governmental organisations, allowing them to experience the operations of government and non-profit organisations and have opportunities to learn and grow from these experiences. These experience will also help students to to make the cities and human settlement inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
GEUC2213 Social Innovation: Social Entrepreneurship and Service (For 2024-25 onwards admission cohort)
2 units, 1st and 2nd Term
This course is designed to equip students with a basic understanding of social entrepreneurship through experiential learning, not just the actual academics. Social entrepreneurship education is about collaboration, multi-disciplinary learning, learning-by-doing, problem-solving, and tackling the “real” problems. Through self-reflection, small group discussion, experiential learning by participating in social enterprise workshops and project presentations, students will be able to understand more the needs of underprivileged groups and the challenges of social enterprises. The purpose of this course is to facilitate students to learn more about the societal needs of the community and develop an innovative mindset to solve social issues. Service-learning activities are added to strengthen students’ first-hand experience in real social enterprise situations.
GEUC2214 Leadership in Practice: Service (For 2024-25 onwards admission cohort)
2 units, 1st and 2nd Term
This course will explore and examine leadership theory and practice through experiential learning in outdoor settings, rather than being limited to classroom learning. Students will apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations through practice, enhancing their understanding of leadership principles. The course also includes elements of service learning, such as activities related to environmental protection like trail restoration, providing students with practicalteam leadership and hands-on experience that positively impacts the community and the environment.
GEUC4011 Senior Seminar
3 units, 1st Term
This is a small-group student-orientated teaching course for the final year students of United College, with teaching staff serving as supervisors, the emphasis will be on student participation. It aims at: 1) arousing the interest of the students in the exploration of current issues and general academic problems; 2) sharpening their research, problem-solving and thesis-writing skills; and 3) enhancing their overall ability in conducting group research projects and seminars requiring collective efforts.
GEUC4012 Social Enterprise & Innovation: Internship
3 Units, 1st and 2nd Term
This is an advanced experiential-learning course that will give students an opportunity to work directly for social enterprises under the guidance of their supervisors and professional mentors. Students would have opportunities to experience how the social enterprises help the underprivileged groups and gain hands-on business experience, which will strengthen their soft skills, help them implement innovative business and promotional ideas in a practical way, and will greatly improve their understanding of the societal needs of the community.
This course is designed to immerse students in the world of social enterprise. This course enables students to further develop careers and apply leadership-ready skills in the operation of a social enterprise or social business. Students are encouraged to provide ideas to promote the designated social enterprise among the youth community, and they will also have an opportunity to undertake an internship in a real social enterprise setting.
*Students must complete GEUC2103 or GEUC2213 in prior to the enrollment of GEUC4012