The Faculty of Humanities at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) recently organised the second edition of the study trip for students from its University Master's Degree in Art and Cultural Management, which took place from 13 to 19 July in Hong Kong (SAR, China) and Shenzhen (China). The initiative, held in cooperation with The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), gave ten students and two members of the UIC Barcelona Alumni network the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into one of the world’s most dynamic and rapidly expanding cultural ecosystems.

Over an intensive week, the academic delegation met with representatives from more than twenty institutions and industry professionals. The itinerary combined academic lectures, visits to leading cultural institutions and urban tours to analyse the transformation of the surrounding environment. Among the sites visited in Hong Kong were the West Kowloon Cultural District – home to the M+ visual arts museum and performing arts venues – as well as revitalised heritage sites such as Tai Kwun and community-led projects in neighbourhoods such as Sham Shui Po. In Shenzhen, a UNESCO Creative City, the group explored the OCT-Loft creative district, Shenzhen Bay Culture Square and the popular artists’ village of Dafen.

The visit provided a unique opportunity to compare Western management models with those in the Asian context, examining challenges such as institutional sustainability, audience development, public and private cultural policies and the preservation of intangible heritage.

Christoph Pasour, director of the university master’s degree, underscored the relevance of this international experience: “What makes this programme exceptional is not only the access it provides to leading institutions and professionals but also the opportunity to understand culture through direct dialogue and first-hand experience. Hong Kong and Shenzhen challenge many of our preconceived ideas and encourage students to rethink cultural management from a truly global perspective.”

For their part, the students rated the trip very highly as a conclusion to the academic year, highlighting how the combination of community-based initiatives and established leading institutions broadened their horizons and helped shape their professional future from a global perspective. The programme coordinator, Claudia Balboa, also praised the decision to extend the activity to the Alumni community, fostering the exchange of experiences between different graduating classes and international profiles.

The initiative was launched following the programme director and academic coordinator’s first institutional visit to Hong Kong in 2024, with the aim of broadening academic partnerships in Asia.

Following the success of the first exchange, which took place in 2025 between UIC and The Chinese University of Hong Kong and included activities in Barcelona, Hong Kong and Macao, the programme has continued to expand this academic year with the addition of Shenzhen to its itinerary.

So far, more than 44 students from both universities have taken part in this extension programme, consolidating an initiative that promotes intercultural learning and educational cooperation.