The University of Hong Kong (HKU) held Friday an inauguration ceremony for its newly established School of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Established under the Faculty of Arts in the university, the school contributes to the diverse learning environment on campus as well as off campus. It offers programs in American, European and Japanese Studies as well as study of nine languages including Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.

Students have opportunities to undergo one-year exchange programs in Japan, Germany, France, and other European countries, as well as internships in France and Japanese corporations in Hong Kong, such as Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan Airlines and Mitsui and Co.

Following the ceremony was the opening of German October which is the first of four international festivals that the school will organize throughout the year.

German October is a series of cultural events presented by the school co-organized with both the office of International Exchange and the German Association of the university.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2006)