Exchange between CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen wellness ambassadors
Nine uPals Wellness Ambassadors from the Wellness and Counselling Centre of CUHK embarked on a two-day exchange visit to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) in January.
Similar to CUHK, the CUHK-Shenzhen also houses a Student Health Counselling Centre and a student wellness promotion team, Y∞UTH. The Y∞UTH team members actively promote mental health awareness and organise stress-relieving workshops. They strive to create a more inclusive, open, and nurturing campus environment along the journey of university life.
uPals were warmly greeted by the Y∞UTH team. After introducing themselves to each other and going through two short presentations on each team’s respective roles, both teams had a deeper understanding of each other, further strengthening the bond between uPals and Y∞UTH.
Students from both campuses had made efforts to plan a series of exciting activities before the visit. The uPals Wellness Ambassadors participated in a certificate course on Dot Art, learning how to express emotions and create artwork through dot patterns, thereby alleviating stresses and anxieties.
On the first day of the exchange, uPals organised a Dot Art Experiential Workshop to share with Y∞UTH the joy of creating dot art patterns and different artistic methods for relaxing bodies and minds. The room was filled with laughter and joy as the students expressed satisfaction with their artworks.
On the next day, uPals participated in various activities organised by Y∞UTH, including a Knitting Workshop which used straws and yarn to knit different patterns. The workshop provided moments of tranquillity and relaxation amidst the intense two-day schedule. Before bidding farewell to Shenzhen, our uPals Wellness Ambassadors also took a brief tour in Bao’an District to embrace its local characteristics.
Upon completion of the visit, both groups yearned for more time to interact and learn from each other. They were also grateful to know a group of like-minded friends with whom they could share their thoughts. Two of the uPals Wellness Ambassadors, Nicole and Caterina, say: “One of our biggest takeaways was that the Shenzhen Y∞UTH team really felt like a big family—they had nicknames for each other, and everyone knew each other very well. We believe that this aspect definitely helped them work together better as a team. Despite their busy schedules, they managed to host so many events. The exchange with the Shenzhen Y∞UTH team was an eye-opening, inspiring and enjoyable experience for us.”
Although the visit has come to an end, the friendship between uPals and Y∞UTH has just begun. uPals Wellness Ambassadors continue to collaborate with CUHK-Shenzhen to organise online wellness workshops, breaking geographical boundaries and extending friendship and care to peers in both places. The following two workshops have been organised in March:
The Sound Therapy: Singing Bowl Workshop (15 March)
The Chinese Calligraphy Workshop (22 March)
