Frequently Asked Questions

General

I wish to know about the catering services on HKU Campuses. Where can I find them?

Catering Services at HKU are operated by different caterers and managed by the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS). Click HERE to learn more about the catering outlets at HKU

I wish to apply for the student hostel. Is the Estates Office responsible for that?

Student Hostels of HKU are under the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) management and coordination. Click HERE for more information.

I find HKU Main Building stunningly sublime and wish to pay a visit. Is it open to the public?

HKU is an open campus. All common areas of the University are open to public.

Why are not all HKU facilities open to public?

Many of the facilities at HKU are designated for administrative, academic and research purposes and are not open to public for security and safety reasons.

I wish to use some HKU facilities (such as study room, computers in learning commons/ libraries, sports facilities, etc.) for study and recreational purpose. Should I contact the Estates Office for booking or enquiries?

No. Facilities in HKU Libraries/ Learning Commons, sports and amenities facilities in HKU are not managed by the Estates Office. Please click HERE to learn more.

Campus Information

I wish to know more about sustainability features and activities on HKU campuses (such as recycling, LEED & BEAM certification and Sustainability Reports). Where can I find them?

Please click HERE to learn more about various sustainability initiatives and the management of capital works, retrofitting works and facility management. Please also visit the Sustainability Office website for relevant sustainability information and Sustainability Reports.

Do I need to apply for permission if I want to take wedding photos on campus?

Only HKU alumni, current staff and students may have their own wedding photos taken on HKU campus, and official permission from the University must first be obtained. Please refer to the webpage https://www.hku.hk/others/weddingphotos.html for details.

Can I apply for news or commercial filming on campus?

All filming on any of HKU’s campuses must be approved and scheduled in advance, unless an exception has been granted. The University will consider requests to conduct filming on our campuses on a case by case basis. Please refer to the website https://www.hku.hk/others/filming.html for details.

Facility Management

Our department is going to organize an event. I wish to know what services the Estates Office could provide.

Please click HERE to learn more.

The event we are organizing is a seminar which requires a central classroom. Who in the Estates Office should I contact?

Central Classroom is managed by Examination Unit of the University. Please click HERE for more information

Air-Conditioning

The outside temperature is really hot. Why can’t we reduce the indoor temperature to keep it cooler?

For HKU buildings, the room temperature setting for the air-conditioning system has to consider both energy efficiency and human comfort. As such, the indoor temperature is set within a range of 23°C to 26°C, at 24.5°C generally, which has been adopted by the University.

In general, it is recommended to set the air-conditioned room temperatures to 24.5°C. The thermostats inside individual offices can be adjusted to suit user’s needs. Nonetheless, it does take time for the air-conditioning system to respond and so users may not feel any noticeable temperature change right away.

There will be times when a temperature adjustment will be needed. For example, when the number of people in a certain venue increases during a big event, the temperature may be set lower by our facility management staff to pre-cool the venue. In that situation, people arriving at the event early may feel cold. However, once the venue has filled up, the participants will feel more comfortable.

The outside temperature is really cold. Why can’t we increase the indoor temperature to keep warm?

Like most of the buildings in Hong Kong, the air-conditioning system on the majority of HKU campuses is based only on a cooling system. It does not have a heating function except for those in some special locations that are equipped with a heating coil designed for humidity control. This type of design is different from that used in colder countries where the emphasis is on heating spaces, rather than on cooling them.

On campus, on a cold day when the outside temperature is below 18°C, the cooling function of the air-conditioning will not operate. Outside air is drawn into the building as fresh air; hence, you will feel cold in winter time as there is no heating function in the system. Due to the limitation of the air-conditioning system, we regret that this situation could not be changed. However, this situation is only likely to occur for short durations each year.