The suicide of a mainland student in Hong Kong

A 27-year-old PhD research student Ge Weiwei of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from Mainland China hanged himself on 11th this month in his dormitory. Before the suicide, he failed to pass the Qualification Examination for Doctors. It is also alleged that his supervisor had told Ge that he would leave Hong Kong for teaching in the United States, leaving Ge confused about his future.

It seems to be a fact that a great number of mainland students in Hong Kong, many of whom come here on scholarship, find it hard to fit into the Hong Kong society, partly because of the language barrier and a different living environment. The local universities don’t seem to give them much support. The death of Ge probably has revealed this. He probably would have not resorted to suicide if he had been given more care by his classmates, his teachers and his university.

At the same time, I am also shocked at the vulnerability of the new generation of young elites in China. Gu came to study in HKUST as a PhD student on outstanding academic results three years ago. He was the only child of a Chinese family in Jiangsu Province at the east coast. It is understandable how much pressure he would have if he failed to graduate with a doctorate degree. For sure, he would not be able to “face” his parents, since the whole family’s hope was pinned on him. And most likely he had never endured any hardship in life, given that he was the only (spoilt) child in the family. So when a bit of difficulty occurred, coupled with pressure, he simply collapsed and surrendered totally, even his own life.

The young generation of Mainland China is so different from the old generation who has had so much of hardships (and pain) in life through all those turbulent and dark years in the 20th century. One major difference is the lack of strong will and determination in the young. Is it the one child policy and comfort life made possible by a fast developing economy to blame?