Ten Charles Sturt University (CSU) psychology students will gain first-hand insight into the influence of culture on behaviour during a 10-day visit to Macau in late November.

 

Associate Professor Graham Tyson, from the CSU School of Psychology in Bathurst, who will accompany the psychology students, said “Macau is adjacent to Hong Kong, and is known as ‘the Monte Carlo of the Orient’, with gaming revenue greater than that of Las Vegas.

 

“As part of the CSU Global initiative to increase the number of students undertaking international experiences as part of their studies, the students will visit a number of institutions in Macau including a psychiatric hospital, a gambling counseling centre, and a juvenile detention centre, as well as attending lectures at the University of Macau,” Professor Tyson said.

 

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to interact on an international level and see first-hand how another country deals with some pretty fundamental issues such as mental health, gambling addictions, and drug rehabilitation.

 

“In the process our students will learn about another culture, and how specific social and cultural contexts influence behaviour.”

 

Melbourne-based CSU distance education student Ms Ada Jean said, “I am incredibly excited about the upcoming visit to Macau. To see how psychology is both taught and practiced somewhere with such a diverse history as Macau will no doubt be a valuable learning experience. Personally, I am very interested to see how the juvenile justice centre operates, to provide me with a cultural comparison which may aid me in my future career in forensic psychology.”

 

The group of psychology students includes three students from Bathurst, one from CSU in Wagga Wagga, and six distance education students. They have received financial assistance from CSU Global through a $500 Vice-Chancellor Travel Grant.

 

Macau and Hong Kong are the only Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, with separate visa and entry administration to that of mainland China.