Dr Chan Chi-kwan has an extremely keen interest in eastern and western philosophies, with a focus on Chinese culture and the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi, in particular. He thinks teaching should focus on the effectiveness of learning and that learning can only be deemed effective when it changes people’s behaviour. This process enables students to “transform knowledge into wisdom”.

“A good teacher must possess the following attributes: a deep understanding of and a passion for the subjects they teach, care for students’ well-being, as well as a strong enthusiasm for continuous learning,” Dr Chan remarks. Since he joined the HKIEd in 1986, Dr Chan has seen many changes and movements in the upgrading of his own academic qualifications. He, however, considers these as outward changes only. Something deep inside him never changes - his tremendous passion for the exploration of Chinese culture and teaching. What he enjoys most is seeing students’ smiling faces on entering the classroom. The most precious reward for Dr Chan, however, is being able to see his students apply what they have learnt, which brings him a sense of fulfillment beyond description.