Page 10 - EdUHK Comm Book Flip book

08
President’s Message
President’s Message
校長的話
Thanks to the concerted efforts of our serving and former Council members, staff members, students, alumni, and supporters over the years, we were successfully granted the university title and witnessed the birth of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) on 27 May 2016.
That was indeed a great cause for jubilation! As a matter of fact, the achievement of university title was my top-priority mission, and also the very rst question raised by staff and students when I met them at the consultation sessions prior to my appointment as President in 2013.
For me, the arduous path toward university title took a little less than three years to tread. But for many long-serving members of the University community, becoming EdUHK was a challenging process that was initiated in 2007 with the publication of the Development Blueprint, and which gradually took shape with our expansion into multidisciplinary programmes under the “Education-plus” vision. The success in transforming into EdUHK was, in no small measure, due to the solid foundation laid by my predecessors, especially Professor Anthony Cheung.
EdUHK is a very different institution from what it was when our predecessor Institute was established some two decades ago. Today
our strength has been internationally recognised, as evidenced by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject for two consecutive years. Last year, we were ranked 15th in the world and 3rd in Asia. This year we performed even better, ranking 12th in the world and 2nd in Asia.
However, we have no room for complacency. To sustain our quality in teacher education, research and knowledge transfer, we need more than ever before to map out our future positioning, direction and strategies. For EdUHK to grow, this young university needs to tap the network
and experience of our partners in the school sector, collaborate with academic institutions in Hong Kong and beyond, and engage the staunch support of the community through donations. The engagement of our stakeholders from various walks of life will help create opportunities for our students and enrich their exposure in learning and teaching activities. These aspiring young people – our future teachers and professionals in complementary areas – will in turn have impacts on our community and school children in particular, resulting in the overall development of our society, through which Hong Kong will continue to thrive.