Through the Teaching and Learning Quality Process Reviews (TLQPR) conducted by the University Grants Committee this year, we demonstrated the reliability of our processes for ensuring teaching quality. Quality teaching is delivered by dedicated staff with the appropriate mix of skill, experience and qualification.

Staff with multiple skills
We have established a team of academic staff able to provide quality teaching at degree and postgraduate levels, as well as to engage in scholarly activities and community service consistent with our mission. Staff who take on such key responsibilities must have the appropriate skills to meet the high expectations placed on them. We are pleased that our staff are well qualified for the multiple roles we expect them to play.

As well as tertiary teaching and experience in programme and curriculum development, we emphasise the importance of school teaching experience. Our staff have, on average, over ten years of school teaching experience. On top of doctoral or other postgraduate and professional qualifications, well over 90% possess a professional teaching qualification.

Adding value through development
The ongoing professional development of our staff adds to the quality of their teaching. We actively assist them in upgrading their qualifications and skills by offering financial sponsorship and study leave. We support them in their teaching and scholarly activities through a comprehensive structure of professional development. Within the year, a series of seminars and workshop programmes, support for academic enhancement and conference grants were provided and internal grants made available to support staff in pursuing the scholarship of teaching.

We also acknowledge the invaluable support of our non-academic staff, who are similarly encouraged to upgrade their job-related skills and professional knowledge. This year, 67 staff members were supported on staff development programmes.

Increasing international exposure
We provide financial support for academic exchange and educational visits outside Hong Kong so that staff can increase their international exposure to teaching and research relevant to the strategic development of the Institute. Through such contacts, collaborations have been established with a number of institutions including normal universities in the Mainland, and universities in Canada, the United States, Japan and Korea.

Benefiting from talents around the globe
It is a measure of our progress that we are able to attract academics of note, and we have appointed key staff both from overseas and locally. The reporting year witnessed some notable arrivals.

Professor Gary McPherson, formerly based at the School of Music and Music Education of the University of New South Wales in Australia, now heads the Department of Creative Arts at HKIEd. Professor McPherson is a seasoned academic with experience teaching in many contexts around the world, including periods as a visiting professor at universities in Sweden, the United States and England. In his earlier years he also worked as a professional musician, playing trumpet, both in jazz and classical ensembles. As a head of department, he now fulfils multiple roles, and is keen to make an impact generating research projects and mentoring younger staff.