Regional and International Academic Leadership

East Asia Dialogue on Rethinking Social Policy Strategies

On 30-31 August 2011, the Institute organised and hosted the 8th EASP Conference on Social Policy in East Asia and Beyond under the theme of Rethinking Social Policy Strategies in Times of Uncertainty, in collaboration with the East Asian Social Policy Research Network (EASP) and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, with the support of the HKSAR government’s Central Policy Unit. The Conference was attended by over 100 scholars, researchers and experts from Europe, the USA, Southeast Asia, Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, who explored a range of themes, including education, old age, young adults and labour markets, the political economy of welfare, social protection and income maintenance, and economic and environmental sustainability and social policy.

Second Asian Roundtable of Presidents of University of Education

Building on the success of the inaugural Roundtable in 2009, the Institute hosted the Second Asian Roundtable of Presidents of Universities of Education with the theme Envisioning the Future of Asian Universities of Education on 3 November 2011. Thirty-six presidents and designated representatives of higher education institutions from 13 countries and regions in Asia and Europe were present. During the Roundtable, 52 higher education institutions were signatories to a Joint Message pledging to collaborate in the advancement of teacher education and contribute to regional and global education communities by fostering educational research and development as a means of informing education policy, practice and innovation.

Forum on Higher Education in the Greater China Region

On 22 June 2012, university presidents and scholars from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau converged on the Forum on Higher Education in the Greater China Region: Opportunities and Challenges. The forum was organised by the Institute and the Tin Ka Ping Foundation, a charitable organisation that makes immense contributions to education development in Greater China. The attendees exchanged views on the prospects for higher education in the region, and on establishing deeper regional collaboration as Asia rises to global cultural and economic prominence.

Research Project for Asian Development Bank

In May 2012, the Institute was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to lead a high-level regional policy orientated educational research project ADB Project on Education and Skills for Inclusive Growth and Green Jobs. This two-year study is aimed at finding sustainable solutions to achieving inclusive economic growth, sustainable livelihoods and the greening of economies in four developing Asian countries – India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. With the assistance of the findings of this Institute-led research project, the ADB is seeking to provide technical assistance to countries to improve the links between vocational training provision and the needs of employers in greening economies. The overall objective is to increase the capacity of skills for employability leading to inclusive economic growth, as well as the knowledge and capacity of countries to support growth and employment in green jobs.

Joint Projects with Universities in the United Kingdom

At the time of the Report’s publication, the Institute and its partners were jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the UK and the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong for three research projects. The prestigious research scheme aims to foster collaboration in social sciences research between academics in the UK and Hong Kong. As the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues, the ESRC supports independent, high-quality research that has an impact on business, the government and society. The three Institute research projects – Poverty and Social Exclusion in Hong Kong, Reshaping Educational Practice for Improvement in Hong Kong and England: How Schools Mediate Government Reforms and Theory of Mind Development and Use in Children from Hong Kong and the UK, are being jointly conducted with the University of Bristol, University of Nottingham and University of Cambridge, respectively.

Worldwide Collaborations and Networks

Connecting beyond Borders

As the Institute becomes increasingly important in the regional and international education arenas, its senior management and scholars are proactively reaching out to education institutions from all over the world. Some of their activities in 2011-12 are highlighted below.

On 21-23 November 2011, the President and members of the senior management attended the International Forum on Basic Education Reform and Teacher Education and the 35th Forum of eleven key Normal Universities in Southeast China, held in Nanhai, Guangdong province. On 12-15 March 2012, the President and the Associate Vice President (Research and International Exchange) joined the Heads of Universities Committee delegation in attending the Going Global 2012 International Conference hosted by the British Council in London. They met vice-chancellors and leaders of British universities, and briefed the UK media on the academic structure in Hong Kong, the development of higher education and Hong Kong as a regional education hub. On 4-6 June 2012, faculty and department academic staff visited five universities in Taiwan to explore areas for further project collaboration.

Across the Institute, many of our scholars were also invited as speakers and special guests at international events. Visits were made to, and academic activities were joined at, among others, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic (speaking on Ming and Qing Dynasty receptions of Tang poetry); the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters at Paris, France (serving as a UNESCO-appointed Jury member at the UNESCO / Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah Prize); Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (speaking at a APEC conference on enhancing quality of higher education); the University of Heidelberg, Germany (speaking on privatisation of higher education); the Fourth Worldwide Forum held at the Beijing Normal University (speaking on global education reform); and the Graduate School of Education of Harvard University (speaking on the state role in Chinese higher education).

In reciprocation, universities and education institutions from different parts of the world paid visits to the Institute, to exchange experience and explore collaboration opportunities with us. Some of the visitors included delegations from Karlsruhe University of Education, Germany; the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei; the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management, Australia; the Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education, Netherlands; and the Ministry of Education and Central Liaison Office, Mainland China.

Partnership Agreements

Since being awarded both a highly prestigious UNESCO Education Chair and a UNESCO Arts in Education Observatory in 2011, and building upon its already extensive academic footprint, the Institute has extended its global networks rapidly. As of 2011-12, the Institute had sealed agreements on academic collaboration and student exchange with close to 140 tertiary institutions from overseas and Greater China. Agreements with institutions cover overseas countries such as the USA, the UK, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, among others, as well as Mainland China and Taiwan.

A Growing Institution Rich in Cultural Diversity

The Institute attaches special importance to its identity within Asia and the role of Asian universities in bridging Western and Asian scholarship, and to its place between Western modernity and Asian traditions. In the years ahead, its major strategies will focus on forging strong regional and global links, closer collaboration with universities and institutions in the region, enhancing student regional and international learning experiences, internationalising curriculum and on-campus experience, and establishing regional leadership in shaping the research agendas for education, the humanities, the social sciences and creative arts and culture.