The University offers academic programmes in education and complementary disciplines at the undergraduate, postgraduate and sub-degree levels, all of which are subject to rigorous quality assurance mechanisms. In October 2018, a panel comprising local and overseas experts commissioned by the Quality Assurance Council completed an audit of the University’s sub-degree programmes. Their positive findings affirm the University’s consistent and comprehensive approach to quality assurance, which enables it to meet international standards and professional requirements. The panel also commended the University for creating a robust framework for the development and approval of new sub-degree programmes, involving appropriate checkpoints, consent points and externalities.

In the 2018/19 academic year, EdUHK offered 16 education and education-related undergraduate degree programmes funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC). Over the years, EdUHK has continuously sought to enhance and expand the curriculum. To this end, the University conducted a comprehensive review and benchmarking studies, which were completed in October 2018, covering among other things, the curriculum structure of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) and non-BEd programmes.

Based on the review findings, the University will implement the new BEd and common core curriculum in the 2019/20 academic year, and will align the non-BEd courses accordingly. In line with the University’s multidisciplinary emphasis and to provide diversified learning, EdUHK has developed new courses, such as credit-bearing experiential learning courses, General Education Interdisciplinary Courses, and Breadth Courses. The University will also introduce the Capstone Project in parallel with the existing Honours Project for final-year students and will revamp the existing Co-curricular and service learning course.

As part of its commitment to preparing outstanding and morally responsible educators and professionals, in addition to programmes that develop 21st century skills, the University offers support for students in planning their personal development path and setting career goals. In 2018/19, staff reviewed with students their goal achievements midway through their undergraduate programmes. The aim of the University Life Planning Scheme is to guide students to become self-directed learners and decision-makers in a supportive atmosphere through a developmental advising approach.

In September 2018, Dr David Kang Jong-hyuk, Associate Head and Assistant Professor at the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, received the UGC Teaching Award under the category of Early Career Faculty Members. A Korea-born academic, Dr Kang shares his passion for Chinese history with his students by adopting a learner-centred approach and employing innovative teaching methods such as the “4-‘re’” (reconstruct, reread, reflect and research) history teaching method he developed.

One of EdUHK’s flagship programmes, the Master of Arts in Teaching Chinese as an International Language (MATCIL), obtained the International Baccalaureate (IB) Educator Certificate to offer IB-recognised programmes. The Master of Science in Educational Speech-Language Pathology and Learning Disabilities programme has been fully endorsed by the Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists, and graduates of the programme are eligible to apply to be a Member of Register of Speech Therapists accredited by the Department of Health.

In 2018/19, the University rolled out a new specialisation in Language Education (Chinese) for the Doctor of Education programme. The Master of Arts in STEM Education programme began accepting applications, with the first cohort of students beginning their studies in September 2019. The University has also created collaborative programmes at the master’s and doctoral levels with universities in Australia, France, Germany and Japan.

To meet the changing needs of society and the profession, the University has developed a wide range of Professional Development Programmes (PDPs). Since 2016/17, enrolment in PDPs has risen significantly and continues to rise.

In 2018/19, 63 per cent of EdUHK undergraduate students enjoyed at least one type of learning experience outside of Hong Kong. EdUHK organised 15 study tours to places such as Australia, mainland China, Nepal, the Netherlands, South Africa and Taiwan. In total, EdUHK offered nearly 400 overseas learning opportunities through programmes such as the Leadership Enhancement And Development scheme, which entered its 12th year in 2018, and the newly established Finding Happiness through Positivity programme. To develop more overseas learning opportunities for students and to nurture students’ international outlook on and beyond the campus, the University set up the Global Experiential Learning Team in April last year.

EdUHK’s internationalisation efforts are also showing results through the increasing number of international students and local non-Chinese students at the University. The number of international students in UGC-funded undergraduate programmes increased four per cent year on year, and in collaboration with over 200 regional and international partners, EdUHK brought 194 exchange students from different parts of the world to the campus in 2018/19.

In 2018, the University concluded the seven-year Programme on Planning Life Education in Primary Schools and the four-year Programme on Planning Life Education in Secondary Schools, commissioned by the Education Bureau. Through the two programmes, EdUHK assisted more than 100 primary and secondary schools in planning and developing life education and created a professional learning community for life education. The University will continue to support the schools, even after the completion of the project, in the development of school-based life education, and in the implementation of thematic experiential activities and curriculum integration in life education, values education, religious education and spirituality education.

The University operates a Quality Education Programme for kindergarten students, called From Self-cultivation To Qijia. The aim of the project, which is funded by the Tin Ka Ping Foundation, is to promote moral education, establish family values, and enhance the parent-child relationship.

The University has continued to play a leading role in promoting STEM education in the local school sector. In addition to the highly regarded CoolThink@JC Programme and Cornerstone Maths, the University has launched a variety of initiatives to provide school-based professional support for STEM subjects. One such project employs self-directed learning as a strategy to promote STEM education at the upper primary and secondary levels. To date, 48 teacher workshops have been organised with over 900 teacher participants. The project has also helped build teachers’ capacity in STEM education in five primary schools and nine secondary schools.

For pre-service teachers, EdUHK runs a programme that enables STEM undergraduates and pre-service teachers to cross the programme and subject boundaries of different majors. This year, over 120 undergraduates majoring in STEM education from EdUHK and three other participating universities formed joint-university multidisciplinary U-STEMist teams. Each group designed a STEM invention or activity to solve a specific need of the community partner assigned to it. At the project exhibition and prize presentation ceremony held in June 2019, 23 STEM inventions and activities developed by inter-university teams were displayed to showcase the students’ creativity.

To nurture students with an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset, in alignment with the University’s mission in the Strategic Plan 2016–2025, the University set up the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Education Unit (EIEU) under the EdUHK Library. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub opened its doors in 2019 as a dedicated resources platform for students to turn their ideas into reality and to promote an entrepreneurial culture on campus.