With the resumption of campus life and the relaxation of traveling restrictions, the Graduate School (GS) has resumed organizing the International Outreach Study Programme (IOSP) for postgraduate students. In 2023, three groups of thirty-four students participated in the IOSP at different universities in the United States and Norway, including Texas A&M University Texarkana, Rochester Institute of Technology, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in 2023.

During the events, GS students took part in seminars/workshops and interacted with scholars, researchers, and peers from different countries. Participants provided highly positive feedback, some of which is shared over the following pages.

The International Outreach Study Programme is organized by GS for the purpose of exposing students to the global research environment. Since 2012, GS has organized student visits to prestigious universities in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden etc., However, many overseas learning activities were suspended during the pandemic. The GS restarted the scheme by arranging for several groups to visit three different universities this year.

“It was an incredible day filled with informative and inspiring presentations and engaging conversation. Dr Sushil Sharma shared valuable tips and advice on conducting research and publishing academic papers effectively. I found this session particularly useful, as it gave me a better understanding of the academic publishing process. Dr. Sharma also provided each of us with handouts on publishing research successfully, which were very helpful.

My knowledge of research was expanded through the presentations by Dr Rebecca Cooper, Assistant Professor of Education Leadership, and Dr Sushil Sharma, Associate Provost and Graduate Dean. I appreciated the clear instructions and strategies provided by Dr Sharma on how to publish effectively. Additionally, the presentations by my PhD and EdD fellows provided me with insights into the different methodologies they employed.

One of the most memorable moments during the outreach activity was presenting my research and receiving participant feedback. Hearing their perspectives and suggestions was valuable, and it helped refine my ideas.

Another highlight of the event was the opportunity to learn about the research topics of our EdUHK students and the students from Texas A&M. It was inspiring to see the diverse range of projects and interests.”

"I am grateful to be given an opportunity to share my research project with an audience beyond the Education University of Hong Kong. I think it is essential to double-check if researchers from other contexts could relate to the topic and if the results could be applicable in their respective fields. It was fascinating for me to hear comments from other postgraduate students coming from different areas. The constructive feedback provided by the audience has helped refine my research topic. I think this is very important because I plan to expand the benefits of positive youth development among gifted students in Hong Kong, emerging adults in Southeast Asia, as well as pre-service teachers in the Greater Bay Area."

"We also attended the launching of a book on comparative and decolonial studies in the philosophy of education. I think this is one of the highlights of the Exchange Programme. The launching was attended by contributors worldwide, including a Filipina PhD student from the Education University of Hong Kong. This book launching reminded me of the importance of collaborations in the academe, and the good thing about it is that there are several ways how to go about it. Seeing these scholars come together to see the product of their collaborative efforts was really inspiring."

“There is more to learning than the research we are currently working on. One thing I appreciate the most about the IOSP trip is the mini conference itself, which allowed me to learn about other perspectives, research topics, frameworks, methodologies, and contexts. While listening to each presentation, I could not help but ask myself, “how is this connected to the current work I am doing?” I realized that while my focus and preoccupations with my own research project is helpful in my own research process, I should also be sensitive that this process may hinder me from situating my work within the broader contexts and global situation. For example, Dr. John Oliphant’s talk on “planetary health” made me appreciate how public health is indeed borderless and interconnected, regardless of where we are in the global picture. Aside from this, I was also struck by Prof. Wang’s remark on how knowledge gained in a student’s first year of university may already be outdated by the time they graduate— suggesting the urgent need for scholars and academics to be innovative, updated, and relevant. To this I ask myself: “how can I situate my work (on movement and physical activity in the early years) on the broader situation of education? How can my research output be relevant given the global picture of public health?” How can I connect with other scholars to scaffold my current interests and work to more socially relevant efforts?

It’s okay to be an observer and absorber. For most parts of our training and work as academics, we are often expected to actively provide our ideas and input on various concepts, issues, and activities. We are trained to be active givers, in terms of expressing our ideas in oral and written form. One important thing I learned from the IOSP experience is how equally important it is to be an observer and an absorber. Being in a foreign land, observation is of utmost importance— observing how people commonly interact and relate with each other, or how they use their space, among others. Being in an observer role helps us suspend our judgments about other people and ideas and helps us be more receptive to new ideas and understanding. To an extent during the IOSP trip, I became an observer and an absorber, living in the moment and totally attuned to new ideas and experiences. This is a deviation from my usual work mode where I must always actively express or generate ideas. Being an observer provided the much-needed balance between giving and receiving ideas.

Coming to the US for the IOSP conference is indeed motivating for PhD students like me. As a non-local student coming from a less privileged country, it means a lot for me to be given a valuable opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience through an international outreach program like the IOSP. I commend the EdUHK and the Graduate School for really giving the best of opportunities for its students. Being able to travel, to present my work in an international scene and to interact with other academics is truly affirming of my scholarship. But that is not the only reward I gained from the IOSP. The process that it took me to get there, the people I met, the places I visited— all these will be memories that I will treasure as I return home and continue my PhD journey, now with new lenses through which I could view the world.”

Texas A&M University Texarkana, United States on 2^nd May 2023

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway on 15^th May 2023

Rochester Institute of Technology, United States on 7^th June 2023