Achievements Highlights 2017-2019

• The University was granted full self-accrediting status by the Government in April 2018 for all of its academic programmes. This is a testimony to the University’s entrenched QA culture embracing the University’s rigorous QA and enhancement mechanisms. The University will continue its efforts in learning and teaching, research and knowledge transfer (KT), and remains committed to developing and revamping our programme offerings in line with the Education-plus approach.


• The QAC conducted the panel visits for the Second Quality Audit and Sub-degree Operations Audit in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The Audit Report of the Second QAC Audit on the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) published in 2017 commended the University’s quality culture, its comprehensive and thorough approach to the setting and maintaining of academic standards, and the use of external reference points to validate the setting and maintaining of academic standards. The Audit Report of EdUHK’s Sub-degree Operations published in 2019 further affirmed the University’s consistent and comprehensive approach to QA, which enables the University to meet international standards and the professional requirements for its sub-degree programmes. Through these audit exercises, the University community reinforces its commitment in sustaining a quality culture and active engagement in the QA and enhancement practices as well as the dissemination of good practices.

• Review of the curriculum structures of Bachelor of Education (BEd) and non-BEd programmes was carried out and completed in September 2017 and October 2018 respectively. Under the new curriculum structures, the academic rigour of both BEd and non-BEd programmes was strengthened with new enhancements in General Education (Experiential Learning and Interdisciplinary Course), Field Experience (FE), and the Capstone Project. It is hoped that the new curriculum will promote interdisciplinary learning, develop students’ generic skills, and broaden their intellectual horizons. Opportunities for international inter-university collaborations, service learning and exchange programmes, either credit-bearing or non-credit bearing, have been developed. Between 2016/17 and 2018/19, an average of 72% of undergraduate students have joined experiential learning activities.


• A new framework of Graduate Attributes “PEER & I”, consisting of the three domains of “Professional Excellence,” “Ethical Responsibility,” & “Innovation,” and the seven Generic Intended Learning Outcomes (GILOs) have been adopted to better articulate the desired attributes and generic skills expected of EdUHK graduates. In December 2018, 99% of our graduates from teacher education programmes were employed or were pursuing further studies.


• The growing trend of technology-enhanced pedagogical approaches poses a pressing need for the University to prepare our current undergraduate students, graduates and in-service teachers to implement Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. To address the need of our education community, a new Master of Arts in STEM Education as well as a new Minor in Design of STEM Lessons were approved in 2018 to be offered in 2019/20. Alongside these, a curriculum revamp for BEd (Primary/ Secondary) Mathematics has been completed with the injection of more STEM elements to enhance teachers’ professional competence to introduce STEM teaching into primary and secondary classrooms.


• Values education is incorporated into our education at all levels. Besides a long-standing Faculty-level unit (i.e. Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education) charged to promote life and values education through teacher professional development, pedagogical and curriculum development and research, a Professional Development Programme (PDP) in Hong Kong Life Education (LE) was first launched in 2017/18 to enhance teachers’ understanding of the concepts and practices of LE and to empower them to implement LE in their schools, thereby enhancing students’ resilience in the face of adversity and their positive values. Following its successful launch, an advanced LE programme with a specific focus on the primary school context was developed in 2018 and is due to be offered in 2019/20. In addition, “Life and Values Education” is offered as a Specialised Area and Area of Focus under the Doctor of Education and Master of Education programmes respectively.

• Staff members are encouraged to explore and develop new approaches to pedagogy through the application of Teaching Development Grants (TDG) projects. The thematic areas in 2016-19 cover innovation curriculum design and enhancing student learning outcomes. Student engagement is also encouraged in TDG projects.


• For staff professional development, the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology has been offering a series of courses and workshops related to technology-enhanced learning, teaching and assessment including e-learning tools, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Moodle and Turnitin to facilitate staff members’ adoption of e-Technology in teaching. Other activities including visiting departmental meetings, offering certificate courses (e.g. Certificate Course “Introduction to Teaching in Higher Education”) and seminars; organising the Learning & Teaching@ EdUHK Festival and Peer Support of Teaching Scheme; and producing online self-learning materials were also carried out.


• Our ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of teaching are appreciated by students, as reflected in the Student Evaluation of Teaching scores, which have been progressively rated above 3 on a 4-point scale in the past four years. In 2018, Dr David Kang Jong-hyuk, Associate Head and Assistant Professor of the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, received the University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award and was commended for his learner-centred approach and innovative teaching methods in teaching Chinese History. The “4-‘re’” history teaching method – reconstruct, reread, reflect, and research – that he developed has not only benefited history majors, but also inspired students of other disciplines to find meaningful engagement with the past.

• The soft launch of the Pilot Future Classroom specialising in Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) technologies was held in November 2018. During the soft launch, demonstrations on utilising the newly installed equipment for learning and teaching and other experiential activities were conducted by colleagues from faculties and the Office of the Chief Information Officer, supported by the Library. The Pilot Future Classroom is expected to further enrich the learning environment and experiences on campus, connect students with the ever-evolving world and enable them to gain global perspectives in one stop.





• Funded by the Central Reserve Allocation Committee, the “Blended Learning for University Enhancement Initiative” (BLUE Initiative) was introduced in two phases to promote blended learning through one-course one-online lessons as well as the development of MOOCs and mobile applications for students’ self-directed learning.


• To help students stock-take and keep track of their learning experiences, the ePortfolio has been launched to allow students to engage in comprehensive evidenced-based reflection on their formal and non-formal learning experiences. Assessment rubrics incorporating the GILOs with their subject intended learning outcomes were used to help set their own learning goals.

• Reference has been made to international as well as the unified set of standards for the teaching profession (“T-standard”) recently launched by the Committee on Professional Development of Teachers and Principals in the formulation of the FE Intended Learning Outcomes such that our programme offerings would continue to stay updated and relevant to the professional standards and requirements of the sector. The high employment rate (over 95%) of our teacher education graduates indicates the relevance of the knowledge and skills gained throughout their studies.


• With close collaboration with the Education Bureau (EDB) as well as a curriculum revamp, the enrollment number of the PDPs significantly increased, starting from 2016/17, and reached its 10-year peak at 337 FTEs in 2017/18. New programmes such as Catering for Diverse Needs of Young Children, e-Learning in Primary Mathematics, LE, etc. were offered to expand the capacity of in-service teachers to keep pace with emerging technological trends and to address critical societal needs.

• Talented postgraduate students have been recruited through the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme since 2017/18 and the number of awardees nominated by the University has increased.


• Collaborative programmes at master’s and doctorate levels with universities in Australia, France, Germany, and Japan have been offered since 2016/17. Students registered in those programmes can benefit from research training and supervision of both local and international scholars.


• The percentage of research postgraduate students engaged in the University’s research and development projects and related scholarly activities has increased from 24% in 2014/15 to 62% in 2018/19.

• The composition of the student population has become more diversified with a steady inflow of mainland Chinese, international, and non-Chinese speaking (NCS) local students. From 2016/17 to 2018/19, the number of non-local students increased by nearly 20% with students whose countries of origin are Azerbaijan and Pakistan enrolling in our undergraduate programmes for the first time. On the other hand, a new nomination route, i.e. the NCS Student Nomination Route, introduced in 2017/18, has also attracted more NCS local students on top of the regular route and thus added to the diversity of the student population.


• The Global Learning Enhancement Fund continues to facilitate student participation in learning opportunities overseas and in the Greater China region. Between 2016/17 and 2018/19, over 60% of undergraduate students were reported to have at least one type of non-local learning experience, making it the highest among all UGC-funded universities in 2017/18. With over 200 regional and international partners in 2019, the University has successfully brought in students from different parts of the world which has nurtured a multi-cultural and diverse learning environment on campus. This is seen in the marked increase in the number of in-bound students taking part in learning programmes organised by EdUHK from around 270 in 2015/16 to over 670 in 2018/19.


• Broadly appreciated by students, the International Tutor (IT) Scheme continues to bring in ITs with a myriad of linguistic and cultural backgrounds to help support students’ English language learning, co-curricular and hall-based intercultural activities on campus.