Achievements Highlights 2013-2016

• We were awarded HK$13.27 million for 27 projects in the 2016/17 round of research funding applications to the Research Grants Council (RGC). The funded projects cover a wide array of subjects beyond our traditionally strong Education area. With these newly funded projects and those previously funded, our senior academics and emerging young scholars are undertaking 156 on-going projects funded by the RGC and the Central Policy Unit, with a total awarded amount of HK$92.23 million.
• In terms of Research Postgraduate (RPg) places, we also posted significant gains. For the 2015/16 academic year, 50 RPg places were allocated to us. In light of our proven research performance, the UGC will allocate 67 RPg places to us in 2016/17, representing an increase of 34% and 46% respectively in comparison with the 2015/16 and 2014/15 academic years. The increase in RPg places is based on the award results of RGC funding schemes in the past three years from July 2012 to June 2015, and the results of the latest Research Assessment Exercise, among others. This impressive development is a reflection of our augmented research strength and capacity.

We hosted prestigious regional and international conferences, seminars and forums where eminent speakers shared and exchanged their research findings. Notable examples include:

• The Third Forum for Presidents of Normal Universities in the Greater China Region in 2014
• Asia Pacific Educational Research Association (APERA) and the Hong Kong Educational Research Association (HKERA) International Conference 2014
• The International Conference on Biological Waste as Resource in 2014
• The Forum for Secondary School Principals in the Greater China Region in 2015
• The International Postgraduate Research Conference and Summer School in 2015
• The International Symposium on Innovation in Health Service Delivery in 2016

In early December 2015, we had our UNESCO Chair in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Lifelong Learning renewed for a further four years. We will continue to support UNESCO in its Skills for Work and Life initiatives, with a particular focus on the needs of marginalised and disadvantaged groups, and on the advocacy of equitable education for all.

Our Knowledge Transfer (KT) strategies encourage academic units and staff to enhance the impact of their research through KT activities. To facilitate their work, and to map out policies on the protection of intellectual properties and patent and product licensing applications, a KT Unit was set up under the Research and Development Office in July 2014. At the same time, on-going KT-related activities are being held to disseminate research findings through various communication platforms including print, electronic and new media, professional development courses, local and international conferences, seminars and workshops.

In addition to the existing research centres at institutional level – the Joseph Lau Luen Hung Charitable Trust Asia Pacific Centre for Leadership and Change, the Assessment Research Centre, and the Centre for Governance and Citizenship, a new research centre, the Academy of Hong Kong Studies, the first of its kind in Hong Kong dedicated to fostering Hong Kong studies within local tertiary institutions, was established in July 2015.