It gives me great pleasure to present the second progress review of the University’s Strategic Plan 2016-25, which was promulgated shortly after our retitling in 2016 to chart the way forward for the youngest publicly funded university in Hong Kong under the “Education-plus” approach.
As part of the Strategic Plan’s review mechanism, this review focused on our major developments and achievements from 2020 to 2022, in three key strategic areas, namely academic development, research and knowledge transfer, and management and infrastructure. To take stock of the implementation progress against our strategic goals and to identify new areas of development, we adopted an evidence-based approach to assess the University’s performance in different domains, by referring to both institution-specific and sector-wide key performance indicators, as set out by the University Grants Committee under the University Accountability Agreement.
This review represents the collective wisdom and effort of the University community. Faculty members and students were engaged in the process, through various consultation platforms. Their feedback and ideas were consolidated and incorporated into the University Management reports during the Council Retreat in July 2022. I am impressed by the remarkable progress made on different fronts during the three-year review period, amidst the challenges posed by the prolonged pandemic and evolving societal expectations of higher education. In addition to international rankings, we have made great strides regarding educational innovation, research performance and impact, knowledge transfer and global outreach. These impressive achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to the University’s core mission and our quest for academic excellence.
In the face of the changing landscape at the local, national and global levels, we must make early preparations, with the reprioritisation of strategic objectives where necessary, to rise to the challenges and grasp new opportunities. It is particularly important to explore the University’s strategic positioning and presence in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. There is a huge potential for the University to contribute to educational advancements in the GBA, given our traditional strength in teacher education and related disciplines. Other strategic areas brainstormed during the Retreat covered the University’s multidisciplinary development, research and thought leadership in education, knowledge transfer, as well as academic and school partnerships.
My gratitude goes to all those who contributed their insight to the exercise, which provided an excellent opportunity for different stakeholders to examine the University’s accomplishments and strategic priorities, in response to changes over time. With our concerted efforts, I have every confidence that the University will reach new heights through our shared vision and goals.
Dr David Wong Yau-kar, GBS, JP
Chairman of the Council