Three recipients awarded Master of Public Policy and Management Academic Scholarship
The Department of Asian and Policy Studies is committed to supporting students in pursuit of academic excellence and who demonstrate outstanding achievement through contributions to the community, leadership, and progressive social change. This year, we have offered the Master of Public Policy and Management Academic Scholarship to three students, Mr Pun Kam Lam, Mr Hu Zuming and Ms Tam Hau Yan. The scholarship covers 50% of the programme’s tuition fee. We would like to take this opportunity to share their academic journey with you all.
Pun Kam Lam– Master of Public Policy and Management Academic Scholarship
Never stop learning, deal with pressure with a throbbing heart
I attained my bachelor’s degree in translation and interpretation in 2019 and I have worked in Hong Kong for two years after my graduation. During that time, the world was changing, and my colleagues were about to have some new directions and plans. These made me think if it is time to embrace some changes for future development and move forward. That is why I started looking for some courses which suited me the most with the support of my family. After realizing my interest in Human resources and policy analysis, I started looking for some courses that were related to my interest. I came across MPPM, which provides a wide selection of courses from HRM, Organizational Behavior, Strategic Communication and Social Services Management to Managing Public Finance, International Public Management and Public Policy Governance. The programme was designed in a sophisticated manner. When considering such knowledge is crucial in the coming future, I decided to join MPPM.
Since my first bachelor’s degree is neither related to administration nor policy management, it was a bit challenging for me to pick up unfamiliar theories and concepts. I made it a practice to review teachers’ notes and recordings to digest the points and theories taught. The course structure and the syllabus are very clear, it gradually helped me build up a framework from the fundamental stage to a more sophisticated level. It also provides me with sufficient case studies and tutorials to put the knowledge into practice.
Under the hybrid learning mode, I sometimes felt dizzy when having online lessons at home. I believe that “Pressure is inevitable and the only way to deal with it is to focus and complete the task with a throbbing heart”. Thus, I sometimes came back to campus to attend the online courses and collaborate with my teammates on some presentations if time allowed. The most impressive course of this semester would be “Creating Shared Value and Social Entrepreneurship”. I have learned to revise and improve my idea from the process of being rejected, to getting rid of the negative feeling of being rejected, then to push myself to rethink the broken parts of the idea proposed and always ask why this idea works for the target clients. Always questioned myself “why” and if the research is sufficient to convince others. For me, this is once in a blue moon learning experience.
Learning is a lifelong process and I expect myself to jump out of my comfort zone and broaden my horizon. Thus, I plan to seek for a job that I am interested in after my graduation. Apart from that, I plan to pursue further studies after my graduation.
MPPM is a full-time, adult learning and self-learning course. Try to think about what you will attain from these courses and what reflections you could get. It is encouraged to share your opinions and ideas with the professional teaching crew of APS to understand how they think and simultaneously inspire your new thoughts. Apart from this, try to link different ideas from different courses. Moreover, read all the resources and materials provided by our teachers. Listen and Loop teachers’ recordings when you are walking, taking MTR, or before sleeping. Eventually, try to think about the framework, the details and see if they are on the track with the syllabus and answer the question when doing your group project. Make sure all the points are supported by figures, literature, and theories. Try to compile an essay which worth your time and efforts. I hope you can develop a wider and deeper thinking and enjoy the process of research.
HU ZUMING – Master of Public Policy and Management Academic Scholarship
Lifelong Learning – Cope with your shortcomings and strive for excellence
I graduated from the University of Vermont in 2020, majoring in finance and economics. I won the Dean’s List award and the corresponding scholarship during my undergraduate study. After graduation, I engaged in Venture Capital investment for one year. I also started my own business at the end of 2020, a small company engaged in education and training. While concentrating on growing my business I felt the need to enhance my knowledge and learn something different from what I had learned in my undergraduate studies. I hope to have more knowledge in different majors to be able to explore more potential opportunities for my future career. I wanted to explore the policy considerations required in various situations. MPPM can lead me to understand the rationale behind the design and management of each policy as many projects required me to focus on these policies.
MPPM is indeed quite different from my undergraduate major. At first, I was not familiar with the new course’s content and the new knowledge acquired as I was unable to review everything within a tight schedule. That was quite challenging for me. Thus, I adopted the habit of preparing prior to the class. When I previewed the content, I could outline the content of each chapter, which made it easier to grasp the basic knowledge and prepare for the class. Hybrid learning was another big challenge for me. Compared with online teaching, face-to-face classes have a higher learning efficiency and a better classroom atmosphere, and I really miss my time studying on campus. However, the hybrid learning experience also improved my time management skills, I usually previewed the content before class, and ensured that there was an independent and quiet space in class.
Every teacher in MPPM is amiable and charming, always delivers the best quality of teaching to us. The teachers who impressed me the most are Dr Lina Vyas and Dr Alex Jingwei He, who are very willing to help students and are very passionate in class.
After graduation, I might pursue further studies as I want to work in investment banking sector in the future. I hope that our prospective students appreciate the excellent teaching environment at EduHK and enjoy the rich and interesting courses of MPPM. I wish you all the success in your studies!
Tam Hau Yan– Master of Public Policy and Management Academic Scholarship
Never be afraid for seeking advice
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History in 2020. During the summer vacation, I was involved in several work placements to gain and accumulate work experience. When I was studying for my bachelor’s degree, I asked my family and teachers whether to continue to study or work, and this made me think about my needs and future life direction many times. Since I am interested in the humanities, and from the perspective of the practical and interesting elements of the course, and with my family’s support, I was finally motivated to pursue further studies.
Compared with other schools and other courses, I feel that the MPPM is more in line with my interests and future plans. In addition, through participating in the information day and listening to the sharing from the graduates, I had a certain understanding and interest in the MPPM. Besides, MPPM is attractive because of its wide choice of courses. The academic research fields cover various aspects of social policy, including public health, education and governance, regulation and political economy, and state and market relations. I believe that MPPM would give me access to the research results of a group of scholars from APS. I can deeply understand the uniqueness of social development and policy, as well as the relationship between each other and how one affects the other. I believe that these learning experiences can be applied to future work, so I chose MPPM.
The most impressive course was “Public Policy and Governance: Processes and Techniques”. This course allowed me to really get in touch with the research theory of public policy and political governance so that I could understand the knowledge of public policy discipline without the relevant field and background.
The major challenge of hybrid learning teaching was that it is more difficult to concentrate. I mostly took lessons at home and went back to school when it’ was time to make a presentation. It is easy to be distracted by the things around you during online classes, especially the mobile phone, which is always picked up unintentionally. To overcome difficulties, I believe that mental concentration is most important. Also, when the work is not well organized and planned, you become vulnerable to stress and distractions. Thus, I do not overburden myself, I make a proper timetable for all homework to allocate time for each assignment. Avoid being unable to concentrate in class due to rush or even losing time to sleep. In my spare time, I like listening to music and watching dramas. It takes my mind out of the chaos of life into a peaceful, relaxed state. Through the enjoyment of life, I can relax my mind, relieve stress, and I find this to be the most effective way to gain and maintain motivation.
One of the difficulties I faced was adapting to the new teaching environment: learning, activities, and socializing- all need to take time into account, so it requires clearer time management planning. It’s best to think about your future direction early and prepare well for it. I often feel confused about my future direction, but thanks to the sincere suggestions from professors and friends around me, I was able to set up a new thinking about my future developments. Therefore, I highly recommend that when you are facing a dilemma between further education or employment, you can actively seek help and advice from professors, family and friends around you. Talking with each other will also give you some help or new insights. I would encourage you to participate in an internship or overseas exchange study program if you have the opportunity. I think it can help you get some practical experience. Different activities and experiences in the process can help you learn a lot of knowledge in various fields, and it will also leave you with unforgettable memories. This is also an opportunity to equip ourselves and familiarize ourselves with our abilities and characters. For my future plan, I am more interested in aging, housing issues, social policy and politics, so I hope to engage in one or more of these areas after my graduation. I hope to try a variety of jobs to help find my desired career path.
