2020

December 2020

UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage Teacher Training Programme 

In his capacity of UNESCO Chair, Professor John Lee was invited to give a lecture in the UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage Teacher Training Programme jointly organised by the UNESCO Hong Kong Association, Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development and UNESCO World Heritage Centre on 12 December 2020.

To promote and enhance the knowledge and awareness of the Education for Sustainable Development, relevant theories of sustainable development were discussed in the lecture, including methodology or orientation, educational paradigm, teaching strategies and ethics. The Chair also introduced China’s and Hong Kong’s frameworks for the curriculum of sustainable development and the strategies of school building, and commented on the future prospects of educational reform, school management and leadership, theory and practice etc.

Professor Lee (right) and Professor Karen Q. CHEUNG (left), Director of Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development and Acting President of UNESCO Hong Kong Association.

November 2020

43rd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (Virtual)

The Chair was invited to attend the 43rd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting held virtually on 30 November 2020 organised by SEAMEO Secretariat. A total of 173 participants from 19 countries including Vice Ministers and Permanent Secretariats of 11 Southeast Asian countries as well as SEAMEO Associate Member Countries, SEAMEO Affiliate Members, SEAMEO Regional Centres and SEAMEO Partners attended and participated in the meeting. It is the forerunner of the regular SEAMEO Council Conference and aims to evaluate the existing programmes, legal aspects, matters arising and concerning SEAMEO as an intergovernmental organization's administration and activities. In the meeting, participants shared their significant perspectives and made productive discussion.

Education Conference on Humanistic Spirit and Education Innovation

In his capacity as the UNESCO Chair, Professor John Lee co-organised and supported the Education Conference on Humanistic Spirt and Education Innovation on 7 November 2020 jointly organised by EdUHK, Education Converge and Master-Insight. Professor Tieniu Tan, Vice Minister of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Kevin Yeung, JP, Secretary for Education; Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Council of EdUHK; Professor Stephen Cheung, SBS, JP, President of EdUHK; and Mr Cheuk-fei Man, Chief Executive Officer of Master Insight Media Limited were the officiating guests. Professor Libing Wang, Chief of Section for Educational Innovations and Skills Development (EISD) and Senior Programme Specialist in Higher Education of UNESCO, delivered a keynote speech on the theme of Shaping the Futures of Education by 2030 and Beyond: UNESCO Initiatives and its Engagement with the Research Community. More than 60 representatives from a wide range of schools, school sponsoring bodies and education organizations attended the Conference. Due to the pandemic situation, the Conference also broadcasted online on YouTube to facilitate the participation of the public. Through discussion and exchange of views, the participants explored the many possibilities of education innovation charting the future development of education in the local and international scene.

(From left to right)  Mr Cheuk-fei MAN, Chief Executive Officer of Master Insight Media Limited; Mr. Hon-Kuen HO, MH, the Chairman of Education Convergence; Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Council of EdUHK; Professor Tieniu Tan, Vice Minister of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Mr Kevin Yeung, JP, Secretary for Education; Professor Stephen Cheung, SBS, JP, President of EdUHK; and Professor John Lee of EdUHK at the Education Conference on Humanistic Spirit and Education Innovation.

July 2020

SEAMEO Centre Directors Virtual Meeting 2020

The Chair was invited to attend the Centre Directors Virtual Meeting 2020 from 15 to 16 July 2020 organised by SEAMEO Secretariat. Attending the Meeting were invited scholars and representatives from SEAMEO Units, SEAMEO Associate Member Countries, Affiliate Members, and Partners. The Meeting aimed to provide a platform for collective planning for future actions, developing new education programmes and creating new opportunities for collaboration. The Chair addressed in a short video introducing EdUHK and highlighting the possible collaboration areas with the SEAMEO Centres and Network, which was shared with the participants during the Meeting.

SEAMEO Research Fellow

With the support from the President of EdUHK, the Chair is honoured to accept the invitation to be a SEAMEO Research Fellow in July 2020, to share his insights and suggestions for the future SEAMEO programmes and development initiatives. SEAMEO Research Fellow is a group of research experts in education, science and culture and to provide technical advices and expert opinions on future research, publication and development initiatives of SEAMEO. Being a SEAMEO Research Fellow, the Chair looks forward to working with SEAMEO in enhancing regional understanding and cooperation in education, science and culture for a better quality of life in Southeast Asia. 

May 2020

Hong Kong's UN75 Dialogue

On 30 May 2020, UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) jointly hosted Hong Kong's UN75 Dialogue on the theme of "Prospecting Education with Technology and Human Resources in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area". The Chair was invited to deliver a keynote speech and share his remarkable experience with a focus on Future Education with a Focus on Teacher Quality and Student Development.

The Chair acted as a co-convener with Professor Karen Q. Cheung, Director of Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development and Acting President of UNESCO Hong Kong Association at the Dialogue. There were also distinguished speakers, including Mr. Eddie NG, GBS, JP, the former Secretary for Education, the Honorary President of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Institute; Dr. Lee George LAM, BBS, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited; and Prof. Enoch YOUNG, BBS, the Vice President (Higher Education) of UHKA, to share their sights. For more information, please click: https://www.un.org/zh/un75/events and http://www.pearlica.com/hiesd/course/view.php?id=10.

(From left to right) Professor Karen Q. Cheung, Director of Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development and Acting President of UNESCO Hong Kong Association; Prof. Enoch Young, BBS, the Vice President (Higher Education) of UHKA; Mr. Eddie Ng, GBS, JP, the former Secretary for Education, the Honorary President of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Institute; Dr. Lee George Lam, BBS, Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited; and Professor John Lee of EdUHK at the Hong Kong's UN75 Dialogue.

April 2020

SEAMEO Webinar Series on SEAMEO’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

The Chair was invited by the SEAMEO Secretariat to be one of the keynote speakers of SEAMEO Webinar Series on SEAMEO’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic - Series 1: Emotional and Psychosocial Health during COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, 29 April 2020.  The Webinar Series addressed the need to have a platform where key players and education stakeholders can discuss and share initiatives and efforts taken to address education disruptions during the pandemic in Southeast Asia. The theme of the Chair’s speech was “Managing and Leading University Response to Support Psychosocial Health during COVID-19 Pandemic”. Attending the webinar were the Ministries of Education of SEAMEO Member Countries, SEAMEO Centres and Network, SEA-Teacher and SEA-TVET participants, and all interested education stakeholders in Southeast Asia on the online video conferencing platform Webex and a total of 2,300 participated in YouTube Live. For details, please visit: https://www.seameo.org/Main_news/227.

January 2020

Regional Experts Consultation Meeting on SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2021-2030

Following the Policy Dialogue Forum in December 2019, the Chair was invited by Dr Ethel Agnes Pascua-Valenzuela, Director of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat (SEAMEO Secretariat) to the Regional Experts Consultation Meeting on SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2021-2030 with a theme on Post 2020 Agenda: SEAMEO’s Role in Achieving the 2030 Agenda in Bangkok, Thailand on 15 January 2020 to deliver a plenary message with a focus on Future of Teacher Education at the meeting. Attending the high-level Consultation Meeting were Vice Ministers and Think Tanks of Southeast Asia.

Met Mr James Roop, Deputy Country Director at Asian Development Bank (left) and Dr. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, SEAMEO Secretariat director (middle)

Delivered a plenary message on the topic of Future of Teacher Education.