Media

HKU Vice-President Professor Ian Holliday meets student representatives on matters related to widening students’ learning experience

20 Apr 2015

The following was Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Professor Ian Holliday’s remarks made at the start of the meeting today (April 20) with students from Hong Kong University Students' Union and other student societies.

“I’d like to begin by expressing my sincere thanks to HKUSU and other students from across the campus for agreeing to meet with Albert (Dr Albert Chau, Dean of Student Affairs) and me this afternoon to continue the conversation we had at the High Table Dinner on Friday (April 17) evening. There are two key points I wish to make upfront:

First, I apologize unreservedly for my remark indicating that if students do not wish to go to China they should not come to HKU. This was clumsy and misleading. I now formally retract this statement.

My intention was to say something much more positive. On the one hand, we believe our students should be given opportunities to undertake a wide variety of learning opportunities outside Hong Kong – we are strongly committed to enhancing international student mobility. On the other, we recognize that all students have choices, and we want the choices offered by HKU to be as widely known and transparent as possible. Our overall aim is for students to have a very clear sense of the learning pathways available to them here at HKU.

Second, on February 3, the University Senate endorsed an Academic Development Proposal (ADP) for 2016-19. It had already been discussed and endorsed by all 10 Faculty Boards. Our ADP sets out an ambitious vision for the future defined by three core commitments to internationalization, innovation, and impact.

Under the internationalization pillar, HKU undertakes by 2022 to provide 100% of undergraduate students with the opportunity to have both an overseas and a China learning experience. This is an overarching aim to which the University is committed. I’d like to stress that the focus is on opening up a wealth of non-local learning experiences. Nothing in the ADP requires students to undertake an exchange programme either overseas or in China. Rather, we’re building a wide array of learning experiences: exchange, yes, but also experiential learning, service learning, internships, research attachments, and so on.

Driving this commitment is our belief that to be globally competitive all of our students should have the chance to develop a global mindset plus knowledge of China. The 100% commitment is for the University to open up quality learning opportunities overseas and in China for all of our undergraduate students. The ADP does not state that these learning experiences are mandatory for students. In working out the details of a concrete plan over the next 5-10 years, we are keen to work as closely as possible with students in all Faculties and Departments.”

The students of the University have benefited from a wide variety of overseas experience over the years, gaining broader perspectives, new ideas, and heightened sensitivity to different cultures. For examples, some students worked on research projects in universities in the United States, led architectural projects in our HKU’s Shanghai Study Centre, gained valuable experience as engineering interns in Shenzhen’s industries, taught English in Mynmar’s remote villages, built houses in rural Chile, and designed bridges and kindergartens in remote villages in Mainland China. In addition to the large-scale HKU Worldwide Scheme (which sends hundreds of students for overseas exchanges),  Faculties and Departments have already included internships and learning experience outside Hong Kong as part of their curricula, e.g. Chinese Medicine’s 1-year placement; Social Sciences "China Study" field trip; Education language and cultural immersion programmes; Earth Science field trips in Cyprus; and overseas field trips also for BBA(IBGM), Geography students and students in other disciplines. 

Therefore, the idea is to extend the scope of this learning experience to cover all students, to provide them with as much flexibility and alternative choices to suit their academic need and interest. They can have classes, internships, field trips, immersion or professional training programmes etc., overseas and in China.  HKU teachers will be involved in the design/teaching/supervising of most of these programmes. The University will continue to discuss with students on the design and arrangements of these programmes and seek their views.

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2606 / email: pychoy@hku.hk or Ms Melanie Wan (Senior Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 / email: melwkwan@hku.hk; or Ms Rhea Leung (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) Tel: 2857 8555 email:rhea.leung@hku.hk.