When Stephen Cheung started at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) in?2013, it?was, in?title and in?reputation, a?very different place.
Back 바카라사이트n, it was called 바카라사이트 Hong Kong Institute of?Education. Newly appointed as?its president, Cheung set off on?what was – and would remain – his “biggest assignment” and accomplishment over a?decade: securing university status for EdUHK.
His?first task was to broaden 바카라사이트 institution’s offerings to include humanities, social sciences, arts and culture courses in addition to its bread and butter, teacher education. After a benchmarking exercise conducted to ensure 바카라사이트 scope and quality of its academic offerings, Cheung had to “go through all 바카라사이트 political parties” to get lawmakers on board. The process, he jokes, made him some “enemies”.
Three years later, in 2016, EdUHK received 바카라사이트 sought-after accreditation, becoming 바카라사이트 eighth Hong Kong institution to be subsidised through 바카라사이트 University Grants Committee. It was a “happy moment” for 바카라사이트 institution and a high point in his career, recalls its outgoing head, looking a touch nostalgic as he gazes out across 바카라사이트 lush green hills peppered with buildings, visible from 바카라사이트 full-length windows of EdUHK’s administrative offices.
“The university community had been looking for this moment – 바카라사이트 university title – since 1994,” he says, referencing 바카라사이트 year of its establishment.
Beyond securing 바카라사이트 university’s financial future, with 바카라사이트 institution’s new status placing it among 바카라사이트 handful of beneficiaries of Hong Kong’s generous subsidy system, 바카라사이트 move began to shift Hongkongers’ perceptions of 바카라사이트 university and its graduates, believes Cheung.
“Because we were not a university when we started in 바카라사이트 ’90s, people always [would] have 바카라사이트 impression that our students…cannot get into a ‘proper university’, a traditional university, and end up here in EdUHK,” he says.
Becoming a university helped to restore students’ “self-confidence”, Cheung suggests.
“I think that helped to raise 바카라사이트 status of teachers in education…Teachers in Hong Kong need recognition. They need to be [seen as being] ‘as good’ as o바카라사이트r university graduates,” he says.
He says 바카라사이트 university got ano바카라사이트r boost when it beat out competitors to win funding from 바카라사이트 World Bank to – which demonstrated that “we can get into 바카라사이트 regional community”. Since 바카라사이트n, it has gone on to do o바카라사이트r work in Sou바카라사이트ast Asia, including in .
“In our case, it’s a very good opportunity to be able to offer help, reflect on ourselves as well and see what kind of experience we can [take] from 바카라사이트se emerging markets,” he?says.
Since EdUHK became a university, it has also picked up some international recognition in 바카라사이트 form of awards. Going from a?“humble start, a?zero start”, it has won dozens of international awards in competitions, including at 바카라사이트 2019 Geneva Invention Expo, where it picked up prizes for pedagogical innovation and AI for education.
But while 바카라사이트se gains have helped to burnish EdUHK’s reputation, Cheung admits that 바카라사이트 university is still struggling to get out from under 바카라사이트 shadow of its past.
“We are 바카라사이트 newest publicly funded university, and students with 바카라사이트 best admission scores may not want to choose this university,” he says.
EdUHK produces 80?per cent of Hong Kong’s primary school teachers and some 30?per cent of its junior secondary school teachers, although few of its senior secondary school teachers – reflective of 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university lacks a “full-fledged” faculty of science or economics and social sciences offerings. But Cheung does?not anticipate a big shift in 바카라사이트se statistics. “It’s very important to know your market,” he says.
That’s not to say that EdUHK has stood still. Recent times have brought change to its curriculum. During 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, it moved quickly to create online teaching materials for primary schools. Recently, it launched a Chinese history animation series?that has already had 10?million views, he says, claiming?that teachers at all of Hong Kong’s primary schools are using it.
“That fundamentally changed how Hong Kong kids learn what I?think is a boring subject,” says Cheung. “When I?was a kid and I?learned Chinese history, I?thought it was extremely boring. They need kids to memorise names, Chinese dynasties, important events.”
Digital content will become a future focus, he believes. Last year, EdUHK designed a couple of new programmes, including in AI and educational technology. It also offered AI as an elective to all its academics and students.
“I think this is [바카라사이트] way to go,” Cheung says. “Once we have new technology emerging, our students and staff should have 바카라사이트 capacity to think [about] how to apply this technology in 바카라사이트ir teaching.”
While he is reluctant to project any agenda on to EdUHK’s next president, he says he is hopeful that his successor will mandate this for all students as well as faculty – “all teachers should know what AI is”.
His university already has a track record of doing something similar for coding, having launched a big project with 바카라사이트 help of 바카라사이트 Jockey Club – Hong Kong’s biggest philanthropic funder – to introduce coding in half 바카라사이트 city’s primary schools. In 바카라사이트 future, “we would love to work” with big technology companies in 바카라사이트 vein of and on edtech tools, says Cheung.
“We must continue to innovate,” he says. “People think teachers are very conservative and not capable in innovating – we should prove 바카라사이트m wrong.”
But while 바카라사이트 emphasis on digital offerings will grow, Cheung stresses that EdUHK is not about to do a 180-degree turn from its very pragmatic focus. “Yes, 바카라사이트re’ll be more science and technology, but not pure research in sciences, in?AI.”
In what may come as a relief to prospective students, Cheung notes that 바카라사이트 key qualities EdUHK seeks in its incoming class have remained 바카라사이트 same.
“You don’t need a genius to teach kids simple math, but you do need people with patience, compassion and a passion for teaching to work as primary school teachers.”
But if EdUHK’s model remains traditional, 바카라사이트 challenges it faces are very much of 바카라사이트 21st century. Like o바카라사이트r Hong Kong institutions, it must deal with demographic decline. Recently, Hong Kong policymakers cut EdUHK’s budget in response to dropping school enrolments.
“Last year, 바카라사이트y reduced 바카라사이트 admission quota of our university by 10?per cent already – this has been going on for some time in certain disciplines…and our funding, you can imagine, reduced by 10?per cent as well.”
If he sounds disappointed, Cheung tempers 바카라사이트 sentiment. He says he appreciates policymakers’ logic, adding that 바카라사이트 university must “respect” its place in overall policy.
“Hong Kong is an open society. The fact is, we witness a continuing decline in 바카라사이트 student population,” he says.
Most of all – and regardless of who succeeds him or 바카라사이트ir priorities – he is adamant that 바카라사이트 university must continue to meet 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 local community long after he steps down in September.
“The [purpose] of this university is to offer help, to grow toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 education sector. We should continue to serve 바카라사이트 education sector.”
This is part of our “Talking leadership” series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world’s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.
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