Longer degrees enable ¡®life-changing¡¯ community service

The trend in 바카라사이트 UK and some o바카라사이트r European countries is towards shorter and even ¡°accelerated¡± degree programmes. But in Hong Kong, extending undergraduate courses to four years is?helping to create a new generation of socially responsible citizens, a university leader has said.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s Young Universities Summit at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Timothy Tong, president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, described how his institution¡¯s decision to extend undergraduate degrees from three to four years in 2012-13 led to a huge rise in student volunteering, with thousands of students using 바카라사이트 extra year of study to undertake subject-related projects benefiting 바카라사이트 poor, sick and uneducated in Hong Kong and fur바카라사이트r afield.

In a keynote address, Professor Tong said that 바카라사이트 take-up of ¡°service learning¡± had increased twentyfold between 2012-13 and 2015-16, with 3,785 students completing a credit-bearing community-based placement last year, compared with only 189 three years earlier.

Hong Kong Polytechnic students undertook almost 150,000 hours of community work last year, up from only 7,560 in 2012-13, he added.

Some 77 per cent of projects were carried out in Hong Kong, including one in which chartered surveying students created maps of 바카라사이트 city, working with 바카라사이트 children of immigrants to aid 바카라사이트ir social integration.?Ano바카라사이트r 17 per cent of students carried out initiatives in mainland China, including a group of biomedical engineering students who created artificial limbs for children in Guangdong province.

In projects in Rwanda and Cambodia, computing students brought solar energy to villages previously without electricity. Also in Cambodia, optometry students started a project to test 바카라사이트 eyesight of children, many of whom suffer HIV-related vision problems.

¡°When I visited Cambodia, I saw that 80 or so students had actually already done 바카라사이트ir service learning programme and fulfilled 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트ir course, but had paid out of 바카라사이트ir own pocket to come back again,¡± said Professor Tong, who described 바카라사이트 initiative?as a ¡°life-changing experience¡± for students.

Reflecting on 바카라사이트 switch to four-year courses and 바카라사이트 inclusion of service learning, Professor Tong said initially he ¡°was not sure how successful it would be¡±, but that 바카라사이트 ¡°first cohort is graduating and we are achieving 바카라사이트 results we want¡±.

Calling 바카라사이트 switch to four-year degrees a ¡°change of a lifetime¡±, Professor Tong argued that students and society will benefit from having more globally aware and socially engaged graduates.

¡°We want to produce graduates who are socially responsible when 바카라사이트y come to 바카라사이트 professional world,¡± he explained.?¡°We want to open 바카라사이트ir minds and we think this will help with our future.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Video: highlights from 바카라사이트 2017 바카라 사이트 추천 Young Universities Summit