SDG4 Quality Education
The Common Core@HKU: Transdisciplinarity-in-Action Team. (From left) Mr Mathew Pryor, Professor Gina Marchetti, Professor Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Dr Xiao Hu and Dr Julian Tanner | Photo Credit: CPAO, HKU
Background
HKU is committed to providing a holistic education of the highest international standards to all our students, including the disadvantaged, and to equip future educators with excellent knowledge and skills to continue this mission. With a focus on early childhood development and quality education for children with special needs, the Faculty of Education launched a new undergraduate degree in 2019. The Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and Special Education (BEd(ECE&SE)) programme trains students to meet the diverse developmental needs of young children with typical development, as well as children with developmental disabilities and delays.
To help young people develop diverse potentials to meet modern world challenges, the HKU Centre for Information Technology in the Faculty of Education set up the Jockey Club Self-directed learning in STEM programme in 2019 for upper primary and lower secondary school students. The project aims at fostering creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship through eLearning and digital competence.
Initiatives
HKU’s Common Core program has been providing interdisciplinary courses that span all 17 of the SDG’s to equip undergraduate students with the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. In 2018, Common Core launched the Transdisciplinary Team Project, which is an Open Platform Course that creates small groups of students and asks them to solve real-world challenges.
Teaching & Research
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2017-18
2018-19
70
78
Courses
2,860
3,009
163
ResearchPapers
158
Students
enrolled
2017/18
2018/19
The proportion of graduates with primary school teaching qualifications
4%
4%
The proportion of 1st generation students to all students starting the first degree*
53%
52%
*Estimated based on the survey administered by CEDARS on non-academic information from Ug new intake students, (est.) 2,074 FTE Ug students of the first generation out of 3,902 FTE 1st year intake students starting a first degree in 2017/18, and (est.) 2,011 FTE Ug students of the first generation out of 3,896 FTE 1st year intake students starting a first degree in 2018/19
In 2019, the Transdisciplinarity-in-Action Team (Common Core Teaching Team) proposed to partner with students from all UGC-funded universities to facilitate projects on three SDGs, covering Good-Health and Well-Being, Gender Equality, and Sustainable Cities and Communities. Students will form teams based on their chosen SDG and develop projects such as startups, community health interventions, and policy recommendations. This proposal was recognised by the higher education sector and the Common Core Teaching Team was granted with the Hong Kong University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award.
The Hong Kong University Centre for Information Technology in Education worked with UNESCO Institute for Statistics to develop a Digital Literacy Global Framework with the express purpose of meeting SDG target 4.4 of increasing relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship in society. The team mapped digital literacy worldwide and found that current widely used European definitions do not perfectly fit with developing countries. Their report will help global policymakers further increase digital literacy as it continues to become a necessary skill.
Operations
HKU works with both faculty and students to ensure quality teaching and learning across the University. The Academic Advising Office helps students plan their academic and career goals so that they get the most out of their degree. Advising is provided at the general and faculty level as well as in residence halls and online in order to reach as many different students as possible.
To support teaching, the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) regularly organizes the Introduction to Teaching and Learning @ HKU programme to provide new staff, regardless of their experience, with an understanding of the specific context of teaching in Hong Kong and HKU. In order to ensure quality teaching, all taught programs at the University undergo quality assurance and quality enhancement processes. All courses must follow a University manual to ensure that students have a common set of learning outcomes, regardless of their degree.