Ian Hall, Advance HE’s Head of Membership (International), reflects on his recent visit to members in Hong Kong
I was delighted to join representatives from all six of our member institutions in Hong Kong earlier this month for a landmark meeting at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKMU LiPACE). It was particularly pleasing to see this first-of-its-kind gathering in the region come to fruition.
During the meeting, key stakeholders from across Hong Kong’s higher education sector came together to discuss the global challenges facing higher education and their implications for institutional development. It was valuable to hear first-hand about these challenges in Hong Kong members’ context and I was reassured by how closely these aligned with Advance HE’s strategic direction to support our members.
As we explored the impact of the Advance HE Fellowship scheme among member institutions, I was encouraged to hear numerous success stories and receive constructive feedback on the implementation and outcomes of the Fellowship programme. It’s clear that the scheme is having a significant positive influence on teaching and learning practices across Hong Kong’s higher education sector.
Dr Kathleen Chim, Programme Director and Associate Head in the Division of Health, HKMU LiPACE, said, “It was a pleasure to host the inaugural meeting of Advance HE’s members in Hong Kong at HKMU LiPACE. I found the opportunity to exchange with colleagues across institutions in Hong Kong very valuable. HKMU LiPACE is delighted to be supporting our staff to apply for Fellowship and look forward to celebrating their success with Fellowship soon.”
The impact of Fellowship on institutions was very pleasing to see. As Dr Jannie Roed, Director of the Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) noted: “Fellowship has really encouraged our staff to continuously think about how they teach and engage with our students, and I’m pleased to see such strong engagement with the scheme at HKU. It’s great to see them being recognised for their work as educators and is at the heart of our teaching and learning strategy.”
Seeing all six member institutions gathered in one room was a reminder of Hong Kong’s growing importance in the global higher education landscape. It reinforced Advance HE’s commitment to supporting educational excellence in the region, and I look forward to building on the momentum generated by this inaugural meeting.
