Twelve stars shine: FLASS celebrates top interns with Dean’s Award

FLASS regards internships as an indispensable component of our non-teacher training programmes. We believe that real-world work experience helps students develop essential soft skills and prepares them for future careers. To recognise students for their outstanding performance, dedication, and achievements during internships, the faculty introduced the Dean’s Outstanding Internship Award in the 2024/25 academic year. This year, twelve students from six programmes were honoured.

Since launching the first internship programme in 2012, the faculty has made it a priority to foster a supportive environment that encourages students to strive for excellence and continuous improvement during their internships. “Internships provide students with hands-on experience, develop both hard and soft skills, and help them build professional networks, all of which contribute to greater employability. The newly established internship award aims to raise students’ awareness of the crucial role internships play in their career development,” said Professor Li Wai-keung, Dean of FLASS.

Each of the six non-teacher training programmes submitted two nominations for the Dean’s consideration. These programmes include the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and Environmental Studies (BSocSc(GES)), Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Environmental Management (BSc(IEM)), Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology (BSc(AI&EdTech)), Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Sports Science and Coaching (BSc(SPSC)), Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies (BSocSc(SCS)), and Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Social Entrepreneurship and Development Studies (BSocSc(SEDS)).

After the Dean carefully examined the nomination documents, twelve students were awarded the outstanding internship titles. They are Ms Aashia Asif and Mr Cheung Lap-hang from BSocSc(SCS), Ms Ayeisha-Shafana and Ms Lo Hau-ching from BSocSc(SEDS), Ms Luo Wing-yan and Ms Tsang Nok-yi from BSocSc(GES), Ms Pang Sau-kwan and Mr Wong Chun-hei from BSc(IEM), Ms Wendy Chong-Pui-shan and Mr Lo Wai-kin from BSc(AI&EdTech) and Mr Titan Chan Wai-tung and Ms Catherine Chu from BSc(SPSC) programmes. Each recipient was presented with a Certificate of Recognition and a bookstore voucher valued at HK$500.

Aashia Asif interned at Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of children with critical illnesses, for three months before starting her second year of study. “The BSocSc(SCS) programme, which teaches students how to apply sociological theories in a community setting, proved highly relevant to my internship. I drew on sociological theories to better understand the experiences of wish children and applied my expertise to design age-appropriate games and activity materials, adapting my skills to a non-profit context,” the second-year student said.

A Cantonese-speaking fourth-generation Pakistani raised in the city, Aashia said working at Make-A-Wish taught her the value of collaborative teamwork and the meaningful impact of community-based support. Among her various tasks, “Planning the Summer Fun Day” and “Horticulture Workshops” were two projects that had a particularly strong impact on her. “These projects helped me develop my organisational skills and creativity, while engaging with wish children and volunteers deepened my understanding of the importance of hope and resilience when facing challenging circumstances,” Aashia said with great satisfaction.

Titan Chan Wai-tung assisted with a variety of tasks during his internship at Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP). Titan was quite shy and lacked confidence when it came to public speaking. “At KTSP, I needed to speak up during meetings. This was challenging, as what I shared often involved technical terms that I found difficult to understand. However, by the end of the internship, I felt much more confident expressing my ideas clearly and engaging actively with colleagues. Skills such as teamwork and analytical thinking, which I learnt at EdUHK, were definitely useful,” Titan said. As a student from BSc(SPSC) programme, Titan believes that the internship has strengthened his problem-solving abilities and adaptability, while also reinforcing his interest in sports and recreation management. Looking ahead, he is confident that these skills will support his development of a successful career in sports management

“The awardees demonstrated a high level of commitment to their internships. They had clear objectives which guided them to perform outstandingly throughout the internship. They consistently showed a proactive attitude, strong communication skills, high adaptability and flexibility, and the ability to work effectively in a team. We believe that the internship experiences, together with academic training at FLASS, will provide them with significant advantages in their future career development,” said Dr Chan Man-ho, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies and Student Learning) of FLASS.

In the 2025/26 academic year, all Bachelor of Education programmes will be merged with a non-teacher training undergraduate curriculum to create new double-degree programmes. “Internship will continue to play a central role in these new double-degree programmes,” Dr Chan said. He also noted that, due to the positive response to the inaugural award, the faculty will continue the Dean’s Outstanding Internship Award in the 2025/26 academic year.