Faculty assembly-cum-award presentation ceremony marks the opening of the 2024/25 academic year

On 24 July 2024, the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (FLASS) held its annual Faculty Assembly and Awards Presentation Ceremony. Dean of FLASS Professor Li Wai-keung delivered the opening remarks to welcome all new students joining the faculty in the 2024/25 academic year. He also presented various awards to outstanding teachers in recognition of their excellent performance in teaching and caring for students. A postgraduate student also received an award for the outstanding quality of his research work. The event was attended by faculty’s senior management, Chair Professors, department heads, and centre directors.

Professor Li highlighted in his opening speech the faculty's commitment to provide an education that inspires students to think, to embolden them to look for what they treasure, and to build their personality. He also encouraged new students to keep an open mind, step out of their comfort zone, take on new challenges, and connect with other people. “In doing so, students will gain new skills, experiences, insights, friendships, and even life-long memories,” the professor said.

Following his opening address, Professor Li proceeded to present the 2023/24 Faculty Teaching Award (FTA) and Caring Teacher Award (CTA). These prestigious accolades are recognitions to faculty members who had demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching and providing exceptional care and support to students over the past academic year.

For the 2023/24 academic year, the Faculty Teaching Award went to Dr Chong Yee-ling from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES). Dr Chong thanked Head of SES Professor Keith Ho Wing-kei for nominating her for the award. She said, “I believe students are the centre of teaching and learning. At the end of each lesson and semester, I spare efforts to understand how much my students have learnt from my teaching and the areas they need further support. Such review and reflection have been extremely useful to improve my teaching. Learning is a life-long process. I always stress to my students it is important that they can apply what they have learnt from EdUHK, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills, during their studies and after graduation,” Dr Chong said.

Mr Roy Chan Ching-yat from the Department of Health and Physical Education was awarded the Certificate of Merit of the Faculty Teaching Award in the ceremony. Mr Chan said, “I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues who have shared their precious teaching experiences with me. I always think that cultivating a strong relationship with students is fundamental in my work, as it builds the foundation for effective teaching. Furthermore, response and feedback from my students provide me with many good ideas about how to continuously improve my teaching strategies and approaches.”

Dr Philbert Li King-yue from the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts*, recipient of the Certificate of Merit of the Faculty Caring Teacher Award, said music students need to be aware of their musical learning as well as their campus lives. “Stage fright is common among my students. I teach them to do practices like breathing and relaxation exercises, and success visualisation to reduce their anxiety. To many graduating students, the decision between pursuing further studies or teaching in local schools could be quite challenging. When they come to me for advice, I will try hard to help them understand their own strengths and interests so they can make the best choice for their career path,” Dr Li said.

Finally, Professor Li presented the Outstanding Research Postgraduate Student Award to Mr Linus Lo Shing-him who is working on a Doctor of Philosophy studies under the supervision of Dr Cheng Jinping from the Department of Science and Environmental Studies.

Professor Li thanked all the nominators, nominees, and the Faculty Selection Panel chaired by Dr Bill Yeung Chi-ho, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) of FLASS. Professor Christina Yu Wai-mui from the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies and Dr Chiu Mei-choi from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology represented faculty members, and Mr Choi Ho-wang and Ms Kwok Kwan-hei represented students in the panel.

The awards ceremony was an opportunity to celebrate the dedication and achievements of FLASS' teaching staff. It underscored the faculty’s emphasis on nurturing a supportive learning environment to foster the holistic development of its students. The event served to inspire the incoming cohort and reaffirm FLASS’ reputation for academic excellence and student-centred education. The Faculty Assembly and Awards Presentation Ceremony is recorded and will be broadcasted on the faculty website and during the upcoming programme orientation activities or assemblies for 2024 entries.

Note*: CCA has departed FLASS and joined the Faculty of Humanities in September.