Double Degrees, Big Dreams: FLASS wows future students

To provide a face-to-face platform for potential candidates to learn about programmes offered by various departments at FLASS, departmental teaching staff and faculty management regularly visit local schools to deliver talks. In October and November, Professor Stephen Chiu Wing-kai, Associate Dean (International Engagement) of FLASS and Chair Professor of Sociology, delivered two admission talks to approximately 250 Secondary 6 students from Pui Kiu Middle School and Lok Sin Tong Yu Kan Han Secondary School, highlighting the seven new co-terminal double degree programmes.

Professor Chiu explained that under EdUHK’s new strategic development theme “Education Futures, Diverse Talent”, all Bachelor of Education programmes at the University have been integrated with a non-education degree to form a double degree curriculum. This dual-degree approach is designed to deepen students’ understanding of education while broadening their expertise in other disciplines. “In addition to school placements required by the education curriculum, students are also required to complete internships in non-education settings to fulfil the curriculum requirements of the non-education component. These internships will enable students to expand their perspectives beyond traditional teacher training,” Professor Chiu said.

During the presentations, Professor Chiu provided an overview of all the programmes offered by FLASS to the Secondary 6 students. In addition to the seven new five-year double degree programmes, the four departments within FLASS — the Department of Health and Physical Education (HPE), the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES), and the Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies (SSPS) — continue to offer four four-year multidisciplinary programmes.

Among these multidisciplinary programmes is the new Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Personal Finance (BA(PF)), which will admit its first cohort in the 2025/26 academic year. “This will be Hong Kong’s first undergraduate programme in personal finance to offer an alternative to the conventional ‘corporate-centric’ personal and family finance curriculum. The programme will encompass the latest developments in global finance including fintech, risk management, ESG investment, and green and sustainable finance,” Professor Chiu explained. He also provided details on key learning areas, career prospects, and admission requirements for the programme.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising industries worldwide, from manufacturing and industrial automation to finance, healthcare, and data analysis. The widespread adoption of AI across industries has created an ever-growing demand for AI professionals. “Perhaps because of the AI’s increasing penetration into various aspects of society, the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology (BSc(AI&EdTech)) programme has become one of the most sought-after programmes at FLASS,” Professor Chiu told the audience. During the talks, he elaborated on the programme’s learning outcomes, unique features, entrance requirements, and career prospects of the BSc(AI&EdTech) programme.

In response to the government’s introduction of a new humanities curriculum for primary schools in the 2025/26 academic year, FLASS has developed a new double degree programme by merging the existing Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies with an education curriculum specialising in Primary Humanities. The resulting programme, the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sociology and Community Studies and Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Primary Humanities) programme (BSocSc(SCS)&BEd(PHM)), aligns with government objectives to foster skills and positive values among primary students while promoting learning beyond the classroom.

Students enrolled in this programme will gain a comprehensive understanding of the primary school curriculum, including the new Primary Humanities curriculum. They will be trained to utilise experiential learning methods to teach humanities outside traditional classroom settings. Additionally, they will learn to use extracurricular reading activities to incentivise learning and various assessment methods to evaluate learning outcomes in primary school pupils.

When discussing the strengths of the double degree design, Professor Chiu, who also serves as the programme leader, highlighted its dual focus on education and sociology. “The new programme not only prepares students for teaching roles but also equips them with critical analytical skills to address community and educational challenges,” he said. “By integrating education with sociology, the programme enhances professional values and ethics within the teaching profession. Students will learn to view community issues through a sociological lens, acquiring the ability to analyse and engage with the social contexts in which the education sector operates. Graduates will be able to apply sociological theories to address educational challenges, including issues related to schooling, educational equality, and the complex relationship between schools and communities.”

Professor Chiu’s talks were met with an enthusiastic response. Around 130 students attended his talk at Pui Kiu Middle School on 30 October, while more than 120 students from Lok Sin Tong Yu Kan Han Secondary School participated in his presentation on 8 November. During the sharing session at the later school, he also provided more details about the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Environmental Management programme. School organisers expressed their appreciation for the rich information and practical advice provided by Professor Chiu, while many students asked follow-up questions about the various programmes during the Q&A sessions.

The positive feedback from students reflects their interest in the new co-terminal double degree programmes and other multidisciplinary offerings at FLASS. Academic staff from the faculty will continue to visit schools to provide more opportunities for students to learn about the programmes, ask questions and clarify any misconceptions.