Shining bright: How EdUHK’s internship programme lights the way for students

Professor Stephen Chiu Wing-kai, Chair Professor of Sociology cum Associate Dean (International Engagement) of FLASS, delivered a live presentation titled “Levelling the Employability Playing Field With Internship Programmes: The Journey of EdUHK” at “QS Higher Ed Summit: Asia Pacific 2024” in Macau on 5 November. This presentation was designed in response to the theme of the summit: “Shifting Landscapes, collaborative solutions: Pioneering innovation in Asia Pacific higher education”.

In his presentation, Professor Chiu provided insights into the pivotal role played by internship schemes in EdUHK’s transformation from a teacher-training institution into a comprehensive university highlighted by the milestone of retitling HKIEd as The Education University of Hong Kong in 2016. “We faced various challenges when introducing non-teacher programmes around 2010 and 2011 in the lead-up to the retitling. These included an initial lack of networking opportunities, low visibility of our non-education programmes, and the diverse backgrounds and varying levels of preparedness among students enrolled in these new programmes,” Professor Chiu stated.

To improve the employability of graduates from non-teacher training programmes and enhance their workplace skills, EdUHK decided to introduce internship arrangements for students in these programmes. “We faced several challenges while designing and implementing our internship programme, akin to those encountered when launching a new business. As our new programmes were less known in the market, many faculty members used their personal networks and made cold calls to solicit partner organisations for internship placements,” the veteran sociologist said. EdUHK finally introduced its first internship programme for non-teacher programmes around 2012.

Addressing an audience consisting of representatives from various universities participating in the summit, Professor Chiu highlighted how EdUHK’s internship programme has achieved milestone after milestone. “Since its launch, we have arranged internship placements for nearly 2,000 undergraduate students, and our partner pool has significantly expanded to over 120 organisations across various industries. Internships have empowered many students on their path to success, with positive feedback from employers regarding our students’ performance,” he explained.

Professor Chiu stated that EdUHK’s internship programme has created a win-win-win situation for students, the University, and employers. He particularly emphasised that through these internship arrangements, EdUHK has fulfilled its Sustainable Development Goal of providing inclusive and equitable quality education. “EdUHK is committed to giving our students an opportunity to shine and nurturing them to flourish and make meaningful contributions to society. Whatever barriers our students might face at their starting line, we strive to help them reach the finishing line alongside others—if not ahead of them,” he proudly said.

Throughout the three-day summit held from 5 to 7 November in Macao, Professor Chiu explored international partnerships with university representatives from various countries, especially regarding possibilities for student exchanges. He also updated them on the introduction of new undergraduate programmes at FLASS for the 2025/26 academic year.