During the year, the OUHK continued to launch new programmes – some in partnership with other institutions – to meet the needs of different professions and offer consultancy and training services to local organizations as well as counterparts in mainland China and other parts of the world. More exchange and extra-curricular activities were organized by academic units of the University, especially for full-time students, to help promote intellectual pursuits and broaden horizons.

School of Arts and Social Sciences

The School of Arts and Social Sciences prepared for the presentation of two new programmes – a Master of Arts in Legal Translation (MALT) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Creative Writing and Film Arts (BAHCWFA) – in October and September 2008 respectively.

The MALT programme aims to meet the need for more legal translators arising from Hong Kong’s move to a bilingual legal system by providing students with professional skills in legal writing, legal translation and bilingual drafting. Legal executives, law clerks, lawyers and anyone interested in law may also apply. Courses will be taught in a face-to-face mode, and can be completed by studying part-time for two years or full-time for one year.

In view of the expected surge in demand for talent for the creative industries to support developments such as the West Kowloon Cultural District, the School planned to offer the BAHCWFA programme – the first local degree in the subject area. Taught mainly in Chinese, the four-year full-time programme is intended for students who have completed Secondary 6/7, an associate degree or a pre-associate degree programme.

The School signed an agreement with Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan in mainland China on 20 March 2008 to allow 60 students to come to Hong Kong in 2011 to continue their studies at the OUHK. The students from the mainland university’s School of Foreign Languages will study two-thirds (16 courses) using course materials produced by the School of Arts and Social Sciences in their first to third years of study starting from September 2008, and then travel to Hong Kong to study for their fourth year to obtain a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Language and Translation offered jointly by the two universities. If they go on to complete 60 credits of postgraduate courses specializing in Applied Translation, Legal Translation or Applied Linguistics in a fifth year at the OUHK, they will be awarded a Master of Arts degree. Outstanding students may be offered scholarships.

Several talks by the School’s newly appointed Honorary Professors were organized, mainly for full-time students. In November 2007, former Chief Justice Sir Ti Liang Yang and renowned scholar Prof. Joseph S M Lau shared their thoughts with students on how to learn English and the mystery of fate respectively. Prof. Phillip Sun, an authority in translation, the English language and classical Chinese fiction, explained the roots of English pronunciation in January 2008. The School also invited writer Mr Li Rui – who received the award of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, from the OUHK in 2007 – and his wife Ms Jiang Yun to give a talk on the connection between everyday life and literature in December 2007.

Student exchange activities included a tour to the mainland in June 2007 by 16 Chinese language and translation full-time students to learn more about the development of Chinese civilization. Led by Associate Professor Dr Cheung Wai-kwok and teaching assistant Ms Hau Lai-ying, the students attended lectures given by history scholars in universities and set foot on historic sites of ancient dynasties. The trip was sponsored by the CASH Education Fund set up by Celestial Asia Securities Holdings Ltd.

Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration

The Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration broke new ground in teaching pedagogy with the launch of a Master of Laws in Chinese Business Law – the University’s first e-learning programme – in October 2007. Taught in Putonghua, the programme was developed jointly by the School, the Institute of Continuing Education of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Gallant Y T Ho & Co, Solicitors & Notaries. It was also the first e-learning programme on Chinese business law in the world, emphasizing practical applications from cross-border and comparative perspectives. The programme is particularly suitable for business professionals in Chinese-foreign joint ventures, and managers and proprietors of non-government enterprises, as well as those in small and medium-sized enterprises. The English version of the programme is scheduled to be offered in October 2008.

An agreement on collaborative articulation programmes was signed by President Prof. John C Y Leong and Caritas-Hong Kong Chief Executive Rev Michael Yeung on 2 August 2007 to allow higher diploma or associate degree graduates in hospitality management from Caritas Francis Hsu College and Caritas Bianchi College of Careers to upgrade their qualifications to degree level by studying programmes offered by the School.

Exchange activities to learn about the economic development of Shanghai were organized for various groups of students in 2007. Forty BBA full-time students toured the city in May and 30 postgraduate students went in November, during which they met with peers, government officials, academics and business people. Their itineraries included Tongji and Fudan Universities and the Shanghai University of Engineering Science, enterprises such as General Motors, the Bank of Communications, Baoshan Iron and Steel and China Life Insurance, and institutions such as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Yangshan Deep Water Port.

The School organized a Career Day on 13 March 2008, during which full-time students had the chance to find out more about their career options. Representatives of companies from various fields, including Baker Tilly, Asia Securities Holdings Ltd, HSBC, PCCW, the Phillip Securities Group, Pricerite Stores Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank and several hotel and catering chains gave talks and set up booths on campus to introduce job opportunities and interview potential employees.

Students from the School won several external awards. Full-time Year 3 business students Siu Man-kit and Chung Chi-veng won the second and third prizes respectively in the 17th China-Hong Kong Investment Simulation Competition, during which each contestant was required to make investments in the Hong Kong stock market on an online trading platform with simulated capital of $1 million. Nearly 150 local and mainland China tertiary institutions took part in the competition, and the award ceremony was held on 12 June 2007. Also, accounting students Miranda Liang and Kiki Leung were among 17 local university students who were presented with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants Qualification Programme Scholarship at a ceremony on 12 September 2007. Miranda, a computing services manager, was studying for a Master of Professional Accounting; and Kiki, a full-time student who graduated with an honours degree in December 2007, is now employed by a multinational accounting firm.

School of Education and Languages

The School of Education and Languages presented the Diploma in Early Childhood Education in October 2007. This distance learning programme for serving practitioners in pre-primary education institutions is recognized by the Education Bureau as one of the approved courses for course fee reimbursement under the pre-primary education voucher scheme. Graduates are eligible for registration as kindergarten teachers. After the recognition of the programme by the Social Welfare Department in early 2008, graduates can now also register as child care workers and child care centre supervisors.

The School also planned for the launching of a Master of Education in Drama and Language Education in October 2008, from which teachers can learn how to include drama in the school curriculum or use it as a teaching strategy. It will cover the theoretical underpinnings and practice of using drama in the teaching process. This is the fifth in the School’s suite of Master of Education programmes, in addition to the existing strands on general education, English language, Chinese language and Liberal Studies education.

A Centre for Putonghua Education and Testing was set up in the School following an agreement signed on 7 June 2007 by OUHK President Prof. John C Y Leong and Prof. Yao Xishuang, Director of the Institute of Applied Linguistics of the Ministry of Education and the Centre for Putonghua Training and Testing of the State Language and Writing Commission. The School has been offering preparatory courses for the Putonghua National Test, the first of which was held in December 2007.

The School was also commissioned by the Education Bureau to run some Liberal Studies courses for the teaching of science and technology subjects.

The School of Science and Technology

In response to human resource needs and to provide more bridging opportunities for higher diploma graduates, the School of Science and Technology joined with the School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE) of the Vocational Training Council to offer two new full-time top-up degree programmes in September 2008. The Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Science (Beauty and Health) will be the first degree programme introduced in Southeast Asia for training beauty and health care professionals, and the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Science (Energy and Environment) was organized to meet the rising awareness of the importance of environmental protection.

The agreement signed by the two institutions on 21 February 2008 also included upgrading an existing programme – Bachelor of Science in Applied Science (Biology and Chemistry) – to honours degree level, as well as the continuation of the Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) in Accounting organized jointly by SHAPE and the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration. The two programmes have recorded a more than four-fold increase in students since their presentation in 2005.

Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency Executive Director Dr Michael Lam and OUHK Vice President (Academic) Prof. Danny Wong signed an agreement on 13 August 2007 to provide credit exemption for graduates of professional courses in occupational health, safety and environment organized by the Agency when they go on to study the School’s postgraduate programmes.

The School teamed up with Union Hospital to train registered nurses in general health care, following similar collaborations with Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital and Baptist Hospital, as well as with Castle Peak Hospital for training mental health nurses. A memorandum of understanding was signed on 10 August 2007 by President Prof. John C Y Leong and Union Hospital Chief Hospital Manager and Medical Director Dr Anthony Lee.

The School has also been very active in promoting academic exchange in environmental and nursing studies. It hosted the International Conference on Enhancing Cross-border Environmental Cooperation on 14–19 June 2007, with the participation of about 100 scholars, professionals and government officials from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and overseas. The Conference focused on the deterioration of air and water quality in the Pearl River Delta and tried to find ways to improve the quality of our environment and environmental governance across country borders. It was sponsored by the Croucher Foundation and the Sino-British Fellowship Trust, and co-organized by the Public Policy Research Institute of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences of the Chinese State Environmental Protection Administration. The School also co-organized a conference on ‘Evidence-based Practice in Nursing: Paradigms and Dialogue’, held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 19–21 April 2007.

Renowned environmental scientist and sewage treatment expert Prof. Qian Yi – who received the award of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from the OUHK in 2007 – gave an enlightening talk on ‘Circular Economy, Cleaner Technology and Sustainable Development’ at the invitation of the School on 11 December 2007. In heading toward sustainable development, China should make greater efforts to promote environmentally friendly industries, energy efficiency and cleaner production, according to Prof. Qian.

About 30 students, staff and alumni from the OUHK and University of Hong Kong went to Tianjian and Beijing in mainland China in October 2007 to learn more about environmental protection at the invitation of Nankai University. Entitled ‘Public Participation and Environmental Protection Training Tour’, the eight-day tour was led by the OUHK’s Prof. Ho Kin-chung and HKU’s Dr Ng Cho-nam, who also served as honorary advisers and guest speakers. OUHK’s participation was sponsored by the CASH Education Fund of Celestial Asia Securities Holdings Ltd.

Thirty Year 2 and 40 Year 1 students on the full-time nursing programmes went to Zhuhai and Guangzhou in southern China for academic exchanges in May and June 2007 respectively. They visited several state-owned hospitals and met with students and academics from nursing schools to learn about the medical system and nursing education in mainland China, with some having a chance to take part in an anatomy class. Both trips were sponsored by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to these mainland exchange activities, students from the School have taken an active part in local inter-university competitions. For example, three full-time computing engineering Year 2 students defeated 26 teams from other universities in Hong Kong and Macau to win the championship in the IBM DB2 UDB Inter-University Programming Contest. The contest, held on 16 February 2008, challenged students, working in teams of three, to solve real-world problems with the latest relational database technology within a two-hour time frame.

Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education

The Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing Education, which focuses on non-distance learning professional development programmes and short courses, forged new links with various organizations to provide training for various professions and niche groups.

New programmes offered included a Professional Diploma in Quality Service Management with the Quality Tourism Services Association and a Professional Certificate in Internationally Recognized Occupational Health and Safety System Auditing with SGS Hong Kong Ltd. Following the success of the course ‘A Primer on Financial Investment Strategy and Practice’ in collaboration with Metro Radio’s Finance Channel, the Institute launched a Professional Course on Forex Trading Strategy and Practice with the station and one more partner – DBS Bank (Hong Kong). It also expanded its course offerings in media studies with a Professional Certificate in Radio Hosting and Programme Production with Metro Radio’s Showbiz Channel, and a Professional Diploma in Music Marketing and Management with the Baron School of Music.

Mr Henry Tang, then Financial Secretary and now Chief Secretary, and Dr York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health, officiated at the third graduation ceremony for the Capacity Building Mileage Programme on 1 June 2007. Over 530 students were awarded certificates, 65% more than the year before. The programme was launched jointly by the Institute, the Women’s Commission and Commercial Radio in March 2004 to promote learning among women.

The Institute’s ‘Lifelong Learning Seminars’ continued to be popular, such as those on the theme of ‘In Search of a Successful Life’ held from mid-August to late September 2007. They included presentations from Chaifa Holdings Ltd Chairman Dr John Chan, American International Assurance Co Ltd Senior District Director Mr Samuel Yung, internationally acclaimed fashion designer Mr Dorian Ho, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants former President Mr Paul Chan and MAKE UP FOR EVER Academy founder Ms Juliana Yang.

Mainland and international links

Besides serving local students, the OUHK has been offering programmes in business administration, translation, law and teacher education with partner institutions in mainland China since 1997. A China Link Fund set up with a private donation of $2 million in 1996, and boosted later by a further donation of $2.6 million from the Hong Kong Pei Hua Education Foundation, has supported the University’s delivery of education in the mainland, including tutor training, course development and tuition fee sponsorship for students. Most students are required to attend lectures and workshops in Hong Kong before they graduate. The University’s mainland operations are co-ordinated by an office in Shenzhen.

During the year, over 1,100 students graduated from the University’s mainland programmes – 860 with a Master of Business Administration, 216 with a Master of Education and the rest with a Master of Laws in PRC Law – raising the total number of mainland graduates to over 9,200. The number of students, mainly at postgraduate level, stood at about 1,000 during the year, including 30 new Doctor of Business Administration students recruited for the first time in January 2008.

As a renowned university in open and distance learning in Asia, the OUHK has been asked to provide consultancy and training services to counterparts in the region. During the year, the University hosted seminars on distance and online learning for students and staff of Hanyang Cyber University in Korea, as well as for senior staff members of the Ministry of Education and Cyber University in Thailand. It conducted a seminar on open and distance learning management, learning support and services, and quality assurance for staff from the College of Online Education of the East China University of Science and Technology. Prof. De Silva, Sri Lanka Open University’s Vice Chancellor, was also received for a four-day study visit in July 2007.

Government education officials and senior staff members from 12 tertiary institutions in Gansu and Qinghai in northwest China attended a training and exchange programme in Hong Kong from 26 November to 1 December 2007, jointly organized by 11 Hong Kong tertiary institutions and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR. The 27 visitors were warmly received at the OUHK on 28 November 2007 by Prof. Danny Wong, Vice President (Academic).

The University has also signed licensing agreements with universities in countries such as Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore for them to use OUHK course materials in their teaching.