In almost seven years of service at the OUHK, I have been privileged to oversee a University on a remarkable upward trajectory. Our full-time undergraduate student population has kept on growing over the years and has just surpassed 10,000 in the 2020/21 intake; we have over 10,000 full-time undergraduate students, 8,300 part-time students and 1,000 postgraduate students. In terms of space, at our 25th anniversary six years ago, we celebrated the opening of our second campus. This year, we have expanded further with a third campus, the OUHK Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare (IOH), another impressive space that reflects our growth not only in student numbers but also in academic disciplines. As for research, we now boast seven research institutes/centres carrying out applied research in multiple areas— from just one in 2015. Our development in research has been reflected in our success in winning grants from the RGC Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Self-Financing Sector, where the OUHK now leads the pack. In just a few short years we have witnessed the transformation of the OUHK into a full-fledged university serving today’s Hong Kong and the wider region in many practical ways.

Of course, our transformation has not all been plain sailing. In the past year in particular, we have faced significant challenges from widespread social unrest in the city and an unprecedented pandemic globally. Such events test the will and resilience of any institution, especially one like ours on a path of rapid transformation. The University demonstrated its strengths in the responses it delivered. We leveraged our expertise in remote teaching to move swiftly to online delivery mode, minimizing disruptions to our students’studies. We acted rapidly and comprehensively to safeguard health and safety on campus, introducing a wide range of measures to protect our staff and students. Recognizing the financial pressure that the situation placed on everyone, we rolled out a series of student support measures that included generous bursaries, loans, subsidies, internships, career services and emotional help. In total, since the last quarter of 2019 the University has allocated HK$47 million for all these measures, a figure that included HK$20 million as a one-off relief fund for all students.

One side-effect of the pandemic has been instability in the economy and the job market, so we have employed various means to better equip our students for work and increase their competitiveness. Our Career HeadStart Programme created over 180 internship places for business students, while the University itself hired over 200 student trainees through its Internship Lab and in-house summer internship programme. Other initiatives included the Solution-Focused Internship Project, providing project-based work opportunities to prepare students for employment. To keep our students engaged and boost their spirits, we also organized the Summer Carnival which delivered fun experiences to our students in 200 sessions of workshops and activities on campus and online. The Carnival was linked with a Special Student Enhancement Scheme that provided students with a financial incentive to engage in personal development, a CV review service and career advice. In total, over HK$3 million was distributed under the scheme to around 3,000 students by the end of the reporting year.

This commitment to our students’ well-being is built into our culture. We were delighted to see it recognized in the sexennial Institutional Review completed in July, carried out by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). The review panel commended the OUHK in six areas, of which the following four were directly related to the quality of our student-focused initiatives. One was our responsiveness to stakeholder feedback, which has led to high quality programmes and excellent student experiences; another was our Quality Enhancement Measures, specially budgeted initiatives to improve teaching and learning, enrich learning activities and support students financially. A third commendation was for our committed Student Affairs Office, which has expanded rapidly to develop and organize a wide range of student-focused activities. Finally, the level of pastoral care offered by the University to students was given special mention.

As noted earlier, our third campus, the IOH, will open officially in January 2021, following its completion in November 2020. We look forward to witnessing the benefits this new campus will bring to all our students, not simply those studying healthcare. Nursing and physiotherapy students will be trained with state-of-the-art equipment in new laboratories in the building while others will take General Education classes in its two large lecture theatres. The IOH was designed to offer ample space for students to study, socialize and relax. It features a multi-floor academic concourse, refreshing learning commons, a learning hub of classrooms and study rooms, and fitness and activity rooms offering a wide range of sports and wellness facilities. On the outside of the building, a large open terrace overlooking the park on Sheung Shing Street will make a pleasant outdoor space for all to enjoy.

The IOH is just one sign of the changing directions that we are moving in as a full-fledged university. Much has changed over the years but our University title still gives the impression that we only offer distance education. We have begun to feel it may have hindered our development, and that we need a title that better reflects our current status, our unique characteristics, and our strategic focuses. In pursuit of this initiative, we recently embarked on a University Retitling exercise. Positive feedback was received from consultations with students, alumni, staff and other key stakeholders, following which a Selection Committee on University Title was formed and an invitation for title nomination was sent to OUHK stakeholders and the general public. Over 1,100 nominations have been received, and we look forward to seeing our identity encapsulated in a new title soon.

I have been privileged to have had the opportunity of playing an integral part in this process of transformation at the OUHK over recent years. Our University has shown its ability to climb an ambitious upward path with determination and skill. It has also been a privilege for me to witness the spirit of enthusiastic ambition that has been generated among staff, students and alumni alike as the OUHK has struck out in new directions. I would like to thank colleagues and partners for the support they have given, to me personally and to the University as a whole.

Yuk-Shan Wong
President
September 2020