HKMU is no ivory tower — at the heart of our work is a desire to serve the local community and to act as a knowledge source for economic development. This goal is reflected in the wide array of community-focused activities we undertook in the year, the many new partnerships and collaborations we forged, and the new sources of support for our work that have been established.
In recent times, HKMU has been working hard to enhance the mental health of its students. In April 2024, it extended these efforts into the community by joining forces with five other organisations — the Auxiliary Medical Service, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, SideBySide, and The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong — to establish the “City Companion” Community Alliance on Promoting Mental Health. The Alliance aims to provide residents with easy access to mental health support services, and to raise public awareness about the importance of mental health. Its initial focus is Kowloon City, where it is targeting vulnerable groups such as older people, low-income families, people in mental recovery, and school students.
Meanwhile, HKMU's School of Nursing and Health Studies organised several Health Expos across the year, offering a range of practical health screening services and health talks by HKMU experts and guest speakers. The second and third of the Health Expos specifically focused on fall prevention. This theme was also central to several other outreach initiatives by the School, which included community health events organised in collaboration with Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O Women's Association Limited, as well as individual fall risk assessments for over 1,000 adults.
HKMU has been equally concerned about the development and well-being of young members of the community. It won a HK$3.8 million tender from the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China that sought consulting services for JC Project MuSE in sports education curriculum design. JC Project MuSE is an initiative by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to provide underprivileged primary school children with a free six-year music (Mu) and sports education (SE) programme. Our Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration will develop a comprehensive curriculum to foster students' interest in sports while helping them identify and realise their potential.
HKMU's LiPACE has continued to support parenting education, especially among grassroots communities, through a series of parenting seminars and workshops held on Kwai Hing Campus and outreach activities in Pok Oi Kong Ha Wai Village, Yuen Long. These have been supplemented by new initiatives that have proved successful overseas, such as activity workshops inspired by STEAM education in Finland to promote social-emotional learning in young children.
HKMU also launched an important new initiative for expectant women, titled the “Jockey Club 'BaMa Chill Club' Perinatal Support Project”, in 2024. In collaboration with The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Young Women's Christian Association, this project is providing depression screening for pregnant women and their spouses. This three-year project, supported by a grant of over HK$20 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, is expected to benefit 10,800 pregnant women, as well as 2,000 spouses, family members and caregivers. HKMU will train around 200 nurses and 2,550 nursing students to support this meaningful initiative.
HKMU has been providing educational opportunities for inmates in correctional institutions from its very beginning. This year, we took a major step forward. HKMU's LiPACE is providing the Correctional Services Department's Ethics College, recently established to support inmates undertaking continuous learning, with a one-year full-time Diploma of Applied Education Programme. Students who complete the Programme will be qualified at an academic level equivalent to the Level 2 standard in five subjects in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. Career talks have also been arranged for students.
As a self-financing university, HKMU relies on donations from supporters and well-wishers, and makes special efforts to engage individuals and groups who value an HKMU education and wish to support our mission. To this end, we established the HKMU Foundation in September 2023, led by an Advisory Committee chaired by Dr Peter Lee Kwok-wah. The Foundation aims to enhance our fundraising capabilities and build long-term partnerships with alumni, friends and supporters. In March 2024, we hosted the inaugural HKMU Foundation Dinner, bringing together the University's first Foundation members for an evening of celebration and enjoyment. The event provided an ideal setting to express our gratitude to members for their support, and featured a successful auction that raised additional funds for HKMU's development.
Service-learning is an education mode which combines student learning with social service, in the process fostering a caring culture. Many of HKMU's service-learning programmes are designed to directly benefit vulnerable or socially deprived groups. Throughout the year, hundreds of HKMU students have advanced their education and their sense of giving to society by participating in one or the many service-learning initiatives organised by the Student Affairs Office.
Among these service-learning initiatives, the HKMU Best Buddies Programme, which pairs HKMU students with people with intellectual disabilities to build friendships and support, was awarded the “Most Active Participation Award” by Fu Hong Society, after being run for a year in collaboration with the organisation. Other servicelearning initiatives also drew warm recognition; for example, HKMU participants in the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) “Easy Volunteer” programme received a Certificate of Appreciation from HKFYG's “Easy Volunteer” Volunteer Service Award for their tireless and enthusiastic efforts. Meanwhile, HKMU received the JC VOLUNTEER TOGETHER Caring School label for 2023 under the Hong Kong Volunteer Award, co-organised by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Agency for Volunteer Service, in recognition of our students' contribution to the community through the service-learning initiatives organised during the year.
In April 2024, HKMU issued a comprehensive “Policy Statement on National Security Law”, laying out its position on and the action it is taking to safeguard national security and the well-being of everyone associated with the University. The Policy Statement stresses HKMU's all-round commitment to abiding by the law and upholding professional ethics, while clearly asserting the University's ongoing commitment to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and academic excellence through the forging of strong cross-border connections.
Also in April, the School of Arts and Social Sciences collaborated with the Kowloon City District Office and the Kowloon City District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee to launch a campaign to promote national security. At the kick-off ceremony, a newly designed “National Security Board Game” was introduced. It was then distributed to primary schools in Kowloon City, helping pupils deepen their understanding of the fundamental principles of national security in a fun and engaging way.
In recent years, HKMU's Office for Advancement of Learning and Teaching has produced a series of short videos for primary and secondary schools on national education, which showcases major milestones and developments in Chinese history based on a list of key dates provided by the Education Bureau.
This year, another short video series titled “Understanding Our Country” was produced for the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China. The series covers various aspects of the country's development, including technology, transport, construction, history, the national flag, national anthem and emblem, economic development, geography, and the Belt and Road Initiative. It was scheduled for release in October 2024, and will be delivered to all primary and secondary schools, broadcast on the TV programme Knowledge for All, and made available on the HKMU YouTube Channel, enhancing public understanding of the country.
After 35 years, HKMU has built up a significant alumni body, many of whom have contributed greatly to society. To recognise the work of our alumni in enriching social, economic and community life, this year HKMU established a Distinguished Alumni Award, holding its first Distinguished Alumni Award Presentation Ceremony and Banquet in June 2024. The event recognised four distinguished alumni (first photo): Mr Jet Chou Sai-kit, renowned Chinese chess player (second right); Mr Oscar Lee Ka-chun, advanced nursing practitioner (second left); Mr Leung Kwok-shing, Executive Director of the Hok Yau Club (first right); and the Honourable Edmund Wong Chun-sek, Legislative Council Member (first left). All four awardees have made their mark in different areas of public life, and all represent role models that current HKMU students can identify with and aspire to emulate.
This year's Honorary Degree Ceremony, at which HKMU bestowed honorary doctorates on distinguished individuals for their lifelong achievements, featured four noteworthy individuals (second photo, from right): Prof. Sophia Chan Siu-chee, Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping, Mr Daryl Ng Win-kong, and Mr Michael Wong Yick-kam. Prof. Chan is well-known for her role as Secretary for Food and Health during the COVID-19 pandemic; she is a leading local nurse scientist and is widely recognised internationally as an authority on public health and tobacco control initiatives. Dr Chung is a noted Hong Kong industrialist who has been instrumental in furthering Hong Kong industry, while at the same time contributing to youth development and charity. Mr Ng, Deputy Chairman of the Sino Group, is a passionate advocate for sustainability and has driven important schemes for decarbonisation, carbon neutrality, the deployment of renewable energy, and plastic reduction. Mr Wong, well-known at HKMU, was its Council Chairman between 2016 and 2022 and a tireless Council Member over many years. He has played a significant role in driving the University onwards and upwards.
Alongside its Honorary Doctorates, each year HKMU also bestows Honorary University Fellowships on individuals who have contributed meaningfully to the betterment of society. This year, the recipients were (third photo, from left) Ms Yvonne Choi Ying-pik, former Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development and former Council Member of HKMU, for her contributions both to Hong Kong society and the University; Dr Chung Wai-ping, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tao Heung Holdings Limited, for his important work in Hong Kong's food and beverage sector over the years; Mr Raymond To Kwok-wai, renowned playwright, screenwriter, and film and theatre director, for his contributions to the arts; and (fourth photo, on screen) Ms Gigi Tung Oi-lai, founder of the “Bo Charity Foundation”, for her exceptional work in supporting people in need.
