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The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
The University Grants Committee (UGC) held a presentation ceremony for the 2013 UGC Teaching Award today (September 5) to honour academics in UGC-funded institutions for their outstanding teaching performance and achievements, as well as their leadership and scholarly contributions to teaching and learning within and across institutions.
The presentation ceremony was well attended by UGC Members, Council Chairmen, Heads of the UGC-funded institutions and their senior management, as well as those nominated for the award and some 50 outstanding academics.
The recipients of the 2013 UGC Teaching Award, in alphabetical order, are:
Dr Alice Chong Ming-lin, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong
Professor Alan Lau Kin-tak, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The award citations are at Annex A.
Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, the Chairman of the UGC, Mr Edward Cheng, congratulated the awardees and nominees on their accomplishments and thanked the UGC-funded institutions and Members of the Selection Panel to the UGC Teaching Award for their support.
Highlighting the fact that the transformation from three to four year undergraduate degrees is unprecedented, even on an international scale, Mr Cheng said, "We must adapt and equip our faculty members to modify their approach, where necessary, to make sure that these younger cohorts are able to benefit from the great opportunity afforded to them by '3+3+4'."
To encourage UGC-funded institutions to maximise the opportunities provided by the "3+3+4" academic structure, the UGC has introduced new initiatives on teaching and learning as well as internationalisation and engagement with Mainland China. Mr Cheng encouraged the awardees and nominees for the 2013 UGC Teaching Award to participate in those new initiatives.
The two recipients of the 2013 UGC Teaching Award were selected from among 16 outstanding nominees through a rigorous process. All nominees were carefully selected by their own institutions. The selection of the final recipients of the UGC Teaching Award was undertaken by a Selection Panel convened by Professor William Kirby. The selection criteria and the composition of the Selection Panel for the 2013 UGC Teaching Award are at Annex B.
Professor Kirby said, "The Selection Panel has been looking for great teachers who can demonstrate the important aspects of teaching, which are reflected in the three selection criteria of the award. First, the adoption of learner-centred approaches; second, curriculum design that can reflect a true command of the field; and third, demonstration of achievement and leadership in teaching and impact on the development of effective teaching." He added that the two awardees for this year's award are exceptionally outstanding and have showed the Panel not only what they do to support students' effective learning but also how their approaches to teaching transform students' learning experience into desired learning outcomes.
Ends/Thursday, September 5, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:56
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