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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at the Opening Ceremony of the Second Summit on University Social Responsibility cum Inaugural International Conference on Service-Learning today (November 19):
Dr (Roy) Chung, Professor (Timothy) Tong, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to join you all here at the opening ceremony of the Second Summit on University Social Responsibility cum International Conference on Service-Learning. First of all, I would like to thank the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for organising this Summit again. This Summit was a great success when it was first held in 2012 in collaboration with the China Institute of Education Policy. It helps promote the concept of social responsibility in the higher education arena, share the good practices of other universities in the world and build an international network around the theme of University Social Responsibility.
Higher education has a particular role in serving society. Globalisation brings challenges and opportunities never seen before, hence we look upon our universities to provide holistic education to their students with a view to equipping them with the necessary skills and mindsets to cope with the new age, as well as grooming them to become responsible global citizens with a strong sense of social responsibility and global outlook. University social responsibility describes the way a university is making a difference to the social and economic well-being of its communities through its teaching, research, public events and activities. In the information age, education should not only be confined to classroom and textbook knowledge, but also expose students to the real world and cultivate among them the willingness of serving the community. In our Chinese philosophy, I treasure most the motto of the great Ming Dynasty scholar Wang Yang Ming, who advocates the importance of "Unity of knowledge and action". Today, I can see that universities are playing a crucial role in accomplishing such Unity by providing opportunities for students to engage in service learning throughout their study. I like the saying - "Learn to serve, serve to learn".
Service learning is a practical tool which exposes students to a spectrum of real-life experiences that will shape their personal growth and instill in them the sets of core values and positive attitudes which are valuable to their work and life. It is gaining recognition and being accorded increasingly high priority among all higher education institutions in Hong Kong. With proper guidance from teachers and students' own reflection during the learning process, service learning can instill civic responsibility, encourage lifelong civic engagement and strengthen community giving. All these are important attributes which our future leaders should have. Service learning provides a knowledge exchange platform for students and teachers to have meaningful interactions with individuals in the community. These interactions also give real-life meaning to the textbook theories and help inspire students to make a difference in the world.
With the implementation of the new academic structure in 2009, we revamped the senior secondary curriculum by putting more emphasis on holistic and out-of-classroom learning experience. Through broader and richer curricula, students can acquire a wide spectrum of learning experiences of moral and civic education, community services, physical and aesthetic education, etc. The new curriculum can also foster a broader scope of views and life-long learning abilities for students. In this regard, I am pleased to see that the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PolyU) shares the same ambition and values. I am also glad to learn that PolyU has been a pioneer in making service learning a mandatory credit-bearing component since the commencement of the new four-year undergraduate programme in 2012. Also, it has recently been successful in gaining funding support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club in launching the "PolyU Serves" Community Project. I trust that these community service projects will not only improve the well-being of the underprivileged groups in Hong Kong, but also instill a caring culture among our younger generation.
No doubt service learning will become an important educational platform for positive youth development. This is in line with PolyU's commitment of nurturing students to become all-round global citizens with a heart to serve.
Taking the opportunity, I encourage students to actively participate in these community service projects, to be responsible global citizens and future leaders who have a heart to serve others and contribute to society. Finally, I wish the Second Summit on University Social Responsibility cum International Conference on Service- Learning every success.
Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:55
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