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The Education Bureau announced today (October 15) a new round of applications for the Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) under the Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund.
As one of the major support measures to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary sector, the QESS was launched in November 2012 with the aim of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in the sector. The Scheme supports two project categories, namely theme-based and open-ended projects. Theme-based projects should normally be joint initiatives developed by multiple institutions that foster closer collaboration among different institutions and benefit the sector as widely as possible.
In the 2014/15 round of applications, nine projects out of 28 applications were approved with a total grant of about $41.6 million, mainly to enhance vocational education and employment support, to improve students' learning experience, and to enhance students' language proficiency.
To keep up with the latest development of the sector, the themes for the 2015/16 round of applications have been set to be:
(1) Joint institutions' platform/initiatives for improving teaching methodology and learning environment for students with special educational needs or non-Chinese speaking students;
(2) Joint institutions' platform/initiatives for facilitating closer alignment between the self-financing post-secondary education and industry sectors, as well as enhancing vocational and professional education and training and employment support; and
(3) Joint institutions' platform/initiatives for developing common systems which facilitate accessibility, synergy and enhancement of the sector (e.g. e-portfolio system for students, common curriculum, and recognition/transfer of credits).
For open-ended projects, applicants may submit applications within the scope of the QESS which mainly include the following:
(1) improving the overall learning experience and language proficiency of students;
(2) developing and improving teaching methodology and practices, including development of assessment strategies;
(3) strengthening and improving quality assurance and related measures; and
(4) enhancing student support and career guidance services, including support for students with special educational needs or non-Chinese speaking students.
The deadline for this round of applications is February 26, 2016. All non-profit-making education institutions offering full-time locally accredited self-financing sub-degree or bachelor's degree (including top-up degree) programmes are eligible to apply. Other related bodies such as the federations of these education institutions and quality assurance agencies may also apply.
Further details about the QESS are available at the Concourse for Self-financing Post-secondary Education at www.cspe.edu.hk/content/Overview-Measures-Fund-QESS.
Ends/Thursday, October 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:02
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