UGC Honors 2024 Teaching Award Recipients for Excellence in Education and Leadership

2024 UGC Teaching Award honours excellent teachers

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:

The University Grants Committee (UGC) held a presentation ceremony for the 2024 UGC Teaching Award today (October 7) to honour academics from the UGC-funded universities for their outstanding teaching performance and achievements, as well as their leadership and scholarly contributions to teaching and learning within and outside their campuses.

Through a rigorous process, the Award Selection Panel selected the following three recipients from among over 20 outstanding nominees for the Award:

General Faculty Members

--------------------------------

Dr Kristen Li Yuanxi, Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)

Early Career Faculty Members

--------------------------------------

Ms Anna Qin Lai-yin,Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Assistant Professor, Academy of Visual Arts, School of Creative Arts, HKBU

Collaborative Teams

--------------------------------------

Holistic Competency and Virtues Education Team led by Professor Cecilia Chan Ka-yuk (Professor, Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre; Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)), with Professor Albert Ko Wing-yin (Director of Service-Learning, Lingnan University), Professor Ben Chan Yui-bun (Associate Dean of Students and Associate Director of Center for Engineering Education Innovation, the Hong Kong University Science and Technology), Dr Theresa Kwong Fuk-ning (Director, Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning, HKBU) and Professor Samson Tse Shu-ki (Dean of Student Affairs, HKU) as team members.

The citations of the awardees are in the Annex.

The Chairman of the UGC, Mr Tim Lui, congratulated the awardees, finalists, and nominees on their remarkable achievements and expressed gratitude to all UGC-funded universities for their support for the UGC Teaching Award. He said, "Teaching is a timeless mission, and the UGC cannot emphasise enough that this is also the cornerstone of the global reputation of our higher education sector. The UGC shall continue to devote priority and additional resources to support pedagogical innovation and teaching excellence as we strive to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education."

The Chair of the 2024 UGC Teaching Award Selection Panel andmember of the UGC, Mr Philip Tsai, remarked, "The panel was deeply satisfied that all awardees have demonstrated exceptional acumen and passion for teaching. Dr Li is an innovative educator who skilfully combines educational design with cutting-edge technologies. Ms Qin equips students with real-world design skills while connecting them to meaningful community initiatives. The Holistic Competency and Virtues Education Team enriches the professional development of educators through impactful cross-institutional programmes and the establishment of a Community of Practice. They all truly deserve the prestigious honour as ambassadors of good teaching."

The presentation ceremony was attended by members of the UGC and the Quality Assurance Council under it, council chairmen and senior management from the UGC-funded universities, as well as nominees for the Awards. Attendees also applauded the spectacular achievements of the Hong Kong Teaching Excellence Alliance under the leadership of its Chair, Professor Isabella Poon, over the past six years, and welcomed Dr Julia Chen as the new leader of this inter-institutional body dedicated to propagating the impact of the Teaching Award.

The UGC has also produced a series of short video clips to promote best practices by showcasing the teaching approaches of the 2024 UGC Teaching Award recipients. The clips, together with the selection criteria and the composition of the Selection Panel, as well as the list of other finalists, are available on the UGC website www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/activity/ugc_teaching_award/result.html.

2024 UGC Teaching Award honours excellent teachers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2024 UGC Teaching Award honours excellent teachers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

2024 UGC Teaching Award honours excellent teachers Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HA appeals to public for condition of patient requiring urgent lung transplant

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) made the following appeal today (October 7) regarding the condition of a patient who requires urgent lung transplant:

A patient who requires urgent lung transplant is currently hospitalised at Prince of Wales Hospital in critical condition. In response to an urgent appeal from the patient and family members concerned, the HA appeals to members of the public to actively support organ donations and consider donating the lung of deceased relatives to give new life to others.

Given the critical condition of the patient, in addition to proactively searching for suitable lung locally, the HA will also seek assistance from the Mainland through relevant procedures as soon as possible. When a patient willing to donate an organ has passed away and no suitable recipient is identified on the Mainland, the cross-boundary organ donation and matching mechanism will facilitate a transplant in Hong Kong to bring hope to a critically ill patient.

The spokesperson emphasised that when suitable lung is found, the HA will strictly follow the relevant organ transplant regulations and make an application with the authorities to ensure that all procedures comply with relevant standards and regulatory requirements. The HA will arrange transplant operations with an aim to save the patient's life as soon as possible.

For critically ill patients with organ failure, an organ transplant is often the only hope for extending life. When deceased patients and their families make the selfless decision to donate organs for patients in need of organ transplantation, it not only gives critically ill patients the hope of life but also eases their families' hardships. The HA appeals to the public to extend their compassion, blessings, and care to those still fighting for their lives.