Maryknoll Convent School Foundation Launches “The Knoll - Jockey Club Maryknoll Centre for Heritage, Education and Service” Revitalisation and Service Project for the Community

To commemorate the centenary of Maryknoll Convent School(MCS), the school’s sponsoring body, Maryknoll Convent School Foundation Limited (the Foundation) is pleased to announce the launch of a revitalisation and service project for the community at the Convent Building, a declared monument. The project, titled “The Knoll - Jockey Club Maryknoll Centre for Heritage, Education and Service”, is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Artist Impression of revitalised Convent Building's exterior.

Artist Impression of revitalised Convent Building's exterior.

The two-storey Convent Building is located to the east of MCS’s Main Building, near the Primary Section’s entrance on Boundary Street in Kowloon Tong. Opened in 1937, the Convent Building initially served as an "industrial department" where young women from underprivileged backgrounds gained financial independence through learning sewing and embroidery skills and making religious vestments for priests. From the 1970s, the building functioned as a dormitory for Maryknoll Sisters until it was handed over to the Foundation in 2019. Subsequent investigation of the building revealed a hidden attic filled with artefacts and documents testifying to the long history of service by the Maryknoll Sisters.

Discoveries in the attic.

Discoveries in the attic.

Discoveries in the attic.

In honour of the Sisters’ legacy of service and education and to pass on the spirit of service, the Foundation will be transforming the Convent Building into a centre for heritage, community service and education.

Artist Impression of revitalised Convent Building's interior.

Ms. Cordelia Chung, Chairperson of MCS Foundation, said, “Maryknoll Sisters have made significant contributions to primary and secondary education in Hong Kong over the years. This remarkable building stands as a further testament to their enduring spirit of community care. We recognise that the Foundation has inherited not just a beautiful historical building, but also a mission dedicated to education and female empowerment.In light of this, the Foundation is undertaking a revitalisation project to transform the Convent Building into a centre for heritage, education, and service. We hope this heritage building continues to bring light and warmth to our society.”

Ms. Cordelia Chung, Chairperson of MCS Foundation.

The project is supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with an approved donation of over $91 million.

Ms. Shelley Lee, President of MCS Educational Trust, remarked, “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Jockey Club’s Charities Trust for its generous donation to this revitalisation project. As we celebrate the centenary of Maryknoll Convent School, this project stands as a powerful testament to our commitment to carrying forward the Sisters' legacy of care and support for community, women and youth.”

Ms. Shelley Lee, President of MCS Educational Trust.

Advanced construction work is set to begin in July 2024 and will be followed by the main construction work in 2025, with completion in 2027. Upon its commissioning in late 2027,the centre will be open for NGOs and the public for visits and specific uses.

An advisory committee has been established to provide professional guidance on the construction work. Members include Dr. Joseph Lee, GBS, OStJ, JP, Chairman of Wofoo Plastics & Chemicals Group, President of Wofoo Social Enterprises Limited and Chairman of Wofoo Foundation Limited; Prof Hon Lau Chi Pang, BBS, JP; Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement and External Affairs) of Lingnan University and a member of the Legislative Council; Dr. Anita Chung, Head of Heritage at Tai Kwun; and Ms. Pauline Ng, SBS, former Secretary General of the Legislative Council Secretariat and Adjunct Professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Project Team.

The 700-sqm Convent Building forms part of the cluster of buildings that comprises the MCS campus at Waterloo Road, Kowloon Tong, built in 1937. Due to its architectural uniqueness and well-preserved condition, MCS was declared a monument in 2008.

Exterior of Convent Building.

The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM) has received approval from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to donate HK$49.6 million to establish the Jockey Club Institute for Medical Education and Development (JCIMED), and support a five-year training program. The Institute was officially established on 1 November 2024 to strengthen the development of postgraduate medical education.

The HKAM held the inauguration ceremony of the Jockey Club Institute for Medical Education and Development today (27 November 2024). Officiating at the ceremony were Ms. ImeldaChan, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care, and Healthy Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Professor Gilberto Leung, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Professor Philip Li, Vice-President (Education and Examinations) of the Hong KongAcademy of Medicine, and Dr Benny Cheng, Honorary Director of the Jockey Club Institute forMedical Education and Development. The presence of these guests not only demonstrates the importance attached to the development of medical education, but also shows the common vision of all walks of life to improve the quality of medical education.

4 Officiating Guests: Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care, and Healthy Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd from left), Prof. Gilberto Leung,President of the HKAM (2nd from right), Prof. Philip Li, Vice-President (Education and Examinations) of the HKAM (1st from left), and Dr. Benny Cheng, Honorary Director of the JCIMED (1st from right) attended inauguration ceremony of JCIMED.

The HKAM has been committed to promoting the development of postgraduate medical education and continuing medical education. On the occasion of its 30th anniversary in 2023, the Academy held a tripartite medical education conference with two local medical schools early last year, followed by the Strategic Planning Retreat on Education and Training 2023, and published the " Hong Kong Academy of Medicine- Position Paper on Postgraduate Medical Education 2023" (link) in September 2023. This document confirms the HKAM's unwavering commitment to strengthening medical education by seizing new opportunities and adapting to changes in the profession. The position paper sets out 10 key recommendations, including promoting specialist training, implementing competency-based medical education (CBME), promoting lifelong learning, innovating continuing medical education, improving teaching skills, and implementing quality assurance, which aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of medical education across the board.

The guests took a group photo at the JCIMED Inauguration Ceremony marks a new milestone in medical education for the Academy.

The recommendations in the Position Paper are also the blueprint for the establishment of the Jockey Club Institute for Medical Education and Development, which aims to enhance the standard of medical education and specialist training in Hong Kong, with a focus on building capacity and enhancing quality of medical education to better meet the demand for medical professionals in society. Based on the recommendations of the Position Paper, the JCIMED hasset out the following four new directions:

1. Competency-based Medical Education (CBME): Focuses on equipping specialist trainers and trainees with the principles and skills of continuing workplace-based assessment, providing professional knowledge and resources for effective implementation to ensure the quality and effectiveness of medical education.

The competency-based model, which emphasizes the acquisition of specific competencies rather than the completion of fixed-time training, incorporates continuous assessment and feedback that provides participants with timely suggestions for progress and improvement, and promotes continuous learning and development.

2. Faculty Development: Enhance teaching skills, foster a culture of continuous improvement in medical education, and facilitate experience exchange and professional development among trainers.

3. Continuing Medical Education/Continuous Professional Development (CME/CPD):Practicing a modern approach to lifelong learning for healthcare professionals to ensure that healthcare professionals are able to continuously update their professional knowledge and skills.

4. Quality Assurance: Implement robust systems to maintain high standards in medical education, ensuring that all training courses and activities meet the high standards.

In 2013, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust approved a donation of over HK$53 million to set up the Hong Kong Jockey Club Innovative Learning Centre for Medicine, which enabled local medical professionals and medical students to enhance their medical skills and quality through various situational training and surgical simulations, providing simulation training to more than 30,000 healthcare professionals. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust hasonce again allocated $49.6 million to renovate the facilities of the existing Centre and renamed it to the Jockey Club Institute for Medical Education and Development (JCIMED). In response to the development of medical technology, JCIMED will also introduce extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), and other innovative technologies to provide trainees with a more comprehensive and interactive learning experience, and is expected to train more than 4,800 doctors to diagnose, evaluate and analyze patient data. JCIMED will develop training courses to implement CBME, faculty development, and modernise CME/CPD, strengthen research and innovative teaching methods in medical education, with the aim of promoting local medical education and specialist training, and improving the overall quality of medical services in HongKong and the Greater Bay Area.

Ms. Imelda Chan said the establishment of the JCIMED and its related training programs will help respond to the growing demand for specialist training, further enhance the quality of healthcare services in Hong Kong, and enhance the professionalism of healthcare professionals in Hong Kong and the Greater BayArea through enhanced exchanges with the Mainland.

Ms. Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care; and Healthy Community) at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, "With the changing times and technological advancements, the equipment used in training needs to be updated to keep pace with the development of healthcare services and society. We believe that the establishment of the Jockey Club Institute for Medical Education and Development and its related training programs will help respond to the growing demand for specialist training, further enhance the quality of healthcare services in Hong Kong, and enhance the professionalism of healthcare professionals in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area through enhanced exchanges with the Mainland."