2024 UGC Teaching Award commends teaching excellence

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

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

Collaborative Teams
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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 and member 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.

Annex

2024 UGC Teaching Award Citations

Dr Kristen Li Yuanxi, Hong Kong Baptist University

Dr Kristen Li Yuanxi is an innovative educator, whose tireless efforts in combining sound educational design with cutting-edge technologies have not only served as a wellspring of inspiration for her students, but also had a profound impact on the education landscape. Her visionary teaching approach transcends conventional teaching methods, preparing students to thrive in a global context and tackle the pressing challenges of our time with a blend of technological prowess and critical thinking skills.

Central to Dr Li's educational philosophy is the 5D design framework, which encapsulates her student-centred approach: Discover, Define, Develop, Debate, and Deliver. This methodology ensures a structured yet dynamic learning journey, fostering creativity and a deep understanding of processes and individuals involved.

Dr Li's leading role in reshaping the senior-level General Education course into a comprehensive capstone project stands as a testament to her innovative spirit. Her annual hackathon, a global competition where student teams devise solutions to tackle real-world challenges, has gained international acclaim, showcasing her dedication to societal progress. Her insights have earned her various awards and teaching grants, underscoring her status as a pioneering “learning designer” in education.

Ms Anna Qin Lai-yin, Hong Kong Baptist University

Ms Anna Qin Lai-yin is an educator with dedication to project-based learning and service-oriented designs. Her teaching approach has enriched students' learning experiences, equipping them with real-world design skills and connecting them to community service initiatives. Being a versatile and prolific professional with a strong tie with the industry, she exemplifies how educators can integrate scholarly and professional practices into the classroom to better prepare students to thrive in the competitive design sector.

Ms Qin's innovative 5-step design thinking plan epitomises her educational philosophy, enriching objects with cultural and technological narratives to transform simple designs into purposeful and meaningful experiences. She guides her students to transcend mere objects, encouraging them to craft stories and convey messages through their designs. She also evaluates her students' work against multidimensional criteria of design thinking, ensuring that her students meet the industry standards. Her teaching approach fosters collaboration and innovation, guiding students to transform abstract ideas into tangible solutions.

Holistic Competency and Virtues Education Team led by the University of Hong Kong (HKU)

The Holistic Competency and Virtues Education Team is led by Professor Cecilia Chan Ka-yuk from the HKU, along with Professor Albert Ko Wing-yin (Lingnan University), Professor Ben Chan Yui-bun (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Dr Theresa Kwong Fuk-ning (Hong Kong Baptist University) and Professor Samson Tse Shu-ki (HKU) as members.

The team has skillfully developed the Holistic Competency Development Framework evidenced by data, setting a benchmark in experiential learning that has reached thousands of students across multiple universities. This framework not only promotes essential competencies, but also encourages educators to design their activities by understanding student rationales for development. The team has spearheaded a couple of impactful events and courses, including the HAVE U Can programme, the first-ever and still the largest cross-institutional residential programme. The team has also established a Community of Practice, enriching over 1,325 educators, sharing knowledge and innovative pedagogies across institutions. The establishment of the International Holistic Competency Foundation also provides a proper pathway for accrediting courses with holistic competencies, setting benchmarks for educational quality. The team's commitment is further evidenced by their active engagement in scholarship and their contributions to high-impact publications, which continues to exert influence to the education sector and students.