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| Prof. Simon Ho receives a souvenir from CUHK |
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| A UM staff member gives a presentation about UM’s general education programme |
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| Group photo |
On 27 October, Prof. Simon Ho, Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) of the University of Macau (UM), led a delegation of twenty-three general education teachers and administrators on a successful academic exchange visit to the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The purpose of the visit was to broaden understanding of the important role general education plays in the transformation of learning cultures and in the development of whole-person education.
CUHK was one of the first universities in Asia to promote what is commonly known as liberal arts education and has several decades of experience in experimenting with different general education courses and teaching methods. UM has only recently introduced its first general education programme and is keen to study and learn from the best in its own pursuit of excellence. This visit to CUHK provided many opportunities for dialogues and experience-sharing about effective management and implementation of general education.
The UM delegation was warmly welcomed by Pro-Vice-Chancellor of CUHK Prof. Hau Kit-Tai, Director of the Office of University General Education Prof. Cheung Chan-Fai and his team. The delegation also visited the Independent Learning Centre, the General Education Corner at Chung Chi College Elizabeth Luce Moore Library and the Office of University General Education, before dividing into several subject interest groups for further discussion with general education teachers and Programme Directors at CUHK. In reflecting on what proved to be a most fruitful visit, UM’s general education teachers expressed their appreciation of this valuable opportunity for exchange with their CUHK counterparts and felt encouraged by the many positive comments they received about the design of UM’s general education programme, which has been modelled on some of the world’s top universities such as Harvard. A series of similar exchange visits to other leading institutions that practice general education are being planned.
