Welcoming Remarks by Chairman, UGC at the Presentation Ceremony of the 2023 UGC Teaching Award (27.9.2023)
2023 UGC Teaching Award
Welcoming Remarks by
Chairman, UGC at the Presentation Ceremony of the 2023 UGC Teaching Award (27.9.2023)
Council Chairmen, Presidents, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening, and welcome to the Presentation Ceremony of the 2023 UGC Teaching Award. It is my great pleasure to welcome you all today to celebrate teaching excellence of our UGC-funded universities, and honour the outstanding recipients of the 2023 UGC Teaching Award whose dedication and achievements truly deserve recognition.
2. You won't be surprised to learn that the Selection Panel Members this year found their task in selecting the awardees highly challenging as usual. I know that they had to make some very tough choices. Over the last few months, the Selection Panel has reviewed around 20 nominations from the eight universities. We were impressed by the nominees' unwavering dedication and passion for purposeful teaching. I am very much encouraged by their strong commitment to nurturing students with integrity and passing on the torch of knowledge to future generations. Their willingness to go the extra mile to make a positive impact on the growth of their students by unlocking the students' potential and cultivating their talents is truly inspiring. I am very proud that we have so many excellent teachers in our universities. Please join me in giving them a round of applause for their dedication and hard work.
3. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Selection Panel led by Mr Philip Tsai. My heartfelt thanks go to all the other Panel Members including, Professor Arnoud De Meyer, Dr Benjamin Chan, Professor Anthony So and our external expert Professor Chng Huang Hoon for their invaluable contributions to the rigorous and demanding process. Their tireless efforts and dedication have helped picking the awardees with the highest standards of teaching excellence.
4. The UGC embraces the importance of teaching and learning as the core mission of our higher education. We are committed to working closely with the universities in giving our students the best learning experience. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you UGC's continuous efforts in promoting quality teaching and learning, including our new initiative in supporting our universities to address the impact of new technologies on teaching and learning. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has presented enormous opportunities and challenges for educators, teachers and students alike. In response to the challenges brought about by new technologies, the UGC has set up a $100 million Fund for Innovative Technology-in Education. The new funding scheme demonstrates UGC's commitment excellent teaching in our universities and recognition of your efforts in nurturing our young people in a rapidly changing world. I would welcome the universities to make good use of the funding to harness innovative and breakthrough technologies in transforming pedagogies, and at the same time nurture a digitally competent and technologically responsible generation.
5. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to the Hong Kong Teaching Excellence Alliance (HKTEA), under the leadership of Professor Isabella Poon. Since its establishment in 2019, the HKTEA has played a crucial role in cultivating a network of UGC Teaching Award Fellows to promote teaching excellence within and beyond the UGC sector. I wish the HKTEA another fruitful and productive year ahead as they continue to champion teaching excellence and inspire educators to strive for excellence in their teaching practices.
6. Before I pass the floor to Mr Philip Tsai, Chair of the Selection Panel, who is going to announce the results of the 2023 UGC Teaching Award, I would like to congratulate this year's finalists and of course the exceptional awardees for their outstanding achievements and dedication to promoting teaching excellence. I would also like to thank all the university presidents for their unwavering support for this special and meaningful event. Last but not least, I wish you all a great evening and a successful year ahead. Thank you.