Extract of Congratulatory Message by Chair, 2024 UGC Teaching Award Selection Panel at the Presentation Ceremony of the 2024 UGC Teaching Award (7.10.2024)

2024 UGC Teaching Award
Extract of Congratulatory Message by
Chair, 2024 UGC Teaching Award Selection Panel at the Presentation Ceremony of the 2024 UGC Teaching Award (7.10.2024)

Tim, Council Chairmen, Presidents, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening. It is with profound privilege that I serve as the Chair of the Selection Panel for the prestigious 2024 UGC Teaching Award, honoring the accomplishments of our exceptional educators in the UGC sector.

2. Over the course of the past few months, the Selection Panel reviewed over 20 nominations from UGC-funded universities and shortlisted seven finalists for interviews. The panel was deeply satisfied that all of them have demonstrated exceptional acumen and passion in teaching. We therefore had an extremely challenging time in choosing the awardees among the outstanding finalists. Let us commend all the finalists for their commitment to the pursuit of teaching excellence with a round of applause.

3. Without further ado, I am pleased to announce the results of the 2024 UGC Teaching Award. The awardees this year are:

• Dr Kristen Li from HKBU for the General Faculty Members category;
• Ms Anna Qin from HKBU for the Early Career Faculty Members category; and
• the Holistic Competency and Virtues Education Team (HAVE Team) for the Collaborative Teams category led by Professor Cecilia Chan (HKU), with Professor Albert Ko (LU), Professor Ben Chan (HKUST), Dr Theresa Kwong (HKBU), and Professor Samson Tse (HKU) as team members.

4. Dr Kristen Li is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at HKBU. Her 5D teaching approach — Discover, Define, Develop, Debate, Deliver — prepares her students with the critical skills they need to thrive in a global context. Her redesign of the senior General Education course into a capstone project, along with her renowned student hackathon, exemplifies her unwavering commitment to societal progress and excellence in education.

5. Ms Anna Qin is the Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Arts at HKBU. Ms Qin has enriched her students' experiences by equipping them with real-world design skills while connecting them to meaningful community initiatives. Her innovative design thinking plan transforms concepts into purposeful experiences, fostering collaboration and creativity among her students.

6. The Holistic Competency and Virtues Education (HAVE) Team comprises members from HKU, LU, HKUST, and HKBU. This team has developed a data-driven framework for holistic competency development that sets a benchmark in experiential learning. Their initiatives have enriched professional development of more than 1,300 educators through cross-institutional programmes and the establishment of a Community of Practice.

7. Once again, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year's awardees - they all deserve the prestigious honour as Ambassadors of Good Teaching. I would also like to thank all my fellow colleagues on the Selection Panel for their invaluable contributions throughout the whole process. Lastly, may I express my gratitude to all 3 Awardees for your dedication to quality education and your commitment to inspiring the next generation of educators.

8. On that note, thank you very much for your attention and have a nice evening.