Professor Shirley NGAI

Recipient of 2025 UGC Teaching Award

Category
General Faculty Members

Affiliation at the time of the award
Associate Head and Associate Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Award Citation
Professor Shirley Ngai has earned widespread recognition for her extraordinary leadership and transformative impact on physiotherapy education. Awarded the UGC Teaching Award in the Early Career Faculty Members Category as early as 2016, she continues to make outstanding contributions to healthcare education and beyond.

Professor Ngai has revolutionised competency-based clinical training by introducing medical simulation into physiotherapy education in Hong Kong. Her innovative initiatives, including mobile learning apps and self-learning e-books, and adoption of advance technology such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, have prepared students well for real-world clinical environments and markedly improved clinical placement outcomes. Her vision for holistic education is reflected in the development of online learning modules and a globally recognised online course, fostering cultural competence, empathy, and interprofessional collaboration among thousands of learners from over 130 regions worldwide.

Demonstrating exceptional leadership in faculty development, Professor Ngai fosters a culture of scholarly teaching and learning and elevates international standards in rehabilitation education. Her unwavering passion and commitment to nurturing future leaders make her an exemplary educator and scholar. This year, she is honoured with the UGC Teaching Award, in the General Faculty Members Category, becoming the first individual to receive this prestigious accolade twice.

Video on Teaching Philosophies