The Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia
The University of Hong Kong
The Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia
The University of Hong Kong
The Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia
The University of Hong Kong

Featured Talks

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Upcoming seminars

How Chinese Universities innovate education for the future society

Date: 26th March, 2024 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. (GMT+8)
Mode: Online (via ZOOM)
Speaker: Dr. Xiaojun Zhang (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University)
Chair: Professor Gerard A. Postiglione (The University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

With the fast development of emerging digital and intelligent technologies such as ChatGPT, the Chinese higher education community has realized the urgent need for radical change of its system to meet the new expectations from the society. In recent years there were a lot of reflections from Chinese educators in almost every aspects of education including its aims, curriculum, and pedagogy, which were followed by key initiatives such as interdisciplinary entrepreneurship education, teaching innovation, and university-industry collaboration. I will talk about main projects that conducted by Chinese government and higher education institutions in innovating the education system and share my observation of the innovative practice which I think would be crucial step in exploring the next generation of higher education in the digital and intelligent era. Sino-Foreign Cooperative Universities in particular the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University will be discussed as examples.

About the Speaker

Dr. Xiaojun Zhang got his PhD degree at Xi’an Jiaotong University. He joined Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University as the Deputy Director of Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development (ILEAD) in 2013, which was created by him under the support of university leaders. Now Xiaojun is Chief Officer of Education at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and Team Leader of Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Collective Leadership Team. He also takes roles including inaugural Executive Dean of the Academy of Future Education, and Acting Dean of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub.

Xiaojun has published more than 100 academic papers and 5 books. His research focus on problems in practice and pay attention to practical implications. Most of his research has been adopted in his training programmes for higher education practitioners. One of his most recent books titled “University Transfarmation: From Teacher Dominated to Student-Centred” published by Tsinghua University Press is a guidebook for education practitioners who want to transform their education. Xiaojun proposed the “diamond model” of teaching innovation in AI era and highlighted ten key directions of teaching innovation in his another recently published book “Future-oriented Teaching Innovation” by Economic and Management Press.

For details see https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/about/people/leadership/dr-xiaojun-zhang.

Registration Form: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYudeippzMuEtJe6u6cXSm6JRCDPiC06jf3


Culturally engaging students as partners in Asia: Following or translating?

Date: 11th April, 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (GMT+8)
Mode: Online (via ZOOM)
Speaker: Dr. Yifei Liang (The University of Queensland)
Chair: Professor Juuso Nieminen (The University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

Engaging students as partners (SaP) is an approach to fostering meaningful learner-teacher pedagogical relationships in higher education. Over the last decade, along with a growing attention on this topic in global higher education sectors, the dialogue around SaP has emerged in Asian universities. However, scholars have raised questions about the cultural applicability of SaP concept in practices. In this talk, by taking these questions and challenges as important concerns and grounding on the literature, I will share insights into how to culturally engage students as partners in university teaching and learning in Asia.

About the Speaker

Yifei Liang is a researcher from School of Education, The University of Queensland. Yifei also completed his PhD at The University of Queensland in 2023. His research focuses on learner-teacher partnerships, student engagement, and relational pedagogy in higher education teaching and learning. He is currently working as a research assistant and a casual academic at The University of Queensland. He is always learning and embracing different views.

Registration Form: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYsf-iqqDoiEtLJSaByicTBA6yhN888iDzC


New Frontier of Academic Excellence Initiatives in Japan 

Time: 4:00pm (HKT)
Date: 8 April, 2024
Mode: by zoom
Speaker: Prof. Akiyoshi Yonezawa (Tohoku University)
Chair: Prof. Prof. Hugo Horta (The University of Hong Kong)
Registration link: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUvd–qpzwoG9WC9iZIX3fStvO1X4VodDQF

Abstract:

After a series of attempts to build world-class universities with academic excellence. Japan is now about to launch another program called the University for International Research Excellence (UIRE). This scheme is based on a national fund of 10 trillion Japanese yen (66 billion USD), which supports a rather limited number of universities with close monitoring and advice for 25 years. Why does Japan need another initiative to achieve academic excellence? Is it a promising frontier project under the continuous pressure of demography, and regional and global competition? A reflective analysis of the past and present contexts and future vision as research universities co-develop with multiple stakeholders will be discussed.

About the Speaker

Dr. Akiyoshi Yonezawa is Professor and Vice Director of the International Strategy Office and Special Advisor to the President at Tohoku University, Japan.

With a background in sociology, his research focuses on comparative higher education policy, with particular emphasis on world-class universities, internationalization, and public-private relations in higher education. He has developed his expertise in higher education policy and management through work experience at Nagoya University, the OECD, and the University of Tokyo, etc. At Tohoku University, he has served in various expert roles such as Director for the Office of Institutional Research. In addition, he is also providing expertise roles in national and international government policies, such as a national delegation of the Group of National Experts on Higher Education for OECD.

He is also an active contributor to international research publications as an editorial board member of Higher Education Quarterly, and advisory board member of Higher Education, and International Higher Education. He is a board member of the Japan Association for Higher Education Research. His recent co-edited book, Researching Higher Education in Asia (Springer, 2018), received the “Best Book Award 2019” from the Comparative and International Education Society (SIG Higher Education).

Recent publication:

(publication list is available at https://researchmap.jp/7000017750?lang=en)

Yonezawa, A. (2023). Academic Excellence Initiatives in Japan: Can a Series of Government Interventions Make a Difference?, In Yudkevich, M., Altbach, P.G. & Salmi, J. (Eds.).  Academic Star Wars: Excellence Initiatives in Global Perspective. MIT Press. 33-56.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/14601.003.0006 (Open Access)

Pinheiro, R., Balbachevsky, E., Pillay, P. and Yonezawa, A. (Eds.)  (2023). The Impact of Covid-19 on the Institutional Fabric of Higher Education: Old Patterns, New Dynamics, and Changing Rules?. Palgrave Macmillan.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-26393-4  (Open Access)

Yonezawa, A. (2023). Japan’s Higher Education Policies under Global Challenges. Asian Economic Policy Review. 18(2) 220-237. https://doi.org/10.1111/aepr.12421 (Open Access).

Yonezawa, A. Kitamura, Y., Yamamoto, B. and Tokunaga, T. (Eds.) (2018). Japanese Education in a Global Age: Sociological Reflections and Future Directions. Springer.

Jung, J., Horta, H., Yonezawa, A. (Eds.). (2017). Researching Higher Education in Asia. Springer.


Higher Education in a Time of Artificial Intelligence

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Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm, (HKT)
Date: 29 April, 2024
Venue: HKU Runme Show Building Room 203 & by zoom
Speaker: Prof. Margaret Bearman (Deakin University)
Chair: Prof. Juuso Nieminen (The University of Hong Kong)
Registration link: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3UXptoOWOaQbX5c

Abstract

This keynote explores how teaching and learning in higher education may need to adapt to world with Artificial Intelligence (AI). In a time when generative AI has hit the headlines, it is important to move beyond the positive and negative hype. I do not position AI as a shining utopian opportunity nor a destructive dystopian force. Rather, I explore how we can teach students about (and with) AI in complex and dynamic ways. The concept of an ‘AI interaction’ is introduced as a foundational starting point.  I also introduce specific strategies with concrete examples for teaching students about how to engage with a world of AI.  These emphasise ideas such as developing evaluative judgement and building criticality as a means to help students grapple with an AI-mediated world.

About the Speaker

Margaret Bearman is a Research Professor within the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University. She has a first-class honours degree in computer science and a PhD in medical education. Margaret has taught and researched higher and professional education for over two decades. She is known for her work in assessment design, feedback in clinical environments, simulation, and digital education.


Knowledge – The Most Important and Least Considered Object of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm, (HKT)
Date: 14 May, 2024
Mode: by Zoom
Speaker: Prof. Paul Ashwin (Lancaster University)
Chair: Prof. Juuso Henrik (The University of Hong Kong)
Registration link: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpfuurqDoiHtcrZeD4Vv_pz8PsMjr4JEFS

Abstract

In this seminar, I will argue that studies of teaching and learning in higher education all too frequently fail to consider the role of knowledge in educational processes. This occurs regardless of the island of higher education research that they inhabit. This means we get discussion of student-centredness, student engagement, or student identities without any sense of how all of these processes are shaped by the knowledge to which students are seeking to gain access. This occurs for both  methodological and conceptual reasons but is ironic given higher education’s primary role as a steward of knowledge for societies. I will argue that without an understanding of knowledge it is not possible to understand what it means to educate students. 

About the Speaker

Paul Ashwin is Professor of Higher Education, Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University. He is Deputy Director of the Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE) and leads the Centre’s Graduate Experiences of Employability and Knowledge project, which is examining the experiences of graduates of chemistry and chemical engineering in England, South Africa and the United States. His book, ‘Transforming University Education: A Manifesto’ (2020), argues for a focus on the educational, rather than economic, purposes of university degrees in order to understand their transformational impact on students and societies. He is also the lead author on Reflective Teaching in Higher Education (2015, 2020) written by an international team to support the development of research-informed university teaching.


Relational pedagogies in higher education

 

Date: 20th May, 2024 (Monday)
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (GMT+8)
Mode: Online (via ZOOM)
Speaker: Dr. Karen Gravett (University of Surrey)
Chair: Professor Juuso Nieminen (The University of Hong Kong)

Abstract

Relational pedagogies involve thinking about relationships, connections and care in higher education. Thinking about connections is not a new idea. But what is new are the pressures upon forging connections in universities. There is a plentiful literature on the difficulties of academic life where institutions have been described as environments that are both uncaring and unhealthy. Educators are also still grappling with the impacts of the Covid pandemic, with increasing workloads, as well as engaging with new questions regarding how artificial intelligence will reorientate engagement. This session explores how we engage in meaningful connections with others. In this seminar I engage theoretical approaches, for example posthumanism, affect theory and sociomaterial concepts, to think about relational connections in new ways. I explore how thinking with theory offers us different starting points for education that positions the teacher or student as entangled within a web of relations, that includes nonhuman others, spaces and things. I suggest that thinking in new ways about relationality and connection enables us to ask different questions, and to notice our students, institutions and learning spaces anew.

About the Speaker

Dr. Karen Gravett is Associate Professor and Director of Research at the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey, UK, where her research focuses on the theory-practice of higher education, and explores the areas of student engagement, belonging, and relational pedagogies. She is Director of the Language, Literacies and Learning research group, a member of the SRHE Governing Council, and a member of the editorial board for Teaching in Higher Education, and Learning, Media and Technology. She is also a a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and an Honorary Associate Professor for the Centre for Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) at Deakin Unversity. Karen’s work has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Society for Research in Higher Education, the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education, the British Association for Applied Linguistics, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Her latest books are: Gravett, K. (2023). Relational Pedagogies: Connections and Mattering in Higher Education, and Kinchin, I. M. and Gravett, K. (2022). Dominant Discourses in Higher Education.

Registration Form: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUufuGvpzIqEte88OsMRHnLsgE2U6UQ5hNo


香港大學世紀之問 —— 改革開放初期與內地交流的人和事

HKU in the Early Days of Reform and Opening-up 

《香港大學世紀之問 —— 改革開放初期與內地交流的人和事》
HKU in the Early Days of Reform and Opening-up
主編:陳婉瑩
Editor-in-chief: Ying Chan
出版:三聯書店(香港)有限公司
Publisher: Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd.
This book tells the story of 18 individuals who pioneered academic and professional exchanges between HKU and mainland China in the 1980’s. These men and women blazed the trail in eight sectors, medicine, engineering, literature and history, education, architecture, social work, law, and city planning, with expertise and dedication.

Our CHERA members, Professors Gerard A. Postiglione and Cheng Kai Ming, actively engaged in exchange and communication with the mainland during the Reform and Opening-up period. They are prominently featured in the book with documents, stories, analysis, and photos.


Jamil Salmi (ed.) (2023). Transforming Lives at the Institutional Level: Equity Promotion Initiatives Across the World

In the ever-evolving landscape of global education, the quest for equitable access to quality higher education remains a pressing challenge. Across the world, countless children and young individuals confront daunting circumstances that impede their educational opportunities due to factors such as race, gender, socioeconomic background, and geographical origin. This particularly affects those in developing countries and marginalized groups globally. To address this issue, promoting inclusivity and pluralism within higher education institutions has become an imperative driven by the principles of social justice and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Throughout Transforming Lives at the Institutional Level: Equity Promotion Initiatives Across the World, readers will gain profound insights into various equity-focused initiatives. From integrating low-income students into university cultures and implementing student aid programs to promoting balanced regional selection and supporting students with disabilities, the case studies offer a wealth of knowledge and good practices. They delve into affirmative action, indigenous inclusion, coaching programs, and many more initiatives aimed at improving access for underrepresented groups. This volume underscores the importance of comprehensive equity promotion policies that encompass financial and nonmonetary aspects. It emphasizes the need for coordination between national and institutional actions, with an equal focus on both access and completion. Long-term perspectives and well-established information systems are essential in effectively addressing equity gaps and measuring progress.

Editor
Jamil Salmi, Global Tertiary Education Expert, Emeritus Professor of Higher Education Policy at Diego Portales University, Chile


Gerard A. Postiglione, Christopher J. Johnstone, & Wesley R. Teter (eds.) (2023). HANDBOOK OF EDUCATION POLICY A New Direction for EU Foreign Policy?

gerry book

Edited by Gerard A. Postiglione (Professor Emeritus, Honorary Professor, The University of Hong Kong), Christopher J. Johnstone (Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, US) and Wesley R. Teter (Research Fellow, Center for Advanced School Education and Evidence Based Research, University of Tokyo, Japan)

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

‘The new Handbook of Education Policy edited by Postiglione, Johnstone and Teter is a welcome addition to the academic literature on the transformation of education policy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 22 chapters of this well-researched book give a comprehensive analysis of how education policy must adapt to a radically changed world. Through a skilful combination of thematic pieces and case studies from a large range of countries, the chapter authors challenge us to embrace new education policy concepts, such as public value governance and knowledge democratization, that can foster innovation and accountability in times of uncertainty. Gerard Postiglione, Christopher Johnstone, and Wesley Teter should be congratulated for this excellent scholarly contribution that has the potential of influencing policy makers all over the world to design and implement more sustainable and innovative education policies.’
– Jamil Salmi, Diego Portales University, Chile
‘This Handbook combines an up-to-date overview with theoretically-informed analysis of global education policies. It is erudite, insightful and original. It will be a vital resource for education policy researchers and an excellent starting point for students, in any location.’
– Stephen Ball, University College London, UK

This insightful Handbook is an essential guide to educational policy around the world. As shifting geopolitics, intensified climate change, and widening economic inequalities persist, the need for informed educational policy is critical.

Bringing together a unique collection of international case studies by scholars and practitioners from over twenty countries, the Handbook highlights how the contextual nature of educational policy and its implementation acknowledges both global trends and local nuance. Chapters explore key contemporary topics including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on international educational policy; opportunities for academic modernization in Ukrainian society; gender equality in Korean and Japanese universities; and inclusive education policies throughout the developing world, including India, South Africa, and Uruguay. It further discusses the ways in which governmental, non-governmental, and global education specialists are shaping new agendas focused on equity and responding to global crises.

Offering new perspectives on educational policy in a post-pandemic world, this comprehensive Handbook will be crucial reading for students and scholars of education policy, politics and public policy, sociology, and university management. It will also be beneficial for educational research associations and international development agencies, including UNESCO, the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank.

Click here to access further details about the book.

Book review: Below is the book review for the “Handbook of Education Policy.” You can click on the image to view the full book review or simply click here to explore the book review in more detail.

Tilak, J. B. (2023). Book review: Gerard Postiglione, Christopher J. Johnstone, and Wesley R. Teter (Eds.), Handbook of Education Policy.

People

Advisors

Professor Akira Arimoto, Hyogo University

Professor Anthony Welch, Sydney University

Professor Huang Futao, Hiroshima University

Professor Jamil Salmi, Tertiary Education Coordinator

Professor Jandhyala B. G. Tilak, Council for Social Development, India

Professor Jung Choel Shin, Seoul National University

Professor Liu Niancai, Shanghai Jiaotong University

Professor Marijk Van der Wende, Utrecht University

Professor Min Weifang, Beijing University

Professor Philip Altbach, Boston College

Professor Ruth Hayhoe, University of Toronto

Professor Shi Jinghuan, Tsinghua University

Professor Simon Marginson, Oxford University

(in alphabetical order)

Faculty


kai ming Gerry Li fang Yang Rui
david Hugo Jisun Lili

Articles

South China Morning Post – Opinion

Published: 3:30am, 28 Jul, 2023

No place for ethnic profiling of academics, whether in Hong Kong or US universities

Gerard A. Postiglion

Read the article

  • Talk of a ‘mainlandisation’ of academics in Hong Kong is baseless and only hurts the intellectual vitality and dedication of the research enterprise
  • Recent developments in the US should serve as a warning: government overreach can damage academic careers and the functioning of universities

Lectures and Seminars

Workshops and Conferences

Higher Education Research Association (HERA) 2022 Conference

Mass Higher Education After Pandemic in East Asia:

Policy, Diversity, and Social & Human Contribution 

Date: 27-29 April 2022
Venue: Online Conference (Zoom)

Keynote speakers:

Professor Gerard A. Postiglione (University of Hong Kong)

Professor Futao Huang (Hiroshima University)

Professor Anthony Welch (University of Sydney)

The upcoming 8th HERA conference aims to focus on discussing how the changes in the current global political economy, especially under the ongoing pandemic crisis have impacted higher education in East Asia. The higher education sector has expanded rapidly in many countries in the recent three decades. The rapid growth was strongly supported through policy initiatives as well as market demands in the knowledge society. Although higher education receives political support with these policy initiatives, we also witness how national and international politics are deeply involved in higher education institutions. In this regard, higher education institutions as social institutions are suffering from an “identity crisis” with the growing political involvement. The political regime prefers to reduce public funding to higher education and increase the share of competitive funding in most countries. These changes have accelerated with neoliberalism and globalization since the 1990s. However, policy mechanisms often become altered along with the change in political regime and socio-environmental factors because national politics are increasingly becoming populism and strategic. These socio-political and economic changes accompany various issues and challenges. In addition, the Pandemic caused by the COVID-19 has enormous impacts on higher education including massive use of online education, and the internationalization of higher education is experiencing transformative changes. These socio-political and economic changes accompany various issues and challenges.

Based on this theme, the HERA2022 conference covers various topics related to theory, policy, and practices in the fields of higher education. These issues are:

  • Policy and politics
  • Funding and finance
  • Governance, organization, and reforms
  • Research and development
  • Institutional management and research (IR)
  • Academic profession, students
  • Curriculum and instruction
  • Graduate education
  • Internationalization
  • Global rankings
  • Other topics related to higher education

We welcome all scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to share their expertise and knowledge in the topic of higher education at the HERA2022 conference. The organizing committee highly encourages and welcomes scholars to organize various panel sessions for a more in-depth discussion on their research topics.

Timeline:

Call for papers: Dec 20, 2021 – Jan. 31, 2022
Decision letter: Feb 14, 2022
Early registration: Feb 14, 2022 – Mar 14, 2022
Regular registration: Mar 15, 2022 – April 20, 2022

Session type

Session management

1. Individual research session

(For published papers or paper in progress)

  •  15 minutes for each presentation
  •  Session chair will be appointed by members from the steering committee or organizing committee
2. Panel session

(Organized by a group of researchers)

  • The theme and presenters of the panel session should be organized by the session group members
  • Session chair to be invited by session organizers  
3. Book workshop session

(For published book or Book design working group)

For more information about HERA2022, please visit http://www.hera-research.org

Please submit the proposal form to hera.research@gmail.com by Jan 31, 2022.

Thank you very much!

Best regards,
HERA2022 Organizing Committee
– Web: http://hera-research.org/hera-2022-conference/
– E-mail: hera.research@gmail.com

Books