Upcoming seminar

Teaching Quality in Higher Education

Upcoming Seminar: Teaching Quality in Higher Education

Date: 12 May, 2026 (Tue)

Time: 08:00 PM – 09:00 PM HK, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM UK

Venue: Online

Registration: Scan the QR code or use the link                                                                                                                                                             

Speakers

Milena Cuccurullo, University of Warwick

GAO Wanjun, The University of Hong Kong

Chair

Dr. James Burford, Reader & Deputy Director of Doctoral Education & Academia Research Centre (DEAR), University of Warwick

Abstract:

Re-imagining Teaching Quality in HE with Philosophical Hermeneutics

The discourse around teaching quality in higher education is often hollowed by the technical language of what is measurable and quantifiable for institutional accountability purposes. On the contrary, philosophical hermeneutics aims to revitalise the higher education discourse beyond what quantitative indicators of accountability and employability can tell. Concepts like ‘conversation’ and ‘practical wisdom’ help us to capture aspects of teaching quality that are equally valuable, although not measurable. The hermeneutic notion of excellence allows us to reflect on teaching and learning as a particular kind of human relationship. This is essential to develop HE institutions as places that can offer unique cultural experiences, which students will not find anywhere else.

Enhancing Teaching Quality: Perceptions of Teachers from Chinese Private Higher Education Institutions

Teaching quality is essential for ensuring students’ learning satisfaction, academic performance and employability, but its enhancement has been studied mainly in the undergraduate context at public universities. This study aimed to understanding teachers’ perceptions about enhancing teaching quality in Chinese private HEIs. Stakeholder participation was applied in formulating strategies for enhancing teaching quality. The results revealed that teachers should innovate their instructional methods and pursue continuous professional learning. Institutional administrators are responsible for fostering an exceptional teaching culture, developing excellent teachers, establishing an appropriate performance-based reward mechanism and enhancing the integration of teaching and industry. Significantly, students should engage in teaching activities and establish clear development aspirations in a positive manner.

From Knowledge Diplomacy to Knowledge Security: Developments, Implications and A Warning for Comparative Education

Upcoming Seminar: From Knowledge Diplomacy to Knowledge Security: Developments, Implications and A Warning for Comparative Education

Date: 22 May, 2026 (Fri)

Time: 14:30 – 16:00 HK

Venue: Online

Registration: Scan the QR code or use the link

Speaker: Prof. Anthony Welch, University of Sydney.

Abstract:

Until recently, the simultaneous rise of both knowledge diplomacy and forms of populist nationalism, together with their influence on higher education, would have been thought unlikely. But it is no longer possible to indulge such hopes; rather, it is necessary to examine the relationship of the two, and the practical outcomes for higher education internationalisation. This certainly presents a challenge, yet also an analytical opportunity.

The analysis begins with a sketch of the main principles of knowledge diplomacy (KD), principally as outlined in the recent work of Jane Knight, while pointing to some of the limits resulting from its initial assumptions, which align with core UN values, and certain strands of social theory, notably elements of Gadamer’s hermeneutics. Australia is seen as a particularly useful test case: its history of colonialism, together with a legacy of tensions between its history and geography gives the evolution of KD and internationalization a distinctive quality. Historical examples drawn from earlier episodes of the Australian experience of international higher education reveal a complex mix of motives, only some of which fall within the current definition of KD. Current schemes revealing an evolved set of principles are also assessed relative to KD and again reveal a complex meld of rationales. An assessment of the evolution of the practice of KD in the Australian case rounds out the argument, and is followed with some final reflections on the theory, practice, and the need to keep both in view, in a dangerous and uncertain era internationally.

About the Speaker:

Anthony Welch is Professor of Education, and a member of the China Studies Centre, University of Sydney. Numerous publications address education reforms, principally within Australia and Asia-Pacific. A consultant to state, national and international agencies, governments, institutions and foundations, particularly in higher education, his project experience includes the ADB project Higher Education in Dynamic Asia, and Higher Education Expert for the Comprehensive Education Sector Review, Myanmar. He directed the ARC project, The Chinese Knowledge Diaspora, his work appears in a dozen languages, and he has been Visiting Professor in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, Malaysia, Turkey, Hong Kong, and mainland China. A Fulbright Scholar, DAAD Scholar and Visiting Professor INRP, Tübitak, Haiwai Mingshi, his recent books include Measuring Up in Higher Education (2021), International Faculty in Asia (2021), Education, Change and Society (2022) and 《等教育的衡量标准——全球化时代⼤学排名对知识⽣产的重塑》(2025).

Research Integrity and Authorship

Upcoming Seminar: Research Integrity and Authorship

Date: 26 May, 2026 (Tue)

Time: 14:30 – 16:00 HK

Venue: Room 754, Meng Wah Complex, HKU

Registration: Scan the QR code

Speaker: Dr Mark Harrison, Hong Kong Shue Yan University

Abstract:

An important issue in research integrity is the conduct of research collaboration and practices of authorship designation. For students and early career researchers, such issues as who should be a named author of a paper and authorship order are complex ethical considerations in collaborative and team research. This seminar will address research integrity throughout research collaboration processes, in light of new trends in team-based research and multiple co-authorship in education and counselling. The seminar will explore different orientations to collaborating and authorship and their implications in relation to practising research integrity.

About the Speaker:

Dr Mark Harrison is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counselling and Psychology at Hong Kong Shue Yan University. He teaches and researches in the areas of developmental psychology, motivation and learning, and school-based counselling.

Remark: Funded by the Research Integrity Funding Scheme 2025-26 under the project title: “Research Integrity Beyond Forms and Rules”

Reimagining Doctoral Futures Together: Collective Agency, Creative Art of Living and New Possibilities

Upcoming Workshop: Reimagining Doctoral Futures Together: Collective Agency, Creative Art of Living and New Possibilities

Date: 03 June, 2026 (Wed)

Time: 04:30 PM– 05:45 PM HK

Type: Hybrid

Venue: RMS204, Runme Shaw Building, HKU & Zoom

Registration: Scan the QR code or use the link

Speakers: 

Dr Hayes Tang, Associate Professor and Associate Head of Department of Education Policy and Leadership at the Education University of Hong Kong

Dr Gordon Tsui, Course Tutor in Common Core Curriculum at the University of Hong Kong

Abstract:

Future employment of doctoral holders is too often framed as a matter of individual responsibility. This workshop challenges that assumption by opening a collective, imaginative space for dialogue—inviting participants to explore possibilities beyond what has previously been thinkable. It encourages creative and critical reflection on academic life, including alternative ‘arts of living’ for doctoral holders that extend beyond conventional career trajectories.

Through dialogic and participatory sharing and co-creation, the workshop serves as a generative platform for reimagining doctoral futures. It foregrounds doctoral graduates as global citizens equipped with advanced expertise and methodological capacity, capable of exploring meaningful and socially responsive pathways.

By convening doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and practitioners of doctoral education, the workshop aims to catalyse collective agency and foster a global community of practice. Reimagining doctoral futures is not peripheral, it is central to the future of global higher education itself.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Hayes Tang is an Associate Professor (Sociology of Higher Education) and Associate Head (Quality Assurance and Enhancement) of Department of Education Policy and Leadership at the Education University of Hong Kong. He is a sociologist specialising in the fields of higher education policy, academic profession and youth studies. His research reconsiders the sociological role of higher education and future imaginaries of the academic profession in the rise of ‘academic entrepreneurialism’, focusing on world-class universities in East Asia and the ecological paradigm of the ‘post-entrepreneurial university’. He is committed to creating new knowledge to reimagine the university in the age of the Anthropocene.

Dr. Gordon Tsui is a course tutor in Common Core Curriculum at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests, from the comparative perspective, touch on higher education and multicultural/intercultural education. Gordon is currently the Doctoral and Early Career (DEC) Representative of The Hong Kong Educational Research Association (HKERA) under World Education Research Association (WERA).

Remark: The workshop involves some hands‑on activities and group discussions.

Higher Education in China

Domestic Demands and Global Aspirations

Assessing the trajectory of China’s higher education system amid competing domestic priorities and global ambitions.

By 2025, China had twice as many college students as the United States, four times as many STEM graduates, and double the number of STEM PhDs. What will it mean for the global future when a quarter of a billion Chinese citizens hold higher education degrees? In this timely book, Gerard A. Postiglione—an internationally recognized authority on Chinese education—offers a panoramic view of the world’s largest state-directed higher education system and its complex interplay with China’s social, economic, and geopolitical ambitions.

At the center of Postiglione’s analysis is the tension between domestic imperatives and global aspirations. As China aims to cultivate a world-significant higher education system by 2035, it faces a trio of formidable challenges: graduate employment, equitable access, and governance reform. Higher Education in China unpacks how elite Chinese research institutions and rapidly expanding second- and third-tier colleges are navigating these pressures amid a shifting landscape shaped by urban-rural inequality, labor market demands, and technological disruption.

Based on policy consultation with China’s Ministry of Education and on-the-ground research in nearly every province, Postiglione’s account brings unmatched depth and perspective. He traces how returnee scholars, massification policies, and regional development initiatives have transformed campuses and classrooms, while also posing difficult questions about sustainability, quality, and inclusion. Higher Education in China illustrates how the country’s evolving academic system may influence its long-term trajectory—and, by extension, reshape the global order of knowledge and innovation.

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 

 

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?

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