Upcoming seminar
Research Integrity in Using Digital Data
Upcoming seminar: Research Integrity in Using Digital Data Date: 27 April, 2026 (Mon)
Time: 14:30 – 15:45 HK
Venue: Room 408-410 Meng Wah Complex, HKU Speaker: Professor Lesley Gourlay, Department of Culture, Communication and Media University of College London, Institute of Education Chair: Professor Liz Jackson Registration: Scan the QR code
Abstract:
Educational research increasingly relies on the use of online and/or digital data. Such research is informing changes to universities and higher education systems and the work and experiences of academics and students, including how scholars communicate, learn, and create knowledge. Additionally, digital data is increasingly used for a variety of informal and formal surveillance activities on campuses as well as in quality research assurance activities.
However, there are a series of concerns which could be raised in the current climate of digital surveillance in terms of the ethical boundaries between institutions ‘accountability and oversight’, in tension with fundamental principles of academic freedom, seclusion, and the very nature of knowledge/epistemic practices. This seminar will help researchers, teachers, and administrators in the Faculty better understand dilemmas related to research integrity in using digital data for institutional research purposes. It considers research integrity principles and their application in institutional research and offers advice for educational researchers regarding how to engage in research with integrity to enhance higher education.
About the speaker:
Lesley Gourlay is a Professor of Education in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media, University College London, Institute of Education, UK. Her research focuses on datafication, posthumanism, and phenomenology in digital higher education. She was a recipient of a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship 2021-2025 focused on ‘The Datafied University: Documentation and Performativity in Digitised Education.’ Her recent publications have focused on questions relating to surveillance and audit cultures in higher education; she is currently working on a monograph for Bloomsbury Academic on generative AI and authorship. https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/48714-lesley-gourlay
Is a star a document? Catalogued students and learning analytics
Upcoming seminar: Is a star a document? Catalogued students and learning analytics Date: 28 April, 2026 (Tue)
Time: 16:30 – 17:45 HK
Venue: Room 401-402 Meng Wah Complex, HKU Speaker: Professor Lesley Gourlay, Department of Culture, Communication and Media University of College London, Institute of Education Chair: Professor David Carless Registration: Scan the QR code
Abstract:
The media theorist Suzanne Briet proposed that through the recording of information about entities in the world, these entities are not only documented, but they themselves are rendered into documents. In this seminar, I propose that Briet’s notion of the document can be applied to data visualisation used in learning analytics, and its effect on students. I argue that a learning analytics dashboard designed for individual student use not only renders the student into a document but also imbricates the student in a co-constitutive form of relationality with that document, which explicitly encourages and rewards a very particular form of action in the world in relation to the learning management system. I conclude that this has real-world effects not only in this inculcation, but in the reification of a particular neoliberal ideology of student engagement as a performance of observable, traceable, self-optimisation in a highly individualised educational worldview.
About the speaker:
Lesley Gourlay is a Professor of Education in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media, University College London, Institute of Education, UK. Her research focuses on datafication, posthumanism, phenomenology in digital higher education. She was a recipient of a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship 2021-2025 focused on The Datafied University: Documentation and Performativity in Digitised Education. Her recent publications have focused on questions relating to surveillance and audit cultures in higher education; she is currently working on a monograph for Bloomsbury Academic on generative Al and authorship.
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 ot through 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 ot through 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).
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
| 《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?
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