A panel from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) conducted the Fifth Institutional Review of UIC on 27 and 28 March.
The panel paid close attention to UIC’s new campus plan, quality assurance, enhancement of students’ learning experience and global engagement. Results of the Institutional Review will be reported back to UIC.
The Fifth Institutional Review Panel members and UIC staff members
Led by HKBU Vice-President (Academic) Prof Franklin Luk, the Fifth Institutional Review Panel included 14 members: Vice-President (Research and Development) Prof Rick Wong, Associate Vice-President Prof Tang Tao, Academic Registrar Dr So Kwok Sang, heads and professors of related departments, and an external member Vice President (Academic Affairs) of National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, Prof Lio Mon-Chi; supported by four HKBU staff members.
In addition, Beijing Normal University - the other parent university of UIC - convened two observers to participate in the review for the first time: Prof Li Qi at the Institute of Higher Education of the Faculty of Education and Cynthia Chen, Director of Regional Cooperation Promotion Centre, Office of National Collaborative Programmes.
The Fifth Institutional Review was on a larger scale than any time before, with a very tight schedule within the two days.
Soon after their arrival, the panel members met with the UIC senior management to gain an overview of the College’s status quo. UIC President, Prof Ng Ching-Fai, and Mr James Cho, Director of New Campus Development Office, presented the new campus plan and pictured UIC’s way forward to wider and deeper engagement with Zhuhai’s development.
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| The HKBU panel members discuss with some of UIC’s academic and administrative staff members |
The panel then held 14 meetings with Programme Directors, directors of teaching centres and administrative units, academic and administrative staff members, and student representatives, attended by over 120 people.
Particularly, the meetings with graduates, advisory board members of the three divisions and industrial partners were the new parts of the review in order for a comprehensive understanding of UIC, inviting participants from Hong Kong and a number of other cities.
According to UIC participants in the review, what the panel members were concerned with was specific and detailed with a wide range of questions. They were asked about the implementation of Liberal Arts Education and Whole Person Education, burden on students, e-learning, graduates’ choice of further studies and employment, teacher recruitment and incentive mechanisms.
At the concluding session on the afternoon of the second day, the Panel Chairman Prof Franklin Luk, who had joined the last four institutional reviews, said he was satisfied with the review and was impressed by UIC students and graduates.
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| UIC students and graduates impress the HKBU panel |
Before visiting, the panel had read a Self-Evaluation Document for the Fifth Institutional Review submitted by UIC, which summarises UIC’s development in the past two years and proposes optimisations.
A draft of the Self-Evaluation Document had been widely circulated for comments within UIC since the end of last year, and the final version was endorsed by the UIC Senate on 20 January.
Combining what they have learned from the document and the Institutional Review, the panel members will compose a detailed report pinpointing commendations, affirmations and recommendations to UIC. Subsequently, UIC will respond and further improve itself accordingly.
It has been learned that the University Grants Committee (UGC), which is responsible for advising on the development and funding needs of higher education institutions in Hong Kong, will conduct quality audits on the eight government-funded universities including HKBU. Thus, it will probably visit UIC in order to audit HKBU’s degree programme in mainland China.
Earlier in December 2008, the UGC praised the overall academic and management quality of UIC after a visit by its panel.
Institutional Review is important to quality assurance
UIC is the first full-scale cooperation in higher education between mainland China and Hong Kong, whose graduates will be awarded Bachelor's Degrees by HKBU and Graduation Certificates by UIC.
In line with the practice at HKBU, UIC has set up a strict quality assurance system. HKBU visits UIC periodically to review and assess the standards of its academic units.
Originally, the Institutional Review was conducted once approximately every one and a half years, starting from June 2007 and then in December 2008, May 2010 and December 2011. Since the last review it was altered to be held at intervals of two years, as UIC is growing to maturity.
Reporter: Deen He
Photographers: Irene Yu, Vivi Xie and Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
