Overview

Importance of supporting and promoting internationalisation

Promoting internationalisation in higher education enriches the academic community by fostering diverse perspectives, cultural exchange, and global collaboration. By promoting internationalisation, we can strengthen the support to non-local students, preparing thenm to thrive in an interconnected world while enhancing their intercultural competence and broadening their horizons. For academic and technical staff, internationalisation drives innovative teaching, research collaborations, and professional development. Engagement with international peers and students enhances scholarly exchange, broadens research perspectives, and opens opportunities for joint projects. It also builds staff’s intercultural competence, enabling them to adapt teaching and support to diverse student needs.. The LTTC plays a pivotal role in enhancing academic advising by organizing a series of 10 targeted seminars and workshops, coordinating 4 cross-faculty sharing sessions to highlight best practices, and producing accessible multimedia resources such as videos and presentation slides to create a lasting knowledge base for improving advising effectiveness.

Upcoming events

(To be announced)

Seminars and workshops

We’ve organized various seminars focused on sociocultural consciousness, diversity awareness, and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of academic advising for both local and non-local students.

Seminar 1: Cultural Awareness Competence and Safety

Date	25 October 2024 (Friday)
Speaker	Dr Angela HUO Associate Professor School of Computer Science Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia
Seminar Title	Cultural Awareness Competence and Safety
Speaker’s Bio	Dr. Angela Huo is an associate professor in the School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney. She is currently the Deputy Responsible Academic Officer (RAO) of teaching and learning, the Course Director of Bachelor of Computing Science (Honours) and a core member of the Computer Data Analysis and Machine Learning Laboratory. In the field of education, she has proposed and designed a number of transnational educational cooperation projects, with university partners in ten countries across four continents. She has a broad international education vision and rich international education experience in multicultural exchanges.
Abstract	This seminar is designed to build on people’s skills in providing services to multicultural people in ways that respect and support the diversity of different cultures and value the strengths of multicultural individuals, families and communities. The seminar is conducted in a culturally safe and non-judgmental environment where participants are encouraged to question freely and with respect. The seminar is founded on encouraging the audience to develop their own solutions around more effective service delivery, as well as sound partnership building.
Resources	Video & ppt slides

 

Seminar 2: Teaching, Supervising and Providing Academic Advising to Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

Date	6 November 2024 (Wednesday)
Speaker	Dr Dennis ALONZO Senior Lecturer University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
Seminar Title	Teaching, Supervising and Providing Academic Advising to Students from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds
Speaker’s Bio	Dr Alonzo has been awarded with more than $9M research funding in the last seven years. He uses mixed methods in his research on the intersections of curriculum, assessment, equity, evaluation of educational programs, and teacher education and development. He works with educational systems and schools nationally and internationally to lead their assessment reforms focused on articulating policies, developing assessment resources, implementing professional development, and changing teachers’ beliefs and practices. He provides support for individual schools to build a strong assessment culture. Also, he engages with schools by co-designing and evaluating long-term educational programs and providing short-term training and input.
Abstract	Dr Alonzo mentioned the need to adopt culturally responsive approaches in teaching, supervising and providing Academic Advising to Students. He also presented a framework that highlights the dispositions, knowledge, and skills in using students’ characteristics, experiences, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds to inform the effectiveness of the teaching and supervision practices. In the end, Dr Alonzo concludes by offering some strategies on how to implement a culturally responsive higher degree research students’ supervision.
Resources	Video & ppt slides

 

Seminar 3: Postgraduate Education in Hong Kong: Issues and Challenges

Date	29 August 2025 (Friday)
Speaker	Dr. Jisun JUNG Associate Professor The University of Hong Kong
Speaker’s Bio	Dr. Jung is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include doctoral education, master’s education, and graduate employability. She serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education Research & Development, a Q1 journal published by Taylor & Francis. She also serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, including Higher Education, Higher Education Quarterly, Journal of Academic Ethics, Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, and Asia Pacific Education Review. Her co-edited volume, Universities in the Knowledge Society: The Nexus of National Systems of Innovation and Higher Education, was awarded the Significant Research on International Higher Education in 2022 by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) in the USA. She has been listed among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in the field of educational research by Stanford University since 2022.
Abstract	Higher education worldwide faces significant challenges today due to rapid technological advancements and demographic shifts. Universities are expected to generate cutting-edge knowledge, educate future leaders, and contribute to both local and global society. Students seek higher and better education to become more competitive in the labour market. Moreover, the social and cultural context of East Asia, including Hong Kong, fosters strong educational aspirations among students and parents, encouraging them to pursue postgraduate studies. Over the past two decades, Hong Kong’s postgraduate education has experienced substantial growth at both master’s and doctoral levels, characterised by increased enrollment and diversification of programmes. Despite these developments, ongoing challenges persist, including financial constraints, curriculum quality, and graduate employability. In this seminar, the speaker will share recent research findings on the career development and employability challenges faced by postgraduate students and discuss implications for programme enhancement and institutional policies.
Resources	Video & ppt slides

 

Seminar 4: Quality Academic Advising in Contemporary Undergraduate Education: Lessons Learned from the Medical School Context

Date	23 October 2025 (Thursday)
Speaker	Dr. Julie CHEN Assistant Dean (LKS Faculty of Medicine) The University of Hong Kong
Speaker’s Bio	Dr. Julie Chen is an academic family physician who was the inaugural Assistant Dean (Learner Wellbeing) in the LKS Faculty of Medicine and is currently Assistant Dean (Student Wellness & Engagement). She teaches medical students across all six years of the MBBS programme in her own discipline as well as in professionalism and medical humanities. Her research interests derive from her teaching and lie in curriculum development, professionalism, and doctor and student wellbeing. She was recently awarded an $800,000 UGC TDLEG in the thematic area of wellness and personal growth for a project to support undergraduate students in the LKS Faculty of Medicine.
	In recognition of her work in medical education, she has been awarded a Faculty Teaching Medal, two University Outstanding Teaching Awards and a Teaching Innovation Award (Team) from The University of Hong Kong.
Abstract	The role of academic advising extends beyond course selection to encompass mentorship, career guidance and increasingly requires awareness and skills to provide more holistic support. The first year of study and other transitional timepoints such as commencement of practicums or clinical work for students in professional programmes, are traditionally the most critical for undergraduate university students and academic advisors have been trained to focus on these. However, the particular needs of the Generation Z cohort of students, as well as the increasingly international composition of the student body, bring new challenges for academic advisors. As these students navigate their diverse educational journeys, advisors must cultivate skills that enhance their effectiveness, including mental health support and cultural sensitivity.   Advisors so equipped can better understand and respond to the unique challenges faced by these students, such as psychological stresses, adaptation issues and economic pressures. This understanding fosters an inclusive environment where students feel valued and supported.
Resources	Video & ppt slides

 

Sharing sessions across Faculties, Graduate School and Departments

Sharing 1: Good Practices in Doctoral Supervision

(Photo) & (Poster)

Date: 25 March 2025 (Tuesday)

Time: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Venue: Online via Zoom

(Video link) & (ppt slides)

 

Abstract: The doctoral journey begins from two distinct points – the student and the supervisor. If both parties are familiar with each other, the path to a doctorate seems like a natural progression. In many cases, however, students must find a suitable university and supervisor. Initiating contact can challenge a student’s confidence and communication skills. Potential doctoral supervisors, therefore, need to maintain an open mind and understand a student’s perspective.

 

Once a student is accepted into a doctorate programme, the supervisor will fulfil many roles during and after the study period. Supervisors provide academic, professional and emotional support. They help students transition from being part of a crowd to an individual with specialised knowledge and skills. During this period, students need support to adjust to navigating what is sometimes viewed as a lonely journey.

 

In this 1.5-hour seminar, three renowned EdUHK scholars will share their insights into the methods and strategies they use to support doctoral students. The three experts from Science, Linguistics and Early Childhood Education will draw on their experiences in their respective fields to explain the role of a doctoral supervisor. Doctoral supervision is an intensive, years long relationship. This seminar informed students and supervisors about best practices from first contact to postdoc. The explained how they communicate with students, how they encourage independence, and how they build resilience.

 

Speakers:

 

 

 

 

Professor Yeung Chi-ho, Dean of Students;

Associate Dean (Quality Assurance and Enhancement)

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Associate Head (Teaching and Learning), Department of Science and Environmental Studies

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Professor Ma Qing Angel

Professor (Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies)

Associate Dean (Research & Postgraduate Studies)

Faculty of Humanities

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Professor Alfredo Bautista

Professor & Associate Head (Internationalisation)

Department of Early Childhood Education

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

Sharing 2: Academic Advising and Support for Non-Local Students: Experiences from MIT and the BSc(AI&EdTech) Programme

 

(Photo) & (Poster)

Date: 15 May 2025 (Thursday)

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Venue: Online via Zoom

(Video link) & (ppt slides)

 

Abstract:

Academic advising and student support can significantly influence non-local students’ adaptation and academic experience, particularly as they navigate new educational and cultural contexts. In this session, we will share our experiences from recent initiatives within the MIT department and the BSc(AI&EdTech) programme, such as orientation activities, cultural visits, direct dialogues with non-local undergraduate students, and experiential trips to the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Additionally, we will discuss the challenges and difficulties encountered during the planning and implementation of these initiatives. The goal of this sharing is to collaboratively explore practical strategies and insights that may help enhance advising practices, foster student engagement, and support the University’s wider efforts in promoting internationalisation.

 

Speaker:

 

 

 

 

Dr. Chan Tse Tin David

Assistant Professor

Programme Leader of BSc (AI&EdTech)

Department of Mathematics and Information Technology

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

Sharing 3: Supporting Non-local Students to Have a Fulfilling University Experience

 

(Photo) & (Poster)

Date: 13 May 2025 (Tuesday)

Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Venue: Online via Zoom

(Video link) & (ppt slides)

 

Abstract:

Academic advisors should provide a supportive environment that enables non-local students to excel both academically and socially, leading to a happier and more fulfilling university experience. In this session, we will share our experiences in assisting non-local students with various academic endeavours, including course selection, exchange programmes, internship opportunities and career guidance. In addition to academic success, it is crucial to assist non-local students in building social connections by encouraging their participation in cultural activities that help them acclimate to local customs, traditions, and university life. We will also discuss support services such as counselling, mentoring programme, and study groups to encourage teamwork and shared learning experiences between local and non-local students. The aim of this session is to collaboratively explore practical strategies and insights that address the unique challenges faced by non-local students.

 

Speaker:

 

 

 

 

Dr Chan Chi Lok Lawrence

Lecturer

Department of Psychology

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

Sharing 4: Fostering Inclusivity and Academic Success: Enhancing Support for Non-Local Students in the Faculty of Humanities at EdUHK

 

(Photo) & (Poster)

Date: 15 April 2025 (Tuesday)

Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Venue: Online via Zoom

(Video link) & (ppt slides)

 

Abstract:

The Faculty of Humanities (FHM) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has been actively enhancing the academic and cultural integration of non-local students through a series of well-structured initiatives during the 2024/25 academic year. Programmes have implemented Academic Advising (AA) schemes and cross-cultural activities to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for both local and non-local students. Key activities include AA meetings with light refreshments, thematic-based talks by international students, and personal development workshops aimed at helping non-local students adjust to university life and build meaningful networks. These efforts have successfully fostered cross-cultural mingling and provided a platform for students to share their experiences and appreciate cultural diversity. Looking ahead, the Faculty plans to continue these initiatives by organizing additional AA meetings, peer teaching demonstrations, and alumni-sharing sessions. These activities are designed to further promote cultural exchange, provide academic support, and enhance the overall student experience. Additionally, the Faculty has launched a dedicated ‘Non-local Students’ section on its website, offering valuable resources and information to facilitate the smooth transition of non-local students into the university community. A series of short videos showcasing the experiences of non-local students will also be released on the Faculty’s social media platforms and website, providing insights into university life and the support systems available.

 

Speaker:

 

 

 

 

Professor Wang Lixun

Acting Head of Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies and Professor (Practice)
Associate Dean (International Engagement)

Faculty of Humanities

Associate Co-Director (Global Institute for Emerging Technologies Equity Team)

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Dr LEE Kwing Lok Albert

Associate Professor

Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Dr LI Zhen Jennie

Assistant Professor

Department of Chinese Language Studies

The Education University of Hong Kong

 

 

 

 

Dr LIAO Xian

Associate Professor

Department of Chinese Language Studies

The Education University of Hong Kong