The School was awarded “Recognised Organisation” at UNSDG Achievement Awards Hong Kong 2024

The School is proud to announce that it has received the “Recognised Organisation” award at the UNSDG Achievement Awards Hong Kong 2024 for the first time. Organised by the Green Council, this award aims to identify and recognise organisations that demonstrate exceptional performance in their business practices and sustainability projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr Bruce Cheung, Head of the College of Life Sciences and Technology of HKU SPACE, accepted the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony held on 26 July 2024.

This recognition reflects our commitment to advancing practices in environmental, social, sustainability and governance and integrating these into our operational frameworks. The School is dedicated to fostering an environmentally conscious community and contributing to a more sustainable future for all.

Once again, we would like to express our sincere congratulations to the entire HKU SPACE community for their united efforts in attaining this significant milestone.

HKU SPACE Recognised with Correctional Services Department's Inaugural "Rehabilitation Partners" Award

The Correctional Services Department (CSD) held the inaugural Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony on 13 June to honour the contributions of 120 non-governmental organisations, charitable institutions, commercial entities, and post-secondary institutions for their active support to persons in custody and rehabilitated offenders over the past two years. HKU SPACE was honoured to receive the "Rehabilitation Partners" award. Professor William K.M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, and Ms. Karen Chan, Associate Head of College of Humanities and Law, accepted the award on behalf of the School.

Commencing in 2023, the School has been organising ten Certificate for Module programmes related to Multimedia Production and Communication Design for the Industries & Vocational Training Section of the CSD, providing young persons in custody with industry knowledge and skills training. Through the School's Microcredential courses, students who accumulate 30 and 60 credits will be awarded a Certificate in Professional Practice and a Diploma, respectively. These credentials will enable them to pursue further studies in the School's bridging and advanced programmes in graphic design, interior design, or game design. Currently, four students from Sha Tsui Correctional Institution on Lantau Island have successfully attained the required number of credits and received the Certificate in Professional Practice (Multimedia Design), making them the first group of students to be awarded certificates through the Microcredential courses.

This award recognises the School's commitment to providing post-release employment and academic assistance to persons in custody, facilitating their integration into society and ensuring a smooth transition into a new life after release. 

The School Wins the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Platinum Award for the 11^th Year in a Row

The School was honored for the 11th consecutive year to receive the Platinum Award in the Continuing Education Category at the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Awards. This achievement underscores the school's commitment to delivering high-quality programmes and services that have earned the trust and confidence of the community. The School reaffirms its dedication to fulfilling its mission of serving the community and will continue diversifying its course offerings to meet the evolving needs of students. This prestigious award will further motivate the School to strive for excellence and innovation in continuing education.

The School Wins the Sing Tao Excellent Service Award for the 17th Consecutive Year

HKU SPACE was awarded the “Sing Tao Excellent Service Award - Continuing Education” for the 17th year in a row. Ms Susanna Mok, Director of Institutional Advancement of HKU SPACE received the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony on 2 February 2024. 

The judges recognised HKU SPACE's unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality continuing education services. Over the span of 66 years, the School has served over 3.3 million enrolled students, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the field.

To further fulfill its social responsibilities and better serve the community, HKU SPACE recently launched Microcredential courses and upgraded its facilities in various learning centres. These initiatives enable the School to provide even more exceptional educational opportunities and support the individual development of its students.

HKU SPACE Receives 5-Year Extension of ASIIN Accreditation Seal, Recognising its Quality Management in Teaching and Learning

HKU SPACE is delighted to announce that in relation to the International Quality Review, the German Agency, the Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics (ASIIN), has now confirmed that our institutional accreditation seal has been extended for 5 years until 30 September 2028. This confirms that HKU SPACE fulfils the institutional, procedural and cultural requirements for good teaching and successful learning. The experts commended that “HKU SPACE's institutional leadership is particularly strong, and the institution is procedurally rigorous.”

Professor William K.M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, said, “We are delighted to receive this recognition from ASIIN, which grants us a 5-year extension of our Accreditation Seal. This demonstrates the global acknowledgement of our quality assurance systems. The positive report reinforces our unwavering dedication to professional and continuing education, as well as lifelong learning. It affirms the strength of our governance structure and the soundness of our quality assurance systems, aligned with international standards.”

The ASIIN review was carried out on 5 July 2022 in the form of a virtual audit by the international expert panel. The accreditation was based on the Criteria for the ASIIN System Seal / Institutional Accreditation / Institutional Assessment. This set of criteria is designed for quality development in teaching and learning (in line with the European Standards and Guidelines 2015). The criteria refer to (I) the definition of quality and its management, (II) their application in the educational provisions the Higher Education Institution (HEI) is offering, (III) the management of its resources and (IV) quality related transparency and documentation.

The report was positive and showed that HKU SPACE scored highly over the entire range of the four sets of criteria. The strongest categories across the board were quality management systems/governance, the process for the creation and development of study programmes as well as rules and regulations and transparency and documentation.

Key findings are as follows:

• The experts see multiple evidence of an effective leadership and a management culture that is proactive and geared to the further development of the institution. They are particularly impressed by the manifold, well-functioning quality management systems in place, which are constantly and consistently monitoring the success of HKU SPACE´s operations on most levels
• The experts commend HKU SPACE on its comprehensive planning processes, which are geared to the further improvement of its study programmes.
• The experts find a strong centralised management in relation to rules and regulations pertaining to programmes. The website and detailed programme prospectus contain all relevant information for its diverse educational offerings.
• The experts identify a strong emphasis on documentation at HKU SPACE. Meetings and decisions are regularly well-documented. External legal requirements relevant for documentation and transparency are continuously taken into consideration in the respective processes.

Finally the Panel concluded HKU SPACE has a strong base to build on and promising potential to further develop as a World Class Centre of Excellence in Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning and Transnational Education.

The School Achieves a Gold Award in the "Privacy-Friendly Awards 2023" for the First Time

The School received its first-ever Gold Award in the "Privacy-Friendly Awards 2023." Organised by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD), these awards aim to recognise organisations, both public and private, as well as government departments, for their outstanding commitment to protecting personal data privacy. The award presentation ceremony was held on 31 August 2023, and Professor William K.M. Lee, Director, and Dr John Cribbin, Deputy Director (Academic Services) of HKU SPACE, received the award on behalf of the School.

This achievement showcases our unwavering commitment and ongoing efforts in implementing strong data governance practices through our Personal Data Privacy Management Programme. We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of privacy protection and responsible handling of personal data.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to the entire HKU SPACE community for their collective efforts in achieving this remarkable milestone.
 

The School Wins the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Platinum Award for the 10^th Year in a Row

The School was honoured for the 10th consecutive year to receive the Platinum Award in the Continuing Education Category at the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Awards. The school expressed gratitude to all sectors of society for their support and trust. The school also reaffirmed its commitment to its mission of providing learning opportunities to people from all walks of life in the community, a mission it has been fulfilling for 66 years.

HKU SPACE wins the Triple Gold Award in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2022/23

The School has been awarded the Triple Gold Award in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2022/23, recognising its efforts to create an accessible design for the School's website. The award presentation ceremony was held on 24 April 2023, and Mr. Cyril Leung, Acting Head of Information Technology Services, received the award on behalf of the School.

The aim of the Scheme is to acknowledge local enterprises and organizations that have made their websites accessible to people with or without disabilities, providing them with equal opportunities to access the internet with ease. Through the adoption of user-friendly and easy-to-navigate web features, the School has been committed to offering quality continuing education and career advancement opportunities to all members of the community. It will continue to fulfil its social responsibility and contribute to making Hong Kong a caring and inclusive city.

The School Wins the Sing Tao Excellent Service Award for the 16th Consecutive Year

HKU SPACE was awarded the “Sing Tao Excellent Service Award - Continuing Education” for the 16th year in a row. Dr Dorothy Chan, Deputy Director (Administration and Resources) of HKU SPACE received the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony on 31 March 2023. The judges commended the School on its unceasing commitment to deliver quality continuing education services to a total of over 3.2 million enrolled students over 66 years. By opening the new Kowloon West Campus and launching of Microcredential courses, the School will continue to provide quality programmes in support of its social responsibilities to serve the community and facilitate the individual development of students. 

HKU SPACE was awarded ASIIN Institutional Accreditation Seal

HKU SPACE is delighted to announce that it was awarded the ASIIN institutional accreditation seal as a follow up to its International Quality Review (IQR) which assessed the School against the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) in October 2021. The German Agency, the Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics (ASIIN) confirms that HKU SPACE fulfils the institutional, procedural and cultural requirements for good teaching and successful learning. The experts commend that “HKU SPACE's institutional leadership is particularly strong, and the institution is procedurally rigorous.”

The ASIIN review was carried out on 5 July 2022 in the form of a virtual audit of the international experts. The accreditation was based on the Criteria for the ASIIN System Seal / Institutional Accreditation / Institutional Assessment. This set of criteria is designed for quality development in teaching and learning (in line with the European Standards and Guidelines 2015). The criteria refer to (I) the definition of quality and its management, (II) their application in the educational provisions the Higher Education Institution (HEI) is offering, (III) the management of its resources and (IV) quality related transparency and documentation.

The report was positive and showed that HKU SPACE scored highly over the entire range of the four sets of criteria. The strongest categories across the board were quality management systems/governance, the process for the creation and development of study programmes as well as rules and regulations and transparency and documentation.

Key findings are as follows:

• The experts see multiple evidence of an effective leadership and a management culture that is proactive and geared to the further development of the institution. They are particularly impressed by the manifold, well-functioning quality management systems in place, which are constantly and consistently monitoring the success of HKU SPACE´s operations on most levels
• The experts commend HKU SPACE on its comprehensive planning processes, which are geared to the further improvement of its study programmes.
• The experts find a strong centralised management in relation to rules and regulations pertaining to programmes. The website and detailed programme prospectus contain all relevant information for its diverse educational offerings.
• The experts identify a strong emphasis on documentation at HKU SPACE. Meetings and decisions are regularly well-documented. External legal requirements relevant for documentation and transparency are continuously taken into consideration in the respective processes.

Professor William K.M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, said, “I am very happy to receive this formal recognition from ASIIN which demonstrates that our quality assurance systems receive global recognition. This positive report shows our dedication and commitment to professional and continuing education and lifelong learning, and that our governance structure and quality assurance systems are sound.”

Finally the Panel concluded HKU SPACE has a strong base to build on and promising potential to further develop as a World Class Centre of Excellence in Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning and Transnational Education. It has made a number of recommendations to assist the School in this endeavour which will be followed up in the coming months.

THE SCHOOL WINS SING TAO EXCELLENT SERVICE AWARD FOR THE 15^TH YEAR IN A ROW

HKU SPACE was awarded the “Sing Tao Excellent Service Award - Continuing Education” for the 15^th year in a row. Dr CL Chan, Chief Information Officer of HKU SPACE, received the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony on 21 June 2022. The judges commended the School on its tremendous record of delivering the highest levels of continuing education to more than three million enrolled students over the past 65years. The School will continue to provide quality programmes to cater for the needs of the community. 

THE SCHOOL WINS HK ENTERPRISE BRAND AWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME

Hong Kong Professional Interior Designer Association organised “HK Enterprise Brand Awards 2021” for the first time in recognising institutions and players in the field for their contribution to the industry. HKU SPACE is nominated by the judging panel to receive the awards in “Education Institution Category” in view of our contribution in nurturing interior design practitioners in the industry. Dr TM Kwong, Head of College of Humanities and Law of HKU SPACE, received the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony on 4 July 2022. The School will provide more interior design related programmes to nurture professionals for the industry.

HKU SPACE has fully achieved the European Standards for Quality

HKU SPACE is pleased to announce that it has undergone an International Quality Review (IQR) against the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) in October 2021. The School was delighted to learn that it has fulfilled all 10 ESG criteria, and is commended by the panel that “HKU SPACE presents a well-articulated and compelling Vision, Mission and Values Statement (VMV)” and “its societal relevance cannot be underestimated and has to be highly commended”. Also, “the Panel commends the School for being an inclusive educational institution with fair and transparent admission criteria, striving to provide multiple qualification channels to students from various educational backgrounds”.

Following the UGC review report on the University of Hong Kong’s sub-degree programmes published in 2019, HKU SPACE was encouraged to engage in more systematic international benchmarking in order to support its aspiration to be a world class centre for professional and continuing education and lifelong learning. As part of its response, the School decided to undergo an International Quality Review (IQR). The Expert Panel endorsed an Assessment Framework which was derived broadly from the ESG and fitted the purpose of HKU SPACE. The IQR was supported by a German Agency, the Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics (ASIIN).

The review meetings were conducted between 11 and 15 October 2021. The Panel met over 90 people, including the HKU SPACE Board of Directors, University colleagues, School staff, part-time teachers, students, graduates, employers, professional bodies and external examiners.

Professor William K.M. Lee, the Director of the HKU SPACE, said, “I am very happy with the positive report which demonstrates our quality assurance receiving global recognition. The Panel was impressed with our work and our commitment to professional and continuing education and lifelong learning. Our vision, mission and strategic direction are sound; and these are supported by an equally sound governance structure; committed leadership and a well established and proven quality assurance system.”

Professor Lee further stated that “I am proud to be a member of the School; and honoured to be working with such esteemed colleagues. The road ahead will be challenging; but I know, with such committed and professional colleagues, the School will overcome these and excel in our mission.”

The Panel concluded that the School has fulfilled the 10 ESG criteria of standards and guidelines for internal quality assurance. The 10 criteria include policy for quality assurance, design and approval of programmes, student-centred learning, teaching and assessment, student admission, progression, recognition and certification, teaching staff, learning resources and student support, information management, public information, on-going monitoring and periodic review of programmes and cyclical external quality assurance.

Finally the Panel concluded the HKU SPACE has a strong base to build on and promising potential of further developing into a World Class Centre of Excellence in Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning and Transnational Education, it has compiled its recommendations to assist the School in this endeavour.

The link to the report can be found  here.

The School wins the Sing Tao Excellent Service Award for the 14^th Consecutive Year

HKU SPACE was awarded the “Sing Tao Excellent Service Award - Continuing Education” for the 14^th year in a row. Ms Susanna Mok, Director of Institutional Advancement of HKU SPACE received the award on behalf of the School at a ceremony on 16 September 2021. The judges commended the School on its unceasing commitment to deliver quality continuing education services to a total of over three million enrolled students over 64 years. The School will continue to provide top-notch programmes in support of its social responsibilities to serve the community and facilitate the individual development of students.

HKU SPACE WINS THE GOLD AWARD IN the WEB ACCESSIBILITY RECOGNITION SCHEME 2020/21

The School won the Gold Award for the 2^nd consecutive time in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2020/21 for the accessible design of the School website. Dr C.L. Chan, Chief Information and Planning Officer, received the award on behalf of the School.

The Scheme aims to recognise local enterprises and organisations who have made their websites accessible to people with or without disabilities and provide them with an equal opportunity to easily access the internet. By adopting easy-to-use and easy-to-search web features, the School has been striving to provide quality continued education and career advancement to every sector of the community. It will continue to fulfill its social responsibility and contribute to making Hong Kong a caring and inclusive city.

School Wins Acclaim At The Reader’s Digest Awards For The 6^th Consecutive Years

The School won the top Platinum Trustmark Award in the Continuing Education Category at the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Awards 2019 for the 6^th consecutive year. The Platinum Award is the highest honour in the category which recognised the School’s effort in promoting continuing education for 62 years.

Professor William K. M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, attended the ceremony to receive the Award and thanked readers for their trust and support towards the School. He also thanked all the staff of the School for their concerted efforts in making the School a trustworthy and leading continuing education institution.

HKU SPACE was Highly Commended by the UGC Quality Audit Report on the University’s Sub-degree Operations for Outstanding Academic Excellence

The Quality Audit Report on sub-degree operations released today by the Quality Assurance Council (QAC) of the University Grants Committee (UGC), highly commended HKU SPACE’s excellent policies and procedures, comprehensive and informative documentation, as well as the commitment and enthusiasm of the teaching staff, in both full-time and part-time sub-degree programmes. HKU SPACE was delighted by the positive comments which not only affirmed the School’s high level of commitment to quality assurance, but also paid tribute to the outstanding level of academic excellence for sub-degree programmes achieved by HKU quality assurance mechanisms for many years.   

The Report of the Task Force on Review of Self-financing Post-secondary Education published at the end of last year suggested that institutions providing full-time self-financing programmes at sub-degree and undergraduate (including top-up degree) levels, including the self-financing arms of publicly-funded institutions, should come under the aegis of Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320). This could mean our full-time sub-degree and top-up degrees would be detached from the university proper with quality assurance coming under an external quality assurance body. The highly positive UGC Quality Audit Report on our sub-degree provisions, covering a wide range of full-time and part-time programmes, has demonstrated the current effectiveness of the School’s quality assurance mechanism which mirrors that of the HKU quality assurance system. This QAC review is far more comprehensive than the mechanism recommended by the Task Force. Moreover, as HKU SPACE was established under the power of the HKU Ordinance, the School adopts equivalent quality assurance policies as HKU to ensure the high quality of the study programmes and student learning experiences.

The President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Zhang Xiang, was delighted to learn of the very positive comments in the Report on the findings of the UGC Quality Audit of the sub-degree programmes offered by HKU SPACE. He was pleased to read in the Report that, “given the volume and range of the sub-degree programmes on offer, there are excellent policies, processes and procedures in place to guide their development, approval, monitoring and review stages”. He also joined with the UGC in congratulating HKU SPACE “on the detailed informative documentation that guides all aspects of management and quality assurance regarding these programmes”.

Professor William K.M. Lee, the Director of HKU SPACE, said, “HKU SPACE is very appreciative of the Quality Audit conducted by the QAC, essentially because it served as an opportunity for us to undertake a thorough self-evaluation of our sub-degree operations. The positive comments made by the Report were very encouraging and affirmed our academic excellence, especially in continuing education. Established in 1957, HKU SPACE is the oldest continuing education provider and also the first sub-degree provider since 2000. The Community College strives for academic excellence which articulates with the HKU mission and has created second chances for many secondary students in articulating to university study places. To date, over 23,000 graduates have been admitted to bachelor’s degree programmes. HKU SPACE is proud of its long heritage in part-time continuing education and in full-time sub-degree education.”

He added, “I would also like to thank all the teaching and administrative staff for their commitment and professionalism in quality assurance that makes our system work so well. The School is planning to undergo the International Quality Review by the UK Quality Assurance Agency to benchmark against international standards. As we aspire to be a world-class centre of excellence for the provision of professional and continuing education in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the region, the School will continue to provide quality continuing education.”

The University and HKU SPACE found the audit a stimulating and helpful process and are looking forward to submitting an Action Plan to the UGC in May 2019 and a Progress Report in August 2020.

For details of the Quality Audit Report, please refer to the Appendix.