About Milestones

The ICB is positioned as an innovative School of Business and Management with particular specialties.

In contrast to traditional business schools, the ICB adopts a holistic approach to professional and executive education, and advocates an innovative teaching methodology and proactive learning based on a unique 4P model. This places emphasis on being Professional, Prospective, Practical and Problem-solving.

The mission of the ICB is to help create and grow business talent with world-class leadership and management skills in Mainland China. Future corporate leaders will be equipped with cutting-edge knowledge, an international perspective, and an open mindset through a diverse range of professional and senior-executive programmes.

To provide better teaching and Chinese Medicine facilities and clinical services for the public, the School started operations at Kowloon West Campus.

The centre is a major anchor for Chinese medicine services with comprehensive facilities including a Chinese medicine clinic and pharmacy, a Chinese medicine specimen laboratory and a Chinese medicine resources centre for the public.

Collegiate structure established

The School has a collegiate structure, established in 2007.

HKU SPACE Community College

HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College

HKU SPACE International College

College of Business and Finance

College of Humanities and Law

College of Life Science and Technology (incorporating with the Division of Chinese Medicine from July 2016)

HPSHCC is a joint venture with a leading charitable association, the Po Leung Kuk. 

In appreciation of a generous donation received from businessman and philanthropist Dr Stanley Ho, the College was officially renamed the "HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College (HPSHCC)" in 2015.

The Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes offered by HPSHCC are planned and accredited by HKU SPACE in accordance with its stringent quality assurance processes. Successful completion of any programme offered by the College leads to an award within The University of Hong Kong (HKU) system through HKU SPACE.

HKU SPACE ALUMNI is inaugurated to build active and lifelong relationships amongst alumni members, and between the School and the ALUMNI.

International College (formerly known as Centre for Degree Programmes) was established to offer full-time undergraduate programmes with duration between 10 and 24 months for sub-degree holders and programmes at year-one entry-level for IB/HKDSE graduates. All programmes are delivered in collaboration with public universities in the UK, Scotland and Australia.

As the demand for postgraduate qualifications is on the rise in Hong Kong, the College also offers full-time postgraduate diplomas, catering to the needs of degree holders. The College has put its full support behind arts and media education at postgraduate level through the introduction of two master’s programmes with Central Saint Martins (CSM), University of the Arts London and London College of Communication (LCC), University of the Arts London.

The Dietetic Clinic is committed to educate the community on proper nutrition and health concerns by offering all-round dietetic programmes. It is a teaching and training centre that complements both nutrition and dietetic courses offered by HKU SPACE, and provides the means for further research and development to help us benefit the community.

The Community College was the first college of its kind in Hong Kong, and is now regarded as a premier educational institution offering a comprehensive range of award-bearing programmes leading to sub-degree awards including Associate Degrees and Higher Diplomas in many subjects.

Successful completion of any academic programme offered by the CC leads to an award within the University of Hong Kong system through HKU SPACE.

The college’s high-calibre programmes are designed to align with the overall university curriculum with the aim of providing students with additional pathways to enter university degree studies as well as to prepare them for specific professions.

The Division of Chinese Medicine in Kowloon West Campus was equipped with specialised reading rooms, a specimen laboratory and general laboratory to better support the teaching staff.

Our Chinese Medicine Clinics and Pharmacies at Admiralty and the Mei Foo Learning Centres serve primarily as clinical training centres for our Chinese Medicine trainee sessions and also provide general and specialist consultations for the public to support our educational programmes.

The steady introduction and development of new professional and vocational programmes was increasing the need for extra office and teaching space. The first permanent Town Centre was acquired in 1982 to cater the needs of part-time adult students.

The Shun Tak Centre became a symbol of university continuing and professional education.

The new town centre went into operation in January 1978.

It had a floor area of around 15,250 square feet, with fourteen lecture rooms accommodating 600 students.

After moving to the Wing On Centre, the number of courses conducted in the Town Centre increased from 144 in 1977-78 to 268 in 1978-79.

In 1970s, a serious medical incident occurred due to the absence of medical laboratory technologists at night. Soon after this incident, the DEMS realised the need for more qualified medical laboratory technologists, and offered the first Certificate in Medical Laboratory Technology.

The new Extra-Mural Town Centre on the eleventh floor of Universal House (now known as Nanyang Commercial Bank Building), 151 Des Voeux Road Central, consisted of seven lecture rooms, two seminar rooms, two art studios and music rooms, one library and several offices with a capacity of around 300 students at any given time.

“It is strange to think that it is now ten years since the start of extra-mural work in Hong Kong. Its growth since then has certainly justified our bravest dream of 1956. The aim then was to create a movement in adult education which might match the energy and eagerness of the surrounding atmosphere. So far as I can judge, this has now been achieved, and the work of the University among the adult population has become a fully recognized and accepted feature of the Hong Kong scene. However, no such activity can ever rest on its achievements. It must be always on the move, always looking for fresh opportunities and challenges in the society around it. I am confident that you in Hong Kong will meet the coming ten years as effectively as you mastered the first.”

10^th anniversary message from Mr Gerald Moore, the first Director of Extra-Mural Studies, Hong Kong University

The 1965 Extra-Mural Town Centre in Central brought the DEMS more firmly into the community and facilitated the promotion of professional studies for working adults.

In 1964, the DEMS offered an external LL.B. degree programme leading to Bachelor degree in Law jointly with the University of London.

In 1953, the tragic fire in the Shek Kip Mei squatter area led the government to start an extensive public housing programme. As the new housing estates came on stream, there was an increasing need for qualified housing managers. In 1963, the DEMS in cooperation with the government started to offer a two-year training programme in Housing Management which later developed into a three-year Certificate in Housing Management course in 1969.

The first modern library was opened in City Hall in 1962 and so the demand for librarians rose immediately. The DEMS responded by offering Hong Kong’s first librarianship course in Library Techniques in 1960, and later in 1964, organised an award-bearing programme jointly with the Hong Kong Library Association.

The Department of Extra-Mural Studies (DEMS) of HKU was formally instituted by the University Court on 21 May 1957.

 “Your Department [of Extra-Mural Studies], which was instituted by the Court yesterday, is the most important of all our departments as far as public relations are concerned. Planned aright and if given full scope, your work will touch every section of the community, every stratum of our society; it is the most important means of explaining or making available to the masses the knowledge accumulated by the few.”

A congratulatory message delivered by Sir Lindsay Ride, the Vice-Chancellor of HKU, dated 22 May 1957.