HKIEd - Press Release

The Institute of Education, University of London (IOE), recently welcomed Professor Anthony B.L. Cheung, President of The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd), for three days of meetings. Professor Geoff Whitty, Director of the IOE, personally hosted Professor Cheung’s visit, and the two leaders met over three consecutive days of meetings.

The meetings were focused on potential collaborative activity between the Institutes, including in the areas of:

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Comparative education
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Assessment
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Citizenship education
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Leadership in education

The two Institutes also discussed the possibility of cooperation on a Doctor of Education degree, a professional doctorate which balances independent research with taught modules.

The feasibility of student and staff exchanges will also be investigated. Such collaborations would foster deeper collaborative activity and enhance understanding of the work of each institution. In one area, music education, such initiatives are already underway, with a ‘taster week’ led by academic staff from both Institutes taking place from 14 April 2008.

Finally, the two institutions may collaborate in a conference, co-hosted by the IOE and its partner Beijing Normal University. The conference will be held in November 2008 in Beijing on the subject of leadership education.

Staff from both institutions will be assigned to take forward these potential collaborations, and will produce finalised proposals by 1 July 2008.

Professor Anthony B.L. Cheung, President of the HKIEd, indicated that his visit to the IOE had been very fruitful. “Both institutions share common interests in promoting excellence in education research and this visit provided us with the opportunity to identify areas for further collaboration,” he said. “We have also been able to elaborate on our development plans for the next decade to an audience of major British academics, and to demonstrate our commitment to expanding our research capacity as well as attracting talents to enrich our academic profile,” he added.

“We welcome the many excellent proposals for collaboration that have emerged during this visit. As the Hong Kong Institute of Education enters a new phase in its history, the proposals are a strong basis for partnership”, he said. “The Institute of Education, University of London looks forward to working closely with our colleagues in Hong Kong on projects that will conform to the highest standards of international scholarship” Professor Whitty added.

Notes for editors:
About The Institute of Education, University of London
The Institute of Education, University of London (IOE) is the largest free-standing university devoted to the study of education and related areas of the social sciences and professional practice in the UK. Established in 1902 primarily to train teachers, the Institute has evolved in to a major worldwide centre for research and scholarship in the field of education, while continuing to train over 1200 new teachers every year.

The IOE’s student profile is almost entirely postgraduate, and it offers an unrivalled range of Masters degrees in the field of education as well as being home to the UK’s largest education doctoral school. More than 6700 students study at the IOE every year, including over 1100 international students.

The IOE is the recipient of more research funding in social sciences from the British government than any other UK university, and enjoys an international reputation for the quality of its research.

About The Hong Kong Institute of Education
The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) is the only publicly funded institution dedicated solely to the upgrading and professional development of teacher education in Hong Kong. Established in 1994 upon the foundation of 65 years of teacher training by the former Colleges of Education, the Institute provides doctoral, masters and undergraduate degrees, post-graduate diploma, certificate and a full range of in-service programmes to around 7,000 pre-service students and serving teachers.

HKIEd is currently the largest provider for education studies in Hong Kong. The programmes reflect the integration of subject knowledge with pedagogy and teaching skills, and the academic planning processes ensure that the programmes are designed to cater to the changing landscape and the future needs of educators. Research projects are oriented towards applicably and relevance to the local and regional education context. Partnerships and school support are geared towards needy areas. Collaborative networks expand beyond geographic and disciplinary boundaries.