Page 12 - FSTE A5 Handbook

General Education Practices in Hong Kong
Foreword

The dramatic transformation in Higher Education in Hong Kong, beginning with the “Aspirations
for the Higher Education System in Hong Kong: Report of the University Grants Committee,
December 2010” (“Aspirations”), then in the work of UGC-funded universities, working with
Fulbright Scholars and the Hong Kong-America Center, to add General Education, to revamp
the university experience, and to expand capacity across the higher education system, now
serves to create more opportunities to advantage students and to further develop the critical
talents and abilities of the Hong Kong workforce.

The General Education Practices in Hong Kong: articulations across sub-degree and degree
studies and the work of Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education (FSTE) were remarkable
accomplishments.
“Aspirations” called for the expansion of the sub-degree sector and the development of transfer
pathways for students, particularly in General Education. This aspiration requires a credit
recognition and transfer framework that transcends individual institutional or departmental
biases.

The U.S. system of community colleges served as a model when the leaders of Hong Kong
considered their options at the turn of the 21 century. The system of transfer of credit in the
st
United States has made strides, but it is still plagued by uneven application. There are valuable
lessons from which Hong Kong can extract important ideas.

For transfer to be successful, the philosophy of General Education must be implemented
coherently across the sectors. This requires not only the development of but the acceptance of
and adherence to a “Credit Accumulation and Transfer System” (or CATS) and a “Qualifications
Framework,” that defines coursework and acquired skills in order to assign values to educational
experiences. It is not a destination, but an ongoing collaboration that engages all voices and
articulates benefits for all parties.

Our experience in the United States has demonstrated that students’ interests must be at the
center and that the sectors must collaborate with the common goal of a cohesive, coherent
student experience that ensures quality in outcomes and flexibility for access. Students
themselves are experts on their own experiences and have the greatest success when the
system is simplified to the extent possible, whereby students and their families can comprehend
and navigate the options.

Dr Linda Bowman
President Emerita
Community College of Aurora
USA

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