EDGE, City U, and Kowloon Tong

In addition to blogging about the unusual and mundane in Hong Kong, I do have some formal responsibilities here – to assist and contribute to the Hong Kong-wide initiative to develop a General Education (GE) curriculum that will extend the undergraduate degree from a 3 to 4 year program. This was not a part of the undergraduate curriculum which has been based historically on the British model. It is an important and exciting project. The main elements are to support the faculty to develop proposals for General Education courses, encourage pedagogical practices consistent with liberal education principles, and formulate an assessment strategy for GE courses and the larger program.

I am working with a wonderful team of faculty, staff, and students at the City University of Hong Kong (my hosts) in the Office of Education Development and General Education (EDGE). I will assist with the review of GE course proposals, provide a perspective on GE principles and practices, and conduct some faculty development workshops on related and associated topics. After only five days here at City U I can safely say that I will be the party walking away with the greatest level of enrichment based on the many things I am learning about the project and the great progress that has already been made.

The City University of Hong Kong is the second largest university in Hong Kong, the smallest in physical size, the most centrally located, and the institution serving many first generation college students. The campus is located in Kowloon Tong – a largely residential area that is set apart from the more densely populated and bustling commercial districts to the south and on Hong Kong island.
Some photos of the campus and neighborhood below.

The campus


The campus


My Residence Hall


The neighborhood