Info sessions brief secondary schools on new curriculum

More than 150 secondary school principals and school career advisors learned how City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will use the transition to a 4-year degree structure to introduce a unique Discovery-enriched Curriculum (DEC) in the 2012-13 academic year during two recent information sessions.

Representing 130 secondary schools, the participants heard about the arrangements relating to the new curriculum, the new admissions model and new Gateway Education courses. The information sessions were held on 2 and 11 April.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Arthur Ellis, CityU’s Provost, said the DEC, with its emphasis on discovery, innovation and inter-disciplinary collaboration, lies at the heart of CityU’s academic strategy and 4-year curriculum for teaching and learning.

"The DEC will allow every undergraduate to make an original discovery. Students will learn what it means to create new knowledge, communicate it, curate it, and cultivate it to benefit society,” he said.

Participants were then briefed by Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Vice-President (Student Affairs), on entrance requirements and admission arrangements for the 2012-13 academic year. Professor Julia Tao Lai Po-wah, Chief-of-Staff, hosted a lively chat with three CityU students about their experiences developing creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship skills at CityU.

CityU then had the chance to listen to the concerns of the secondary school participants during the Q&A in order to better prepare and implement the new curriculum.

At the end of the sharing sessions, participants toured key teaching and research facilities such as the State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, Aquatic Science Laboratory, and student facilities such as the Run Run Shaw Library and the student hostels.