University Review
Engaging the community
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Striving for public health
Preparations under way for the Chinese Medicine Hospital
The HKBU Chinese Medicine Hospital Company Limited (the Company) was established as the operator of Hong Kong’s first Chinese Medicine Hospital (CMH). To ensure that all key stakeholders are engaged in steering the CMH project, its Board of Directors comprises 23 members from a variety of sectors and professional backgrounds. They include Chinese and western medicine, local universities, the Government and Hospital Authority, law, finance, and corporate management. This diverse composition enables the Board to provide optimal recommendations to steer the CMH to achieve its missions and functions. At the Company’s first Board of Directors meeting on 29 December 2021, Mr Huen Wong was elected as the Board’s Chairman.
In addition, workshops were organised to seek the Board members’ input in the formulation of planning strategies. Consultation sessions were also held with the participation of HKBU and the Company to engage the stakeholders and the public on planning and development matters as well as to brief them on the project’s progress.
To further strengthen linkages with stakeholders from the Chinese medicine sector, focus groups will be organised for in-depth discussion and an exchange of ideas on the CMH’s clinical services.
Online consultation and medicine delivery services launched
The Clinical Division of the School of Chinese Medicine launched its online consultation and medicine delivery services in July 2021 to provide patients with convenient and diversified consultation arrangements. The services can reduce infection risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Promotes healthy lifestyles
The three-year Jockey Club Mus-Fit Action project concluded with a closing ceremony on 30 October 2021. With the support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust), the project was launched by the Dr Stephen Hui Research Centre for Physical Recreation and Wellness (CPRW) at HKBU in collaboration with the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Since 2019, the project has involved approximately 100 non-governmental organisations in community activities and offered more than 260 exercise classes to around 2,500 people aged 50 or above to enhance their quality of life and encourage healthy lifestyles. More than 99% of participants reported that after taking the classes they have enjoyed more fun and become more willing to exercise.
The CPRW has received further funding from the Trust for a new three-year project commencing in December 2021 to promote health and fitness among senior citizens.
Helping the community in stroke prevention
HKBU and the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui (HKSKH) Welfare Council received a generous donation from the Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK) for the three-year BOC–HKBU Chinese Medicine Community Stroke Prevention and Rehabilitation Scheme, which started in October 2020 and runs until September 2023. A launch ceremony for the Scheme was held on 29 July 2021.
The Scheme provides free Chinese medicine rehabilitation treatment by experts from HKBU’s School of Chinese Medicine to 500 eligible low-income stroke patients, and offers free preventive treatment as well as tracking assessment to 1,200 people with a medium to high risk of stroke. It also delivers counselling and support services for older stroke patients and their family members, in addition to setting up health management stations for patients at HKSKH’s centres for the elderly.
Chinese medicine students promoting wellness at home
In partnership with the Society of Innovative Social Work, the Hong Kong Spinocerebellar Ataxia Association, the Hong Kong Stroke Association and other non-governmental organisations, the Orthopaedic and Traumatology course at HKBU provided students in the Bachelor of Chinese Medicine programme with a unique service-learning experience in the academic year 2021-22. Students teamed up with patients, especially those with chronic illnesses, to promote wellness and fitness maintenance at home. The service team also produced a series of videos introducing a variety of health management approaches, such as Baduanjin, acupoint tui na, and food therapy.
Serving the community
Offering students a through-train learning pathway
HKBU has launched the CLAP-TECH Pathway Project (CLAP-TECH) under the Jockey Club Multiple Pathways Initiative following a donation of HK$136 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
CLAP-TECH is a tripartite partnership that brings together high schools, industry and HKBU in the design and delivery of a through-train learning pathway that equips students with the skills and attributes required by employers today and in the future. Students develop their interests, skills and competencies through an in-class curriculum and a wide range of workplace exposure activities such as mentorship, internships, company visits, and projects.
Adapting music curriculums for special needs schools
A team led by Dr Marina Wong (Department of Education Studies) received funding from the Quality Education Fund (QEF) to provide professional support to special schools in Hong Kong for the development of music curriculums adapted for primary to secondary school students with different grades of intellectual disability.
The three-year project has helped three special schools develop school-based curriculums and teaching strategies relevant to the students’ special needs and capabilities. Teachers tailored different classroom activities to help students appreciate, create and play music. The HKBU team also provided training workshops and experience-sharing forums for music teachers from around Hong Kong.
Online art programme helps children build resilience
In an art programme organised by the Centre for Child Development (CCD) at HKBU for six to 12-year-old children from low-income families and children with special educational needs, the participants took part in a series of online art activities. For six weeks, the children learnt to explore their emotions, grow their social skills, develop new friendships, and created their own artworks to express their feelings about the pandemic. The free programme also provided an opportunity for parents to better understand their children, thereby helping to improve parent-child communication.
Supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the programme ran from April to July 2022, serving about 120 children and 120 parents in total.
Students organise interactive online vacation activities for school children
A group of HKBU students organised the Volunteering@Special Vacation for Primary School Students programme in March and April 2022. Around 240 students from Primary Three to Six joined this online programme for a series of courses and interactive games covering positive thinking, culture and the arts, social issues, and innovative technology. They also took a virtual tour of the HKBU campus.
The programme encouraged HKBU students to respond to social needs and take a caring approach towards the community. It also hoped to instil positive values in primary school students and give them an enjoyable holiday during the pandemic.
Giving underprivileged school children a university experience
To boost the motivation of primary school students from grassroots families to learn and build a positive attitude towards life, a group of HKBU students organised the Summer School 2021@University Experience for Underprivileged Children programme in July sponsored by the Kowloon City District Youth Programme Committee and the HKBU Century Club. During the six-day event, the children took part in thematic learning activities covering different topics such as history, the economy, environmental protection, sustainable development and global cultures, as well as outdoor outreach, organisation visits and film screenings.
Promoting inclusiveness through joint performance by students and disabled persons
HKBU students and a group of disabled actors gave a joint performance on 24 September 2021 to tell stories using dance, songs and drama. The show was presented by StoryBox, a theatre company founded by the research group from the Creativity, Self and Society sub-theme, which is one of the six that underpin the Faculty of Arts’ Niche Research Area of Well-being, Value and the Public Good. StoryBox is also part of a larger project in the Faculty called Exploring Creativity and Selves in Hong Kong Disabled Communities. The initiative provided both students and members of disabled communities with the opportunity to participate in theatrical performances that encourage meaningful communication and personal growth. The show also encouraged the audience to reflect on the normative definitions and social concepts regarding disability, appreciate inclusiveness and diversity, and thereby foster a better understanding and more respect for disabled persons in Hong Kong.
Positive ageing and continuous learning for senior citizens
Building on the success of a previous four-year elderly care programme, the Providence Foundation supported a three-year Positive Ageing Learners Programme (PAL) to strengthen inter-generational communication and promote positive ageing. Residents from the Undergraduate Halls teamed up with the elderly and participated in a range of workshops for continuous learning. They included art and music jamming sessions, a visit to an art studio, a DIY incense-making workshop, and a collaborative art fair. Various types of care packs and home appliances were also provided to the elderly in need.
Collaborating with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to promote cultural heritage
For the second consecutive year, the University partnered with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to showcase our city. Local and international students ran virtual guided tours of West Kowloon that were livestreamed to an international audience. After learning essential skills such as storytelling, research and presenting through a series of training sessions, our students produced documentaries about local craftsmen to promote the intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong.
Connecting with the HKBU community
Maintaining ties with alumni
As of June 2022, HKBU has nurtured more than 140,000 alumni. Various gatherings and activities were organised throughout the year to foster stronger ties between the University and alumni. The Homecoming Day 2021 was held with the theme of A Journey to HKBU Treasure, at which more than 1,500 alumni joined events such as the BU Treasure Snap Check Photo Contest, Campus Tours – BU Heritage Trails, Gold Go Run, and Alumni Soccer Seven.
To connect and reach out to an ever-increasing and diverse alumni population, especially young alumni and those in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), two alumni video series titled “I Can Shine” and “GBA Alumni • Elite+” were launched, featuring success stories of young and promising alumni who pursue their careers in Hong Kong and the GBA.
To widen students’ horizons for their personal growth and career development through encounters with accomplished alumni, an innovative and interactive platform called Chill Chat was established, where students and alumni interact closely in a relaxing ambience and over a delightful cuisine. Three Chill Chat events took place with a total turnout of 200 students.
A fundraising project entitled “Village – CARE Campaign” was launched to encourage alumni and members of the public to donate to HKBU, with the aim of providing the best student experience on campus and equal learning opportunities for needy students. As of 30 June 2022, a total of HK$7.5 million had been raised or pledged.
Steadfast support from the community
Thanks to the tremendous support received from the community and donors, the University has achieved another year of outstanding performance. From July 2021 to June 2022, the University raised a total of HK$564 million in donations and secured HK$197 million in research matching grants. This substantial funding provides a sound financial foundation for the University to realise its aspirations, particularly for the research in and strategic development of Chinese medicine, the establishment of Endowed Professorships, campus development as well as student development programmes, bringing benefits to both the community and to students.
The University is deeply grateful to the following supporters for their generous contributions during the reporting year:
