On 9 and 10 December 2017, CERC hosted a remarkable Policy Forum entitled ‘Public-Private Partnerships in Supplementary Education: Sharing Experiences in East Asian Contexts’. The event was co-hosted with UNESCO, and attracted 53 participants from governments, companies, schools, and research institutions from Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, and the Republic of Korea.
The starting point was recognition that boundaries in education are less firm than before. Traditionally, formal schooling has been responsibility and domain of the public sector, but recent decades have brought a flourishing private sector in supplementary education. Most obvious is the academic form, provided by small, medium-sized and large companies.
“This was a unique gathering”, remarked 
Mark Bray, the HKU’s UNESCO Chair Professor in Comparative Education. “It is breaking new conceptual ground”, he added, “not only in the four jurisdictions but also globally.” The University, he pointed out, provides a neutral arena in which stakeholders can dialogue on sensitive topics to identify ways forward in service of the common good.
The event brought together directors from both large and small companies, officers in Ministries of Education, and Associations of Supplementary Education Providers.
The organizers did not seek consensus on a single mode of operation for every jurisdiction. Rather, they placed in the arena sets of experiences for participants to discuss and learn from each other. They noted that the burden of governments worried about regulation can be alleviated when the supplementary education providers engage in self-regulation. Participants heard various examples, highlighting ways in which all stakeholders can follow their own mandates yet productively serve the common good.
The next steps will include dissemination of key points. Ms Huong Le Thu indicated that UNESCO will play a role, using its global platform to disseminate the findings from East Asia to the wider community.
Our inaugural event A screening of "First, they killed my father" We had our first event on Friday, 15th of February and we would all like to sincerely thank everyone who attended. We would like to thank all our guests from the Cambodian Association of Hong Kong, in particular Mr Ravindra Ngo, Mr Vikrant Chap, and Mr Vutha Ros, for sharing the event with others and for leading the discussion after the movie screening. Although it was a sensitive topic, and deeply personal for several of the attendees, we all benefited from the sincere and enlightening discussion we shared afterwards. I think we all took away a better understanding of how genocides affect nations and how universal and resilient the human spirit is. It was not just about loss though, as we discussed the future of Cambodia and the issues the nation now faces. It must recoup it's economic loss, its cultural identity, and its history. This will be a difficult process and there is uncertainty how it could or should be achieved so it will be a tricky road to walk. Cambodia has a rich cultural and national identity, which has been partly forgotten because of the tragedies committed under the Khmer Rouge, but there is an identity, and possibly going beyond the recent history is a way to find it. I think we all hope that Cambodia will not be lost to the highest bidder though. For a land so beautiful and a people so kind and strong, the tragic past events will hopefully not leave a dark mark for long. We look forward to working with the Cambodian Association of Hong Kong further through CERC and being able to spread more awareness and understanding.
Our next event: Thursday 21st March at 18:00 in Runme Shaw Building, Room 403 Why are there so many shootings in places that should be considered safe spaces? What are the dynamics taking place between race, politics, economics, sexuality, and how do these contribute to the prevalence of gun violence in the USA? What can be done and who can do it? Join us to share your thoughts and hopefully gain a new perspective on gun violence in schools in the USA. We'll be looking at the people behind the tragic statistics and enhancing our shared knowledge through a presentation, two very moving and informative TED talks, and discussions throughout. Please come and bring your questions and opinions, all our welcome to voice their thoughts. Here are some links to help start the conversation: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/09/sandy-hook-promise-gun-violence-school-shootingreport-2018 https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/local/us-school-shootings-history/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.8a109f65ad16 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/2/16399418/us-gun-violence-statistics-maps-charts
10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Downhttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47396340 We look forward to seeing you there. Please share the event with your friends and colleagues. Register here for the event: https://goo.gl/forms/VWsUuNTm3RAYztFs1 Please join us in sharing your thoughts and views.
The MEd (CGSED) group has established a tradition of an annual alumni dinner. Vivica Xiong (2011-13) is the organizer, and on 14 December 2017 convened 20 past and present students at the Bijas restaurant on the HKU campus. In the line-up group photograph, Vivica is second from the left.
other. The CGSED students benefit not only from their peers but also their predecessors, finding intern opportunities and even future employment.
