Events

On July 20th, CERC held its seminar titled: “The Tutoring Industry in Hong Kong: Changes, Threats, and Opportunities.” The seminar featured Richard Eng, Co-founder and Academic Director of Beacon College, a tutorial company in Hong Kong, as the guest speaker. The seminar also joined by two distinguished discussants: Mark Bray, UNESCO Chair Professor at HKU, and Zhang Wei, Executive Director for the Centre for International Research in Supplementary Tutoring (CIRIST) at ECNU. The seminar is chaired by Nutsa Kobakhidze, Director of CERC, and attended by 60 attendees from CERC members.

This seminar began with a brief introduction to the education system in Hong Kong in the 1980s, followed by the speaker’s discovery of a niche market for tutorial schools at that time. The seminar also described the growth of the speaker’s business from its humble beginnings 30 years ago to a publicly listed company in 2018. At the end of the seminar, the speaker shared his views on the future of the tutoring industry in Hong Kong, as well as the outlook for operating tutorial schools in mainland China in the face of the ‘Double Reduction policy’.

On the 21st of June, members of the Shadow Education Special Interest Group (SIG) convened to learn about the impact of Covid-19 on India’s shadow education system. The presentation, delivered by Ms. Aishwarya Sharma, a PhD scholar at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, delved into a qualitative exploratory study that examined the experiences of three private tutorial centers in East Delhi during the pandemic.

During her presentation, Ms. Sharma discussed a qualitative exploratory study that featured the experiences of three private tutorial centers in East Delhi during the pandemic. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with leaders, tutors, and students, the research examined the challenges faced by the tutorial centers and the strategies they employed in response.

The study highlighted the importance of technology adoption among private institutions for effective center functioning. The presentation also emphasized the significance of influential leaders and teams in learning to grow, innovate, and be resilient during times of uncertainty. Overall, the presentation shed light on the resilience and adaptability of shadow education systems in India during the challenging times of Covid-19.

On June 6th, CERC held its seminar on the theme of “Family Education”. Two renowned education experts from East China Normal University shared their research insights on this topic. The seminars aimed to provide teachers and education professionals with practical knowledge and solutions to current challenges in the field.

The first seminar, titled “The Excessive Spillover of Students’ Roles and its Consequences,” was presented by Professor GAO Desheng. Professor GAO discussed the negative consequences of students being overloaded with responsibilities outside of the classroom, such as excessive homework, tutoring, and extracurricular activities. He emphasized the importance of balancing students’ academic, extracurricular, and personal lives to prevent burnout and enhance overall well-being.

The second seminar, titled “Towards Scientific Family Pedagogy,” was delivered by Professor LIU Lianghua. Professor LIU shared his research on the impact of family dynamics on students’ educational outcomes. He stressed that parents play an essential role in their children’s education and highlighted the importance of a collaborative and scientific approach to family pedagogy.

Professor K. K. Chan, as the chair of the seminar, also related the topic to her working and research experience in Hong Kong. She concluded the seminar as valuable to the research of family education, encouraging young scholars to conduct more useful and meaningful research in this area.

The seminars were attended by a diverse audience, including teachers, education policymakers, and researchers. The interactive sessions allowed participants to share their experiences, concerns, and opportunities related to the current challenges and research in education.

The insights shared by Professor GAO Desheng and Professor LIU Lianghua will undoubtedly contribute to enhancing teaching quality, student outcomes, and overall well-being in the education sector.

CERC is going to hold a pair of seminar on Family Education in Mainland China. The seminars will take place on June 6 from 9 am to 11 am in RMS 403 (in person).

The first seminar, titled “The Excessive Spillover of Students’ Roles and its Consequences,” will be presented by Professor GAO Desheng from the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction at East China Normal University.

The second seminar, titled “Towards Scientific Family Pedagogy,” will be delivered by Professor LIU Lianghua, also from the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction at East China Normal University.

Both seminars will be chaired by Professor CHAN Chaterine, K.K. from The University of Hong Kong.

Please note that the language used in the seminars will be Putonghua (Mandarin).

All are welcome to attend!

CERC is going to jointly hold a seminar with CHERA on the topic of governance of public universities by Professor Glenn Jones. Please refer to the following information to participate in the seminar.

Detail

Date: May 12, 2023 (Friday)

Time: 4:00 – 5:15pm (HKT)

Venue: Room 408-410, Meng Wah Complex, HKU / by Zoom

Speaker: Professor Glen Jones

Chair: Dr. Jisun Jung

Online Registration:
https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_regform.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=87519  (The zoom link will be sent by e-mail upon registration)

Abstract
Governance has become a key area of scholarship within the study of higher education, in part because major reforms in many jurisdictions have led to dramatic shifts in power and authority within higher education systems and institutions. One way of understanding governance reforms is through the lens of relative autonomy, that is, the frequently contested balance between the need for universities to retain elite decision structures that protect academic freedom and judgement while also, as public institutions, responding to external stakeholders in order to maintain the trust of governments and the society in which they function. Findings from two recent studies of university governance in Canada will be presented in order to illuminate the ways in which this relative autonomy has been maintained, but also the contemporary challenges and tensions associated with governance arrangements in this national context.

About the speaker
Glen Jones is the Ontario Research Chair on Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement, the Director of the Centre for the Study of Canadian and International Higher Education, Professor of Higher Education, and former Dean, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. His research focuses on higher education governance, policy and academic work, and he has published more than 100 papers in the field of higher education.  His recent books include Governance of Higher Education: Global Perspectives, Theories and Practices (Routledge, 2016, with Ian Austin), Doctoral Education for the Knowledge Society (Springer, 2018, with J.C. Shin and Barbara Kehm), Professorial Pathways: Academic Careers in Global Perspective (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019, with Martin Finkelstein), International Education as Public Policy in Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020, with Merli Tamtik and Roopa Desai Trilokekar), Universities and the Knowledge Society: The Nexus of National Systems of Innovation and Higher Education (Springer, 2021, with Timo Aarrevaara, Martin Finkelstein, and Jisun Jung), University Governance in Canada: Navigating Complexity (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2022, with Julia Eastman, Claude Trottier, and Olivier Bégin-Caouette) and Internationalization and the Academic Profession: Comparative Perspectives (Springer, 2023, with Alper Calikoglu and Yangson Kim).

More details can be found in the attached poster.

All are welcome!

CERC is going to hold a joint seminar with CHERA on 8 May, 2023. Please refer to the details below for registeration and participation.

Details

Date: May 8, 2023 (Monday)

Time: 4:00 – 5:15pm (HKT)

Venue: Room 408-410, Meng Wah Complex, HKU / by Zoom

Speaker: Professor Glen Jones

Chair: Professor David Carless

Online Registration:
https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_regform.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=87512  (The zoom link will be sent by e-mail upon registration)

Abstract

As universities are increasingly positioned as key institutions within national research and innovation systems, professors have come to assume a central role in the education of the highly skilled human resources required within a dynamic economy, and as knowledge creators contributing to both social and economic development. Our need to understand the evolving nature of the academic profession has never been greater, and there has been a growth in both interest and scholarship in this important field of study. Methodologically, studying the academic profession from an international/comparative perspective has always been challenging given the depth of specialization of academic work, the important differences in the socio-political context and traditions of the universities and systems in which academic work, and the very different ways in which this work is defined and understood. Based on a recent study of the structure of academic career pathways in the context of rapidly shifting higher education systems, this seminar will focus on new challenges and methodological dilemmas as academics focus increasing attention on studying themselves.

About the speaker

Glen Jones is the Ontario Research Chair on Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement, the Director of the Centre for the Study of Canadian and International Higher Education, Professor of Higher Education, and former Dean, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. His research focuses on higher education governance, policy and academic work, and he has published more than 100 papers in the field of higher education. His recent books include Governance of Higher Education: Global Perspectives, Theories and Practices (Routledge, 2016, with Ian Austin), Doctoral Education for the Knowledge Society (Springer, 2018, with J.C. Shin and Barbara Kehm), Professorial Pathways: Academic Careers in Global Perspective (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019, with Martin Finkelstein), International Education as Public Policy in Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020, with Merli Tamtik and Roopa Desai Trilokekar), Universities and the Knowledge Society: The Nexus of National Systems of Innovation and Higher Education (Springer, 2021, with Timo Aarrevaara, Martin Finkelstein, and Jisun Jung), University Governance in Canada: Navigating Complexity (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2022, with Julia Eastman, Claude Trottier, and Olivier Bégin-Caouette) and Internationalization and the Academic Profession: Comparative Perspectives (Springer, 2023, with Alper Calikoglu and Yangson Kim).

More details can be found in the attached poster.

All are welcome!

CERC is proud to announce its new Special Interest Group (SIG) on Comparative Studies in Educational Traditions by holding an inauguration event of a roundtable discussion. Details of the event are as follows:

Time:   18 April, Tuesday, 2023

             2:00 pm -3:30 pm Hong Kong Time

Venue: Hybrid (Runme Shaw #206 and Zoom) 

Registration link: https://bit.ly/3nqnAue

With gathering human connectivity, there is an urgent need for truly respecting and understanding differences and diversity to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts caused by ‘clashes of civilizations,’ as warned by Huntington in the 1990s. Education can play an essential role in achieving this goal. However, the intellectual mind in nearly all education systems is almost exclusively Euro-American, with a huge loss of rich and beautiful non-Euro-American traditions. While the entire human community is at a critical historical point to seriously reflect on our approaches to differences to search for ways to live together, education, and especially comparative education, is particularly well placed to achieve such a goal. Calls for intellectual pluralism and epistemic diversity are increasingly loud and clear within and beyond academia, demonstrating a decolonial desire to challenge the Euro-American discourse hegemony and incorporate diverse educational traditions in global research and education practices.

Against this background, a new Special Interest Group (SIG) is now established at Comparative Education Research Centre (CERC) in the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong focusing on comparative studies in educational traditions. An essential mission of this new SIG is to establish a platform for ongoing research and conversations on comparing and bridging different educational wisdoms and traditions, searching for approaches to facilitating intellectual pluralism, and by extension to respond to global common challenges.

As the inaugural event of the new SIG, a panel of speakers, including past and present directors of CERC, who are seasoned experts in comparative education, will come together to exchange ideas and insights on three major questions. These questions can be essential to conducting comparative studies of educational traditions and bringing multiple educational traditions into education and research practices:

• What are educational traditions?
• What sorts of comparative studies of educational traditions can be conducted, and how?
• What contributions can comparative studies of educational traditions make to knowledge and educational practices?   

The panel discussion will kick-off continuing dialogues between diverse educational traditions and conversations on incorporating non-Euro-American educational traditions into global research and educational practices. It also hopes to facilitate discussions on how to conduct comparative research in educational traditions, and on how to pursue intellectual pluralism and epistemic justice in education and research.

Speakers:  

Mark Bray, Liz Jackson, Anatoly Oleksiyenko, Yang Rui

Opening and closing remarks:  

Nutsa Kobakhidze

Conversation moderator:  

Yang Lili

For more information, please see the attached poster.

CERC is going to hold its next seminar on March 29, 2023. Dr. Yuzhuo Cai, from Tampere University, Finland, will present his research on University-society relations.

Seminar Details:

Date: March 29, 2023 (Wednesday)

Time: 16:00-17:15(Hong Kong Time)

Format: In-person (Rm 206, Runme Shaw Building, The University of Hong Kong, HKU map) or Online (zoom link will be sent closer to the date)

Speakers: Dr Yuzhuo Cai, Tampere University, Finland

Chair: Dr Jisun Jung, Hong Kong University, SAR, China

More details can be found in the attached poster.

Abstract

The lecture is based on an ongoing book project on Rethinking Universities-Society Relations co-authored by Rómulo Pinheiro and Yuzhuo Cai. In the lecture, Yuzhuo Cai will provide an overview of the evolution of university models from the perspective of university-society relations with an emphasis on comparing the experience in Western and non-Western countries. The university-society relations are examined via the lens of universities’ roles in society (i.e., universities as mirrors, servants and shapers of society). Moreover, he will share some critical reflections on comparative education based on his research related to the book project.

Bio

Dr Yuzhuo Cai is Senior Lecturer and Adjunct Professor at the Higher Education Group (HEG), Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, Finland. He has been with HEG for 20 years and was the Acting Professor of the unit from August 2013 to July 2014. He is the Director of the Sino-Finnish Education Research Centre, a network organisation involving over 20 Chinese and Finnish universities, and the Deputy Director of Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation (TRANSIT), an interdisciplinary research centre spanning three faculties at Tampere University. He is also in the coordination group of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Research Tampere Network and the coordination group of Think Tank for China, SGroup Universities in Europe. He is Editor-in-Chief of Triple Helix,  Co-Editor of Journal of Studies in International Education, and Associate Editor of Journal of the Knowledge Economy. His main interests are in higher education research and innovation studies, focusing on interactions between higher education and society particularly on the international dimension. He has published more than 130 academic publications in these fields, including those in prestigious journals, such as Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, International Journal of Management Reviews, Technovation, Minerva, Science and Public Policy, European Planning Studies and Scientometrics.

This seminar is jointly organised with the Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia (CHERA) and Social Contexts and Policies of Education (Academic Unit) (SCAPE)

All are welcome!