SFSU Summer Course 2010

Date: 11/06/2010
SFSU Summer Course 2010
Since the “Training Teachers for the Future: Transnational Educational Issues” during the past few years were highly recommended by the participants, our Centre was invited by the College of Education of San Francisco State University (SFSU) to organize this program again in the first two weeks of June 2010 (31 May to 11 June 2010). Fourteen students from San Francisco State University joined this summer course to gain an exposure to the practices of education in Hong Kong and China.The program mainly included lectures and school visits. The topics of lectures are: “ Hong Kong Educational System-Bands” (delivered by Dr. Cheung Chi Kim, HKU), “ Awareness of Chinese Characters” (delivered by Dr. Ki Wing Wah, HKU), “Recent Historical & Educational Developments in China” (delivered by Prof. Gerry A. Postiglione, HKU) and “Struggles and Survival of Hong Kong Minorities” (delivered by Ms. Fermi Wong, HK UNISON). We would like to express our sincere thankfulness to the above speakers for their great talks and sharing.

Three schools visits, which were most welcomed by the participants, have been arranged during their stay. The schools are Renaissance College, an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School; PLK Portuguese Community School, a school for newly arrived children from Mainland China; and Delia Secondary School – Broadway, a school serving non-Chinese speaking students.

We do treasure the interactions and intercultural exchange within this summer course and we look forward to have this collaboration in the coming year!
The students and staff from SFSU arrived at the HKU campus and attended the briefing session.
June 1: Visiting Renaissance College (An international school). Some students said: “It was good to be able to compare other schools to an IB school. It was definitely more equipped and seemed well-off technologically; it was also nice to be able to interview the graduate students.”
June 2: Visiting PLK Portuguese Community School – A school serving newly arrived children in HK. One feedback is: “I really liked this school and how kind and passionate the teachers/ principal was. The course and mission of the school was also great. The children leading us as the tour guides are really sweet.”
The lecture was delivered by Prof. Gerry A. Postiglione on “Recent Historical & Educational Developments in China”. “This lecture was very valuable in understanding issues of minorities in China. It gave a very good understanding of the diversity in China as well as the efforts of Chinese government to “deal” with these issues.”, a comment from the US participant.
Ms Fermi Wong, the representative of HK Unison, delivered the talk on “Struggles and Survival of Hong Kong Minorities” which was received very positive feedback and described it as a “Very inspirational! Globalized my information regarding minority rights in Asia.”
Visiting Delia Secondary School (Broadway) on June 3 – a school serving ethnic minority students. “Visiting Delia was good to contrast because it was a good school. A school serving ethnic minority students compared to the PLK school serving newly arrived children.”