Our Partnerships in Higher Education
A core objective of the Institute is to provide the very best in our attempts to facilitate quality teacher education. In 2000-01 we took the initiative to open a new avenue into the teaching profession by building on the expertise of other institutions of higher education and developing collaborative programmes with them. A prime example is our collaboration with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in science-related disciplines. This collaboration enables HKUST students to acquire the pedagogical knowledge and skills they need to become effective science teachers. Building on the scientific knowledge they have gained from the University, they come to the Institute to learn how scientific understanding can be nurtured in young people. They then have the opportunity to teach in schools and put into practice the pedagogical techniques they have learned under the guidance of HKIEd teacher educators.

The first cohort of students from this ground-breaking programme graduated in 2003-04 under the HKUST Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Maths (Maths & IT Education).

Further collaborative programmes were introduced in 2003-04 with the following HKUST degrees: BSc in Biochemistry & Science Education, BSc in Biology & Science Education, BSc in Chemistry & Science Education and BSc in Physics & Science Education. We are now working to establish in-depth partnerships with the City University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Lingnan University on English Language teacher education programmes.

Outside Hong Kong, we put our first credit-bearing student exchange programme into place with Nanjing Normal University (NNU), during the year. Under the agreement, 19 NNU students will spend a semester at the Institute while 16 HKIEd students will pass a semester at NNU. Building on the success of this programme, negotiations are currently proceeding with over 20 universities on the mainland, in Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, to arrange similar programmes.

"Building up networks with students all over the world is our biggest gain," say students of Nanjing Normal University after attending a six-month attachment programme at HKIEd.