The Institute has also extended its support beyond its students to in-service teachers and schools. Among the various curriculum- and teaching-related training offered to the profession, we have organised a range of special leadership training programmes for principals and vice-principals. We have also provided access to our library for all teachers in Hong Kong.

Closer to home, students enjoyed the experience of learning and practising innovative teaching techniques in the Institute's centres of educational excellence - the Hong Kong Institute of Education HSBC Early Childhood Learning Centre opened in 2001 and the HKIEd Jockey Club Primary School opened in 2002.

Institutional and international collaboration
The Institute has developed strategic partnerships with other tertiary institutions to develop programmes that benefit from their respective strengths. It is gratifying that this type of collaboration has been advocated in the University Grants Committee's (UGC) Review of Higher Education in Hong Kong by Lord Sutherland published in March 2002.

This academic year saw the first cohorts of students enter the Institute's collaborative Bachelor of Science (Mathematics and Information Technology Education) with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (English Language Teaching) with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Both of these programmes are designed to prepare teachers for secondary schools. In addition, our BEd (Early Childhood Education) programme involves collaboration with the University of Toronto and the Nanjing Normal University. We are planning to develop more strategic collaborations in the next triennium with the UGC's support.

On the global front the Institute has continued to extend its ties with other teacher education institutions in the Asia Pacific region. We signed memoranda of understanding with the Association of Colleges of Education in New Zealand comprising the four longest established teacher education institutions there, and with the National Institute of Education of Singapore in May 2002. As mentioned elsewhere in the Report, we have also successfully hosted or co-organised numerous international conferences over the year, such as the International Forum on Education Reforms in the Asia Pacific Region. In line with the growing trend of cooperation and synergy between institutions the Institute has also actively paved the way for augmenting staff and student exchanges in the coming years.

Professional and community service
The Institute has remained alert to the needs of the community and the teaching profession by responding to educational issues and working in collaboration with all sectors of the education community. For example, over the past year, the Institute has submitted its institutional response to the UGC's Review of Higher Education in Hong Kong. To enhance public recognition of distinguished practitioners who have made substantial contributions to the educational field, the Institute launched the "Outstanding Educator Award in June 2001. The first recipient was Dr Angela Chiu Kwan-hung, a pioneer in early childhood education.