Dear Colleagues,
In recent speeches, I have repeatedly mentioned the Town Planning Board's approval of the construction of the Hub for Community Health and Wellness (HCHW); the designation of HKMU as Hong Kong's first University of Applied Sciences (UAS); the acquisition of MU88 for student accommodation; the accreditation of our Physiotherapy programme; and our remarkable success in student recruitment.
My intention was to use these “events” to boost the morale and confidence of HKMU staff and students. While I hope my efforts will unite all HKMUers, I cannot help but realise that these “achievements” have also resulted in some challenges.
Some people hold the view that UASs are just glorified vocational training colleges.
The HCHW is an expensive project, and some critics have questioned its impact on our financial health and whether it will substantially reduce our reserves and increase the pressure to charge higher tuition fees and/or recruit even more students.
Our large student population has already put extra strain on the work environment for staff, our general student services, career development assistance, counselling needs and care for students with special educational needs.
A few residents at MU88 complained on social media about their randomly allocated flats and claimed that they were not provided with complete information before they committed to renting their flats, though that was not the case.
Our success in student recruitment, especially in the mainland, has attracted many education consultants and admissions experts, who claim that they can get mainland applicants, including those with substandard academic credentials, a place in our programmes through a back door. These “agents” and some alleged students made comments on our programmes on popular Chinese social media platforms that created a negative impression of the University. The fact is that our university does not collaborate with education consultants.
Despite these challenges and unwanted distractions, I urge all HKMU members to have faith in the University and continue to perform to the best of your abilities. Of course, we should also be mindful of our shortcomings and improve whenever and wherever we can.
By doing so, we can build strong immunity to unfounded negativity. Let's work together to create more miracles!
Paul LAM Kwan-sing
President
