Speeches

Dear Dr Choi, Council Chairman, Dr Wong, Council and Court members, colleagues, students, ladies and gentlemen,

The legislative bill for changing the title of The Open University of Hong Kong to Hong Kong Metropolitan University took effect in September 2021. This re-titling reflects the new status of the University in its provision of higher education. But we will continue to provide opportunities for higher education through open education.

The School of Open Learning (SOL) at HKMU strives to make learning effective, enjoyable and life-enriching. First and foremost, the SOL focuses on further strengthening our support of off-campus learning for those studying remotely. The SOL also organises various student activities for their holistic personal development. For example, as you can see here, a voluntary team has been set up. Activities such as seminars on time management and personal development have been organised. In Hong Kong, HKMU is now the only tertiary institution offering such a broad range of learning support and development opportunities for non-full-time students.

Here at HKMU, personalised learning is offered through our curricula and study support, and through modes of learning that incorporate educational technology, such as smart multi-media, mixed reality, and our in-house learning-management system. As Dr K C Li, Dean of the SOL, will explain, the University has adopted the “agile-blended learning” approach to enhance the flexibility and effectiveness of our study programmes. This approach has enabled the SOL to calibrate its higher education offerings in response to the latest industry trends and societal needs.

With advances in technology and research, which enhance teaching and learning effectiveness, distance education has continued to improve in recent decades. The quality of distance education offered by HKMU stands out among global distance-education providers. This is evident from the awards HKMU has received from global representative organizations, such as the International Council for Open and Distance Education, and our active involvement in the Asian Association for Open Universities.

It is our honour to have so many distinguished guests, members of the Council and Court, staff and students join us for this memorable event. We look forward to receiving your on-going support for our mission to provide top-quality higher education and life-long learning opportunities for our students.

Over the years, many things have changed. But our commitment to provide open, flexible, high quality and innovative programmes to members of our community has not changed. We will work hard to achieve this mission.

Thank you very much.