The School of Science and Technology at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) was appointed as the sole Assessment Agency (AA) for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) industry by the Education Bureau. This previous appointment covered the period from 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2023. Following the completion of the eight-year RPL assessment service, the Education Bureau has reappointed HKMU for an additional five years starting from 1 November 2023. This reappointment is a significant acknowledgment of our leading role in professional training for TIC industry practitioners by both the Government and the Industry. Through the RPL Mechanism, TIC practitioners with experience can obtain formal recognition of their skills and knowledge via assessment by the RPL Assessment Agency.
The School of Science and Technology Re-appointed as the Assessment Agency of the Testing, Inspection & Certification Industry
29 Jan 2019
The School of Science and Technology at The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) had been appointed by the Education Bureau as the sole Assessment Agency (AA) for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the TIC industry covering the period from 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2018. After completion the three-year RPL assessment service, the Education Bureau has approved the re-appointment of OUHK as the Assessment Agency for conducting RPL assessments for practitioners in TIC for a period of further five years commencing on 1 November 2018. This is an important recognition by the Government and the Industry in regards of our leading position in the professional training for the practitioners of the TIC Industry. Under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Mechanism, experienced TIC practitioners will be able to obtain formal recognition of their knowledge and skills through assessment by the RPL Assessment Agency.
The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) has been officially appointed as the assessment agency to conduct Prior Learning Assessment for practitioners in the Testing, Inspection & Certification (TIC) Industry.
Under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Mechanism, experienced TIC practitioners will be able to obtain formal recognition of their knowledge and skills through assessment by the Testing and Certification Programme Team of OUHK's School of Science and Technology starting from mid-December this year.
A launching ceremony was held on 07 November 2015 to commemorate this important milestone for the University. OUHK President Prof. WONG Yuk-Shan said that the School of Science and Technology was honoured to be appointed by the Education Bureau as the RPL Assessment Agency for the TIC Industry. “This is an important recognition by the Government and the Industry in regards of our leading position in the professional training for the practitioners of the TIC Industry.”
Prof. WONG Yuk-Shan added that the RPL assessments will enhance TIC practitioners' technical standards and skills, facilitating the professional development of the Industry in Hong Kong. It was highlighted by Prof. WONG that OUHK will be investing extra resources to further develop and upscale related programmes in Testing and Certification so as to provide professional and highly dependable training to nurture new talents for the long-term development of the TIC Industry.
The launching ceremony was officiated by:
– Secretary for Education Mr NG Hak-kim Eddie,
– OUHK President Prof. WONG Yuk-Shan,
– Industry Training Advisory Committee of the TIC Industry Chairman Mr YEUNG King-chung Spencer, and
– Qualifications Framework Secretariat General Manager Mr PANG Bing-hung Patrick.
Prof. WONG Yuk-Shan also expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong for its generous donation of $2 million which will be used to set up a special scholarship to recognize and reward full-time students with outstanding academic achievement in the Testing and Certification programmes.
The launching ceremony was followed by a panel discussion on the topic of “How to apply Qualifications Framework in Testing, Inspection and Certification Industry”. It was facilitated by the OUHK Dean of the School of Science & Technology Prof. HO Kin-chung, and joined by the below distinguished speakers:
– Housing Department Chief Structural Engineer (Development & Construction) Ir KWAN Kai-sing,
– Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency Chairman Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok,
– Hong Kong Airline Limited Director (Services Delivery) Mr Stanley KAN, and
– Hong Kong Association for Testing, Inspection and Certification Limited Chairman Ir CHAN King-wa Felix.
The speakers shared their professional opinions on how the Qualifications Framework could help improve the professionalism and competitiveness of the Industry. Some other key stakeholders and experts of the TIC Industry were invited to host a series of professional seminars, bringing the latest and invaluable industry insights to the participants too.
Jonathan handles all external affairs include business development, patents write up and public relations. He is frequently interviewed by media and is considered a pioneer in 3D printing products.
After graduating from OUHK, Krutz obtained an M.Sc. in Engineering Management from CityU. He is now completing his second master degree, M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering, at CUHK. Krutz has a wide range of working experience. He has been with Siemens, VTech, and PCCW.
Hugo Leung Wai-yin, who graduated from his four-year programme in 2015, won the Best Paper Award for his ‘intelligent pill-dispenser’ design at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering’s International Conference on Consumer Electronics – China 2015.
The pill-dispenser alerts patients via sound and LED flashes to pre-set dosage and time intervals. Unlike units currently on the market, Hugo’s design connects to any mobile phone globally. In explaining how it works, he said: ‘There are three layers in the portable pillbox. The lowest level is a controller with various devices which can be connected to mobile phones in remote locations. Patients are alerted by a sound alarm and flashes. Should they fail to follow their prescribed regime, data can be sent via SMS to relatives and friends for follow up.’ The pill-dispenser has four medicine slots, plus a back-up with a LED alert, topped by a 500ml water bottle. It took Hugo three months of research and coding to complete his design, but he feels it was worth all his time and effort.
Hugo’s public examination results were disappointing and he was at a loss about his future before enrolling at the OUHK, which he now realizes was a major turning point in his life. He is grateful for the OUHK’s learning environment, its industry links and the positive guidance and encouragement from his teachers. The University is now exploring the commercial potential of his design with a pharmaceutical company. He hopes that this will benefit the elderly and chronically ill, as well as the society at large.
Soon after completing his studies, Hugo joined an automation technology company as an assistant engineer. He is responsible for the design and development of automation devices. The target is to minimize human labor and increase the quality of products. He is developing products which are used in various sections, including healthcare, manufacturing and consumer electronics.
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP S321F | Advanced Database and Data Warehousing | 5 | |
| COMP S333F | Advanced Programming and AI Algorithms | 5 | |
| COMP S351F | Software Project Management | 5 | |
| COMP S362F | Concurrent and Network Programming | 5 | |
| COMP S363F | Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing | 5 | |
| COMP S382F | Data Mining and Analytics | 5 | |
| COMP S390F | Creative Programming for Games | 5 | |
| COMP S492F | Machine Learning | 5 | |
| ELEC S305F | Computer Networking | 5 | |
| ELEC S348F | IOT Security | 5 | |
| ELEC S371F | Digital Forensics | 5 | |
| ELEC S431F | Blockchain Technologies | 5 | |
| ELEC S425F | Computer and Network Security | 5 |
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELEC S201F | Basic Electronics | 5 | |
| IT S290F | Human Computer Interaction & User Experience Design | 5 | |
| STAT S251F | Statistical Data Analysis | 5 |
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMPS333F | Advanced Programming and AI Algorithms | 5 | |
| COMPS362F | Concurrent and Network Programming | 5 | |
| COMPS363F | Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing | 5 | |
| COMPS380F | Web Applications: Design and Development | 5 | |
| COMPS381F | Server-side Technologies and Cloud Computing | 5 | |
| COMPS382F | Data Mining and Analytics | 5 | |
| COMPS390F | Creative Programming for Games | 5 | |
| COMPS413F | Application Design and Development for Mobile Devices | 5 | |
| COMPS492F | Machine Learning | 5 | |
| ELECS305F | Computer Networking | 5 | |
| ELECS363F | Advanced Computer Design | 5 | |
| ELECS425F | Computer and Network Security | 5 |
