The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted Coursera’s second annual Asia Regional Workshop in Hong Kong. Around 180 representatives from major Asian universities joined the three-day event (15-17 October) for vibrant sessions about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), online and blended pedagogy, and emerging trends in higher education.
The Workshop was hosted by HKUST in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong, bringing together university officials, faculty members, instructional designers, program managers, technology specialists, and course staff from across Couresera’s partner organizations in the region. Coursera is the world’s largest open online education provider.
The Workshop showcased successes of Asian universities and opened doors for collaboration in the region and beyond. The Workshop discussed the development of MOOCs in China and provided tools and case studies for university leaders, policymakers, and project managers to set effective MOOC strategies that match their individual institution’s goals. The Workshop also drilled down into the tactical aspects of successful institutional strategy, project management, course design and marketing, among others.
Prof Wei Shyy, Executive Vice-President and Provost of HKUST, said, “As one of Asia’s first universities to launch MOOCs, HKUST is pleased to host Coursera’s Asia Regional Workshop which provides a platform for educators and experts in the region to exchange and share first-hand information on the subject. The University supports teaching innovation including MOOCs with high priorities, and is committed to maintaining its internationally leading position in this critical area.”
Prof Rick Levin, CEO of Coursera and former President of Yale University, said, “Educational institutions across Asia and particularly in Hong Kong are at the forefront of innovation in open online education. We are thrilled that our partner HKUST is hosting this regional workshop, which will inspire collaboration among Asia’s leading universities as we seek to provide universal access to the world’s best education.”
Prof Ting-Chuen Pong, Senior Advisor to the Executive Vice-President and Provost (Teaching Innovation and e-Learning), said, “We are excited about recent opportunities to collaborate closely with Coursera in the development of a Specialization, that is, a series of six courses on “Full Stack Web Development” and another Specialization on “Business English Skills and Foundations”.
HKUST has recently established the Center for Education and Innovation (CEI) which aims to facilitate and promote educational innovation, development of MOOCs, experiential and service learning courses, and teaching and learning enhanced by technology and various pedagogies. CEI consists of selected faculty members from across the disciplines engaged in experiential education and e-learning. The new Center will provide support for or house other university-level teaching and learning units as they arise and will act as an interdisciplinary platform and provide support for all faculty members to innovate, share, and collaborate in new pedagogies and educational activities.
HKUST is one of the pioneers in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), university-level courses open to anyone linked to the internet. The University launched three courses on Coursera in 2013 and will provide a total of nine courses by the end of this year.
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university excelling in science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. Internationally renowned for its academic rigor and accomplishments, the University promotes interdisciplinary studies and provides holistic education, nurturing well-rounded graduates with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking and relevant skills to thrive in a knowledge economy. As an international university with strong ties to global thought leaders, HKUST has wide-ranging connections with Mainland China while aspiring to be a global premier knowledge hub and a center of research breakthroughs. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee (UGC), and it was also ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in a global survey on employability of graduates in 2014. HKUST was ranked No 1 in Hong Kong and 28th worldwide in QS World University Rankings 2015-16, and the Times Higher Education also branded it as one of the seven fastest-rising young universities worldwide in 2015.
About Coursera
Coursera partners with over 130 top universities and educational institutions to offer hundreds of online courses and Specializations in topics from computer science to social psychology and beyond. Earn certificates from prestigious learning institutions for courses and projects developed in collaboration with top employers that teach the skills you need to succeed. Whether you want to advance your career or pursue a passion, Coursera provides open online education for everyone. For more information, visit www.coursera.org.
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