The Second High Table Dinner of School of General Education took place on Apr 22, 2024 in the Multi-Function Room T1-101/102. The high-table guests were Prof. Zhi CHEN, President of UIC; Prof. Yaqing MAO, Vice-President (Administration) of UIC; Prof. Stella CHO, Associate Vice-President (Student Development) of UIC and Acting Dean of SGE; Prof. Jianhui LI, Registrar of UIC; Prof. Haipeng Guo, Associate Dean of SGE; and Prof. Hongyu Wu, Associate Dean of SGE. SGE invited Dr. Albert CHAU, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) of HKBU as the guest speaker. He shared his insights in a speech titled “Challenges to High Education: The Role of General Education”. Around 200 UIC colleagues and students joined the evening.

Group Photo of the Guests

    The evening commenced with Prof. Stella CHO’s opening remarks, in which she  emphasized the important role of General Education in UIC’s positioning as a liberal arts college. She explained to the audience that SGE is a young teaching unit, only set up one and a half years ago, but it has unswerving devotion to promoting multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies, enabling our students to apply in their major courses the critical thinking and problem-solving skills which they gain through their exposure to diverse disciplines. Through organizing the High Table Dinner, SGE aims to promote intellectual exchange between the guests and the students as well as to expand students’ perspectives by listening to expert speeches and engaging in discussions with professors.

Opening Remarks by Prof Stella CHO

    Prof. Zhi CHEN extended a warm welcome to the guests, faculty members and students. He mentioned that as the first full-scale cooperation in higher education between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, UIC upholds the liberal arts education philosophy and promotes general education courses, contributing to the nation's construction and social development, especially in nurturing a large talent pool for the development of the Greater Bay Area.

Welcome Speech from Prof Zhi CHEN

    Welcomed to the podium by Prof. Zhi CHEN, Dr. Albert CHAU started his speech with gratitude to the organizer and the audience. Sharing his experience in teaching and curriculum development over the past 20 years, Dr. CHAU elaborated the definitions and the distinctions between general education and liberal arts education. He went on to point out that the whole world is facing global challenges that have brought changes to almost every aspect of life. Higher education institutions, therefore, need to make rapid adjustments in the way they nurture talents, as well as in student management and support. The curriculum should be trans-disciplinary with more contextualized assessment. General education, at the same time, is expected to adapt to the changes and must evolve amid this transformation.

Themed Speech by Dr. Albert CHAU

    The speech by Dr. CHAU received enthusiastic response from the audience. He spoke with the students after his speech in Q&A session which touched on multiple topics,  including generative AI and how it may influence teaching and learning in higher education.

Students Raising Questions to Dr. CHAU

    A souvenir was presented to Dr. CHAU in appreciation of his arrival at UIC and his enlightening speech.

Souvenir presented to Dr. Albert CHAU by Prof. Zhi CHEN

    The event proceeded with multi-course meal and lively discussions among the attendees. The musical performances by UIC students were enjoyed by all guests and once again showcased the characteristic liberal arts of UIC. During the Dinner, President Chen and all high-table guests raised a toast to all guests, colleagues and students, to UIC and our Country.

    The high table dinner concluded with a vote of thanks from the student representative Ms. Xiang LI. She shared her insights on UIC's general education, providing a thoughtful conclusion to the evening's proceedings. She also expressed thanks that SGE high table dinner proved to be an enriching experience for her as well as the fellow students.

Student Representative Ms. Xiang LI delivering closing remarks

Content: School of General Education

Photos: MPRO

Click for the Video Clip of SGE High Table Dinner