Introduction
The Hong Kong Education Research and Development Centre (previously named as “the Hong Kong Education Research and
Interchange Centre”and herein called “the Centre”) was established in October 2002.It is a local non-profit-making
organization. Its goals are to help local schools and other education entities to improve their teaching capacity,
and to enhance the professional development of teachers. Its greatest contribution to the education field is through
organizing researches for local teachers of pre-school, primary and secondary education. It also set up cooperation
on pedagogical studies, implementing teachers’training and organizing in-depth visits to schools in Mainland China
so as to foster exchange of experiences and opinions in the education and teaching fields.
Its network and services
The Centre has built up a comprehensive network with the National Education Ministry as well as the education offices
of the provincial and municipal governments in different parts of Mainland China. It also has a very strong linkage
with many educational research institutes, various academic organizations and schools in Mainland China. It provides
three major services as follows:
1. “Walking Out”– It aims to broaden the horizon of local schools by looking education at a wider context such as
the entire Mainland China or worldwide.With a very good relationship and network with the National Education Ministry,
the Centre has maintained good collaboration with the education offices of local governments and organized
professional training and academic interchange activities annually.
The Centre has organized four high-level training courses for local school administrative staff and secondary
schoolmasters in collaboration with four education institutes, namely, the Shanghai Hua Tung University of Teachers,
Nanjing Teachers’ University, Nan Tong Educational Bureau of Jiangsu and Hubei Provincial Educational Bureau.
The Centre has also led four delegations of hard-core teachers in Hong Kong to conduct education researches in
Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangchow. Other academic exchange activities involve the teachers, class-masters and
class-mistresses of Chinese literature, mathematics, English and Fine Arts.
In April 2006 and July 2007, the Centre conducted pedagogical researches twice for teachers from Xinjiang,
Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The most remarkable event was ‘One-subject-three-pedagogies’ which meant that teachers
from three different places taught the same subject in their own ways for different classes and then followed by
discussions and reviews. The leading press ‘People’s Education Press’ in Mainland reported the event and these
activities were successful.
It is well recognized that the Centre is strong in organizing quality academic visits and education researches.
2. “Inviting professionals of PRC”– With a strong network with the well-known education professionals in Mainland
China, the Centre has invited famous professors, outstanding teachers, excellent learners and veteran principals to
hold seminars, conferences, forums, and academic meetings and to deliver speeches in universities on specific topics.
All these activities have fulfilled the goals of the Centre in promoting the professional capacity and academic
development of local education institutes.
Besides, the Centre has been making great effort to organize vocational training classes of different practices
in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
3. “Setting up a collaboration network”– The network works as a platform for discussions, contests, studies on
professional development, exchanges in teaching experience between schools, academic bodies, teachers and the Centre.
For example, the Centre has held inter-school forums on curriculum design for the NSS academic system and the
experience exchange in pedagogies on history teaching.
Motto
In conclusion, it is clear that the Centre upholds professionalism, pragmatism and conscience in delivering its
services.