About HKBU
Mission
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is committed to academic excellence in teaching, research and service, and to the development of the whole person in all these endeavours, built upon the heritage of Christian higher education.
Vision
HKBU aspires to be a premier institution of higher learning providing a broad-based, creativity-inspiring education, with a distinctive contribution to the advancement of knowledge through research and scholarship.
Education at HKBU
Founded in 1956, the University is Hong Kong's second-oldest higher-learning institution. It has an established place in Hong Kong's tertiary education sector, emphasising academic excellence and a whole-person education with a Christian ethos. Pioneering and broad-based interactive programmes, academic excellence that embodies a careful balance between teaching and research, an international perspective and a commitment to quality assurance have become hallmarks of the University.
At HKBU, we value each and every student. We provide students with the learning environment to grow and explore their unique potential. Valuing and respecting the uniqueness and creativity of individuals is at the heart of our learning and teaching philosophy.
Creativity rests in our diverse programmes and co-and extra-curricular activities. Our International Writers Workshop and Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop give students direct contact with world-renowned authors and journalists. Visiting scholars and industry practitioners offer students opportunities to broaden their creative thinking by learning from successful people across industries. Poetry recitals, art exhibitions and a host of other events help to promote creativity.
The Report of a Quality Audit of HKBU found that HKBU has achieved its goal of providing undergraduate students with a liberal, holistic education through the concept of Whole Person Education. Released in 2009 by the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Committee, the report also confirmed that whole-person education at HKBU is delivered in a caring and supportive environment, and is clearly appreciated by students.
Campus Areas
The University has four campuses: the Ho Sin Hang Campus, the Shaw Campus, the Baptist University Road Campus and the Kai Tak Campus. Together they provide an attractive, student-focused urban university environment that helps to nurture body, mind, and spirit.
Located in the heart of Kowloon, these campuses are only a few minutes' walk from MTR stations, and are well serviced by public transport from virtually every area of Hong Kong.
With the theme of "Inspires Creativity for Whole-person Education", the Campus Expansion Plan (CEP) 2007-2014 will add a net floor area of nearly 27,000m
2 for teaching, administration and amenities use –a nearly 50% increase in the current campus size. (The existing area for University Grants Committee-funded activities is about 56,600m
2, excluding the Kai Tak Campus and the space under the School of Continuing Education.)
Integrated Undergraduate Programmes
The University offers full-time integrated undergraduate programmes with single and interdisciplinary curricula on a departmental and faculty/school basis, providing students with training for all-round development and enabling them to acquire good transferable skills required by the workplace. The curriculum structure is broad with emphasis on intellectual development and creativity as espoused by the General Education requirements outside the students' major disciplines. Except for the professional programmes, the undergraduate curriculum carries at least 60 units for the major and 36 units of Complementary Studies. The Complementary Studies programme is designed to
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Provide adequate training in transferable skills;
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Fulfil the University's ideal of whole-person education;
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Encourage students to acquire a body of knowledge in subject areas outside of major disciplines;
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Allow greater choice of subjects to encourage students to have a sense of responsibility for their own studies; and
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Enable students to choose a minor discipline.
English is the medium of instruction for formal classroom teaching, except for Chinese-related courses.
Funding from the University is available to enable more students to participate in and benefit from exchange programmes with institutions outside of Hong Kong. Participating students are provided with financial assistance. We actively promote the exchange of students and collaboration with institutions outside of Hong Kong. Each year we send hundreds of students abroad on academic exchanges to some 200 HKBU partner institutions. In the 2010/11 academic year, HKBU welcomed 342 in-bound exchange students from North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.
Aided by an international team of academics and visiting scholars, HKBU is committed to creating a cosmopolitan learning environment that helps instil in all students the skills, attitudes and values necessary to acquire a global perspective. The Consul-General-in-Residence Programme is one of the many initiatives that promote internationalization on campus.
We also offer many opportunities for local students to participate in overseas study trips, work internships and a diverse range of curricular programmes. Such activities help students gain international experience, broaden their horizons and take a more critical view of their life, knowledge and learning.
The University provides many opportunities for co-curricular and extracurricular activities to help enrich students' educational experience. Besides academic societies composed of students studying the same programme/major, there are more than 50 student interest clubs on campus that appeal to the varied interests of students and contribute to the objectives of a broad liberal arts education. Student governance is exercised through the Student Senators, the Student Union and its Council, and the Postgraduate Association. Student representatives hold more than 154 seats in approximately 41 University-wide boards, committees and panels.
In line with the University's whole-person education ethos, students are encouraged to stretch their visions beyond textbooks and classrooms. In addition to achieving academic excellence, they have also demonstrated good spirit and sportsmanship through participation in social services and extracurricular activities. Highlights of their achievements in the 2010-2011 academic year are as follows:
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The HKBU student delegation brought back prestigious recognition for the second consecutive year from the Asian International Model United Nations (AIMUN) Conference organized by Peking University in 2011. Seven student delegates won two Best Position Paper Awards and a Best Delegation Award for their outstanding performance at the Conference.
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Four BBA students captured the Championship, Best Audience Choice and the Best Presenter Award in the China Mobile Hong Kong Business Administration Paper 2010 competition organized by the Hong Kong Federation of Business Students.
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11 students and alumni took part in the Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou and won one silver and four bronze medals. Elite fencer Au Sin-ying who currently ranks 50th in the world, was also awarded the "Bank of China Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards 2010".
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The Chinese Debating Team beat rivals from other universities in Hong Kong to win the Jing Ying Cup for the fourth time. One of the team members was named Best Debater in two sessions of the competition. The team also won second prize in Inter-collegiate Debate Competition 2011.
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Students of the Academy of Visual Arts were invited to take part in the "Budding Winter" exhibition as part of the Hong Kong week activities at the Shanghai Expo, providing visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the creative talent of Hong Kong's young artists and initiating cultural exchanges through a series of interactive workshops.
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Three students of the School of Communication participated in the 2010 HK4As Student Award organized by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong. Their creative poster design that incorporated natural elements won them the Merit Award in the competition.
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A student from the Faculty of Science won the bronze prize in the 2010 Amway Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Universities Information Technology Project Competition.
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Four students from the Department of Computer Science won the first runner-up and second runner-up prizes in the 2011 Amway Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Universities IT Project Competition organized by the Internet Professional Association.
The Office of Student Affairs plays a critical role in realising the University's vision of providing whole-person education, offering a full array of programmes and creating learning environments to help students develop skills in the areas of psychological competence, leadership and service to society, and readiness for future careers.