THE REVIEW2020 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR The crisis-ridden academic year of 2019–20 was the most challenging the University has faced since the Second World War. Both the social unrest in Hong Kong and the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted HKU and our society. I am pleased to say, however, that our response to these challenges has revealed HKU’s strengths – of teamwork, diligence and a commitment to excellence in teaching, research as well as contribution to the wider community and mankind. The disruptions had a silver lining. They provided opportunities for innovation and the expansion of online teaching and learning. They also caused the University’s leaders to pause, reflect and think deeply about our future. We are obliged to take HKU to the next level of excellence and to realise our potential to the full by critically reviewing our strengths and weaknesses, and dislodging any lingering complacency. The twin crises have added fuel to our determination to push forward with these plans, which include upgrading our facilities and attracting top-flight scholars from around the world. Moving Online The University’s resilience in the face of social unrest and COVID-19 ensured that our core work of teaching and research continued – thanks to the outstanding effort expended by everyone involved, from teachers, deans and department heads to support staff and administrators. An awful lot was demanded of them and they rose quickly and competently to the challenge. For example, when the social unrest affected campuses in Hong Kong in fall 2019, our senior management team, deans, department heads and staff worked day and night to keep the lines of communication with students open and address matters before they became flashpoints. Students also responded reasonably. As a result, the University emerged relatively unscathed. We continue to value diversity of views and vigorous debate, so long as it is conducted within the law and adheres to the principle of mutual respect and civility. Part of our response was to close the campus during November and December 2019 to facilitate calm to return. This required a swift move to online teaching and assessment and we managed to complete the semester as scheduled, including creating the HKU Online Examination System in just two weeks. The solutions were not perfect, but they provided a valuable practice run for what was to come later with the COVID-19 pandemic. Just one week into the second semester, face-to-face classes were suspended and would remain so, off and on until September. The lessons we learned during the earlier closure meant that we could quickly adjust and roll. Online teaching and learning at HKU have since improved tremendously, with better infrastructure, training and experience now under our belt. Many teachers have experimented and pushed the boundaries to make the most of the online environment. Multi-channel learning will undoubtedly be a core feature of teaching going forward at HKU. Back to Campus and Community Online learning cannot, however, replicate all the benefits of face-to-face teaching and campus life that are such a treasured part of being in university. HKU decided early in the year to work towards making the campus environment safe for everyone to return, with the first priority being classrooms. Our Task Force on Infectious Diseases has toiled away to implement infection control measures around the campus, and helped classes resume rapidly as far as possible (we had two class suspensions in 2020). They also mean we have been able to keep our halls and residences open for students. With these measures, no COVID-19 outbreaks have been linked to our campus. Importantly, our research could continue unabated. Our laboratories have remained open throughout the year and we have investigated and published as usual. This has been fortunate not only for HKU but the world: our medical scholars have produced world-leading research on the virus and their advice has been sought by local, national and overseas governments, as well as international agencies such as the World Health Organization. Even in the midst of great disruption, HKU has been able to demonstrate scholarly excellence and have a deep impact in society. Our impact was felt also in knowledge exchange activities on COVID-19. HKU has been one of the trusted institutions relied upon by the Hong Kong public for information as to how to A TURNING POINT 02 | 03
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