The Quality Assurance Council has confirmed the University of Hong Kong's commitment to enhancing teaching and learning, saying it is underpinned by its central leadership in the planning of major educational initiatives and quality enhancement.

This was the message in the council's audit report on the university released today. It praised the institute for embracing the opportunity of the new four-year curriculum, and the audit self-review, to review and enhance its strategy, educational aims, objectives and operations.

Other positive features included its extensive use of external academics and professionals in assuring programme quality, robust process of academic reviews, its serious consideration of student feedback, provision of a wide range of co- and extra-curricular learning activities and comprehensive support for research students.

The council recommended the university:

* define the data, including key performance indicators, to monitor the quality of student learning and the standards of the university's awards;

* review the central, faculty and departmental committee structures and their inter-relationships, to streamline decision-making and ensure oversight of the implementation of central policies;

* consider how research can inform teaching in taught programmes as a means of establishing a clear teaching-research nexus;

* implement an assessment policy for all taught programmes to be applied across all faculties and departments, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels; and,

* develop a strategy to identify, evaluate, disseminate and monitor good practices in teaching and learning across the university, to continually enhance the quality of student learning.

The university agreed to submit a preliminary plan in 18 months on its follow-up actions. Click here for the report.