Two teaching weeks done now, both offering online teaching only. So far things are going OK. One more week online, then ‘dual mode’ starts. Not sure what I think about dual mode teaching, I am worried that it will produce mediocre online experience as teachers focus on the face-to-face element. We will see!
The first week of the semester has already passed with no apparent issues (or as I said to someone yesterday, no issues that are bad enough to have reached me!). All teaching is online at the moment, but in two weeks we start face to face again. Our online inauguration ceremony was aired this week.…
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The online orientation for our freshmen students was on 25th. I pre-recorded a welcome speech for the event. We also decided that after week three of semester we will be teaching face-to-face and online in so called hybrid-mode. The first three weeks will continue to be online. In my honest opinion we will be lucky…
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I must admit that it seems almost a contradiction in terms to have an online orientation event, but that is what we will be doing. I have done a lot of recorded statements and speeches in the last couple of weeks. There are some welcome remarks here: https://www.scifac.hku.hk/ug-induction-info/welcome and there will be a longer orientation…
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With Adeline’s quarantine over it was time to get back to the office. Hong Kong’s latest outbreak of covid is persisting for longer than hoped and we will now be teaching only online for the first three weeks, rather than in dual mode as hoped. Decisions about the rest of semester will be taken in…
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As Adeline came back to Hong Kong last weekend she has been in quarantine, technically I do not need to under the Hong Kong rules. However, as a courtesy to others I have been keeping to the flat too. The majority of my work can be done from the flat anyway, we have all become…
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In the last week Hong Kong has seen a surge in coronavirus infections, this only takes to about 100 a day, but it could get worse I suppose. Should not be complacent but we are a very long way from what is being experienced in other countries. In addition Adeline came back to Hong Kong…
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Last week I attended the vigil for Stanley Ho. For those who do not know Stanley Ho was a very rich man, the person who established the casino industry in Macao. He was also an alumnus of the Faculty, enrolled in 1939. He died in May. The vigil was a traditional Chinese affair, with literally…
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The results of the applications to the Research Grants Council were released a few days ago. The Faculty has done genuinely well with almost 70 funded projects this year with a success rate of somewhat over 50%. As usual there will be some who feel disappointed that they have not been funded, but overall this…
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Today is a public holiday – the 23rd anniversary of the hand-over of Hong Kong to China by the UK. It also happens to be the day after the new National Security Law came into force. I have been asked many times about how this law will affect the Faculty. The honest answer is how…
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