2022-23 HKU x NIE e-Practicum Buddy Scheme and Resumption of Practicum Exchange

Following on from the highly successful virtual collaboration experiences of last year's "NIE X HKU e-Practicum Buddy Scheme," our Faculty, in partnership with the National Institute of Education (NIE) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, relaunched the e-Practicum Buddy Scheme in 2022-23. What sets this year's programme apart is the exciting resumption of the physical overseas practicum exchange, which had been put on hold for the past two years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary objective of the programme is to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster dialogue among students from the two universities, allowing them to gain insights from each other's educational experiences. The programme has been carefully designed to enable close collaboration and learning through two key activities: the e-Practicum Buddy Scheme (Virtual Student Collaboration) and the Physical Overseas Practicum Exchange.

During the Virtual Student Collaboration Session, ten students from HKU were paired up with ten students from NIE to organise online activities and hold weekly sessions. They engaged in discussions on various educational topics, including catering for students with special educational needs, sexuality education, private tutoring, medium of instruction, and education reforms. Through active participation in these weekly activities, the students have gained a deeper understanding of the education systems in both Singapore and Hong Kong.

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the physical overseas practicum exchange has resumed and has been met with great enthusiasm from both universities. In July, seven HKU students embarked on a four-week practicum exchange at NIE, where they had the invaluable opportunity to work alongside their Singaporean mentors and teach in local schools. They also had the pleasure of connecting with other international students who were also on exchange at NIE during that time. The same practices also apply to NIE buddies, and three inbound students from NIE are scheduled to visit Hong Kong for a two-week attachment in December. This reciprocal exchange will provide them with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the local educational landscape and further strengthen the bonds between the two universities.

To celebrate the successful completion of the programme, a debriefing session was held on October 31, 2023. The seven HKU students who participated in the exchange conducted a presentation, sharing their enriching practicum experiences in Singapore. The students were also presented with certificates as a testament to their fruitful and memorable journey.

Miss Candace Lau, one of the seven HKU students joining the practicum exchange, expressed how this extraordinary experience brought her new insights into good teaching and learning practices. The four-week immersion into a different education system also helped her gain a much more global perspective on education.

To learn more about the programme, please visit:

https://web.edu.hku.hk/sup-partners/student-experiential-journey