Experiential Learning
BBED6806 Opening Doors to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) – An Experiential Learning Project in Sri Lanka
Project Details
The concept of sustainability revolves around the ability of an individual, a family and community, a nation and its institutions to find ways to develop for continuity for the future and resilience against various challenges, problems, and threats. With just a few years from the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) continue to serve as a strong impetus for education institutions in their efforts to foster Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
In response to the urgent need to improve sustainability literacy among students from different cultures, this course aims to first explore sustainable development through a global lens as well as more specific contexts of Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Under the guidance and supervision of staff from Inspire Village, a sustainable educational farm in Sri Lanka, students will use their knowledge of sustainability and the local community to devise and execute a series of co-curricular activities for young learners in Sri Lanka in the farm. In the implementation period, students will be co-teaching their curriculum with the local youth leaders in Inspire Village. Throughout this process, students are expected to undergo intensive consultation sessions with the supervisors, peer-evaluation, self-reflection and rounds of trial-and-error to aid their process of development. By the end of the course, alongside the course deliverables, students will have gained a practical understanding of sustainability, lesson design and reflective learning.
Date
Semester 2 and Summer, 2025-26 (dates to be confirmed)
- Lectures and input sessions will be held at HKU and a local school in Hong Kong before and after the main project. The core implementation period will take place in Inspire Village, Sri Lanka, in June/July 2026.
Location
Hong Kong and Sri Lanka
Eligibility
- UG students from all disciplines (No. of places: 12)
- Applicants may be asked to attend virtual interviews. Please look for emails sent to the HKU email after enrolment.
Funding Support
Successful applicants will receive funding support from the Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Fund, with up to HK$5,000 available on a reimbursement basis. Please note that personal expenses—such as sightseeing, social activities and additional insurance or medical plans—are not eligible for reimbursement.
Students from the Faculty of Education may also explore the following financial support schemes to cover any remaining expenses:
- Madam Chu Kwai Ying Memorial Scholarship (up to HK$10,000 per application; merit-based)
- Bursary Scheme for Experiential Learning (up to HK$5,000 per application; non-merit-based).
For students from other faculties interested in applying for this course, please explore other subsidy schemes offered by the university or their home faculty, including the ‘HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund - Reaching Out Award’ and those provided by the Centre of Development and Resources for Students.
Application
Register BBED6806 Opening Doors to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) – An Experiential Learning Project in Sri Lanka (class number to be confirmed) via the Student Information System (SIS). Students will earn 6 credits upon successful completion of the course.
Application Deadline
Online course add/drop period in Semester 2, 2025-26
Remarks
- All Experiential Learning courses offered by the Faculty of Education are graded on a PASS/FAIL basis.
- This is a certified Communication-intensive (CI) Course which meets all of the requirements endorsed by HKU’s Senate, including
- the teaching and assessment of oral and written communication ‘literacies’; and
- at least 40% of the course grade assigned to communication-rich assessment tasks.
- Students may need to study/work off-campus in schools/premises of our community partners and/or their collaborating partners.
- Students must possess valid travel documents and a visa for entry into Sri Lanka.
- Study Abroad Programmes that are arranged by the University will be covered by the Corporate Business Travel Insurance Policy and the Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy for students. Please refer to the Finance and Enterprises Office for further information.
Enquiries
Ms LEE, Vivien K. (Email: [javascript protected email address])