Internationalisation on campus: Swedish teaching at CUHK

The STINT fellows in Asia gather at CUHK to share teaching pedagogies.

As part of the University’s effort to promote internationalisation on campus, CUHK and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) have been collaborating in the Teaching Sabbatical Programme since 2012. The programme engages Swedish scholars to teach and conduct research on the CUHK campus, allowing its students to experience Swedish teaching styles without travelling abroad. In the first term of 2018-19, CUHK receives three visiting fellows, Dr. Markus Langeland from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Monir Mazaheri from Swedish Red Cross University College, and Dr. Jesús Piqueras from Stockholm University.

All the three fellows have found their experiences at CUHK to be very rewarding. Hosted by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Piqueras is impressed by the enthusiasm and openness of the faculty members and students at CUHK. He has also enjoyed developing the teaching courses in close collaboration with his host department. Dr. Langeland, who was hosted by the School of Life Sciences, found his semester very fulfilling. ‘I co-taught Fish Biology and Mariculture at CUHK. I have learnt a lot from students here who have different backgrounds from those I met in Sweden.’ Dr. Mazaheri, another fellow who was hosted by the School of Public Health and Primary Care, shared the same thought, ‘I really like the teaching dynamics and flexibility to adjust the content to meet students’ needs. Experiencing a different academic atmosphere itself is inspiring and educational, and I have enjoyed the exchange of knowledge and experiences in education with my peers at CUHK.’

In connection with STINT, CUHK hosted a workshop in October for STINT fellows who were teaching in Asia to exchange ideas on teaching pedagogies and the programme itself. Nine fellows who were teaching at CUHK, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and the University of Tokyo took part in the workshop. During the occasion, Prof. Cecilia Chun, Director, Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research, shared CUHK’s teaching and learning practices with the participants.

Dr. Jesús Piqueras (middle, back) is impressed by the enthusiasm and openness of the faculty members and students at CUHK.

Dr. Markus Langeland (left) has a rewarding experience interacting with students in Hong Kong.

Dr. Monir Mazaheri teaches at the School of Public Health and Primary Care.