Bringing Swedish teaching to campus

Prof. Ata Ghaderi (3rd right, front) has a rewarding teaching experience at CUHK.

As part of the University’s effort to promote ‘Internationalisation at home’ to enable students to experience global learning without travelling abroad, CUHK has partnered with the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT) in the Teaching Sabbatical Programme which sends Swedish scholars to teach and conduct research at CUHK. Prof. Ata Ghaderi of the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet is being hosted by the Department of Psychology during the first term of 2024-25.

Prof. Ghaderi’s impressions of Hong Kong students in his course Abnormal Psychology have been very positive. Initially, Prof. Ghaderi had heard that Hong Kong students are shy. However, he found that his efforts in actively reaching out to students during breaks have led to stimulating conversations. ‘Many of my students demonstrate an impressive understanding of the subject matter and exhibit genuine enthusiasm,’ he remarked, appreciating their dedication to academic excellence.

The STINT programme offers Prof. Ghaderi with valuable opportunities to reflect on his teaching pedagogy within a different cultural context. ‘Interacting with students, teaching assistants, and faculty members at CUHK has been incredibly enriching,’ he shared. This experience has enabled him to consider future research directions, particularly in teaching methodologies. Looking ahead, Prof. Ghaderi sees promising potential for collaboration with CUHK on cross-cultural studies.

The STINT programme is organised annually. Departments which are interested in hosting Swedish fellows under the programme should contact Ms. Olivia Kwok of the Office of Academic Links.