Professor Joshua Mok, an internationally renowned comparative policy research scholar, began his role at HSUHK as Provost and Vice-President (Academic and Research) in August 2024.
As Provost and Vice-President (Academic and Research), Professor Mok is tasked with leading HSUHK’s academic development, including academic curriculum structure, programme development, and quality assurance, in-line with the University’s overall strategic direction and the larger community’s needs. He is also working with different teams to develop policies and strategies for academic research, academic staff recruitment, student admissions, and knowledge exchange.
Professor Mok stresses the importance of impactful research in education with a simple and straightforward education vision and philosophy: support and encourage students to learn with care, and to learn to care. He says, “we need to foster a global research learning environment with the purpose of addressing local, regional and global issues that inform and inspire further teaching and learning.”
As Professor Mok begins his journey at HSUHK, he hopes to emphasise the “5Cs” in teaching, learning and research, that are part of the University’s DNA: Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication and Collaboration, Caring attitudes and Continuous active learning, as these core competencies help students become responsible citizens. “We need to create a total learning environment and push co-curricular activities centred around care, such as service learning and international exchanges, as these help students learn global perspectives. With Hong Kong’s precarious international positioning, it is important to foster international perspectives and bring ‘glocalisation’ to Hong Kong so that we can make decisions informed by research to inform future policies.”
Professor Mok is working with the Deans of HSUHK’s five schools on how to promote HSUHK as a research-strong university globally, as he believes that HSUHK’s unique positioning in Hong Kong as well as its “Liberal + Professional” education model allows it to promote excellence in research and research impact. “As we are still a young university, we need to engage with other universities locally and around the world to ensure that we are moving forward.”
In explaining how to apply care in learning and research, Professor Mok highlighted HSUHK’s collaborations with Lingnan University, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and other universities that focus on intergenerational care. In looking at Hong Kong’s ageing population and declining birth rate, he encourages students to work with older people and help them adopt new technologies. “By mobilising our youth to teach tech to the elderly, we can promote intergenerational care and continue to understand the implications of Hong Kong’s challenges.”
HSUHK recently approved the establishment of a new School of Transdisciplinary Studies (STS). Professor Mok is excited for STS as it will further promote cross-school and multiple-stakeholder collaborations in launching intellectually stimulating transdisciplinary research programmes locally, regionally, and internationally.
As the Dean of HSUHK’s new Graduate School, Professor Mok believes that the new School marks a milestone for HSUHK. Professor Mok says that the new School will focus on postgraduate research and experience. “We have pushed excellence in bachelor’s and master’s programmes, and it is time for us to push for excellence in our post-doctoral programmes that are research based.” He also mentioned that the Graduate School is actively engaging with different institutions to foster cross-campus collaborations that will further enrich students’ learning experiences.
Professor Mok joined President Simon Ho and senior management to welcome students back on campus at the beginning of the new academic year, and observed the vibrant energy of HSUHK students, “HSUHK students have a creative energy unlike anything I’ve seen before, with the promising potential that they have, they can truly push the envelope.” As students begin and continue their education journeys at HSUHK, Professor Mok hopes to walk alongside them and encourages students to make life richer by engaging in lifelong learning and research that is based on evidence and leads to positive change for Hong Kong and beyond.
