Hong Kong Baptist University
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is a publicly-funded tertiary institution with a Christian
education heritage. It is the sole surviving institution of 13 major Christian universities that once operated on the Chinese mainland,
Founded in 1956 by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong, HKBU is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Hong Kong
. It was established as Hong Kong Baptist College with the support of American Baptists, who provided both operating and construction funds and personnel to the school in its early years.
It became Hong Kong Baptist University in 1994 during the presidency of Dr. Daniel C.W. TSE, LLD
, GBS
, CBE
, JP
, who succeeded the Founding President, Dr. Lam Chi-fung, as the second president of the University in 1971.
Upon the retirement of Dr. Tse in 2001 after 30 years of educational and social services to the University and Hong Kong, Prof. Ng Ching-fai
GBS was appointed as the third president of the University. The chairman of the University Council and Court is Mr. WONG Ying-wai, Wilfred. In 2010, Prof. Albert Chan Sun-chi assumed office as the fourth president of HKBU.
HKBU has four main campuses: Ho Sin Hang Campus (1966), Shaw Campus (1995), Baptist University Road Campus (1998) and the "Kai Tak Campus" (2005), as well as the Shek Mun Campus (2006) for the College of International Education and the Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School. The first three campuses are located in the urban heart of Kowloon Tong
, while the "Kai Tak Campus" is on Kwun Tong Road and the Shek Mun Campus in Shatin.
Combined enrollment on these campuses is currently more than 8,500.
Hong Kong Baptist University is ranked 111th in the world and 13th in Asia by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2010.
of Hong Kong Baptist University consists of three pictorial elements: the Bible, waves and knots.
The Bible
symbolises the unique quality of Christian
education
which includes moral and spiritual training in addition to academic education.
The waves, on the other hand, symbolise both Hong Kong's geographic nature as an island while echoing Confucius' dictum that "the wise love water" and the University's continuing effort to improve its educational quality.
The knots, the final symbol, illustrate that within God's embrace, Christians are harmoniously linked and loved.
status in 1994. The acronym "BU" coupled with the outlined book on the logo resembles the Chinese characters of welcome and progress, conceptualising the merging of eastern and western cultures.
The design of the logo was commended at a design competition held in October 1996. The Hong Kong Designers Association awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Design 96 Show to Kan & Lau Design Consultants for creating the logo.
Academic Community Hall is an auditorium
located in the university. It opened in May, 1978, and its seating capacity
is 1,346.
Originally, the first President and founder of the University, Dr. Lam Chi-fung, conceived the idea of building a hall for University functions. In 1970, on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary, Dr. and Mrs. Lam donated half a million dollars towards the construction of the auditorium. A local architect, Eric Cumine, took charge of the project. However, Dr. Lam died the following year before the project got underway.
The Board of Governors decided to honour Dr. Lam by expanding the planned auditorium into a much larger scale project --- the development of the Lam Chi-fung Memorial Building. As a part of the project, the Academic Community Hall would serve as a cultural centre for the University and its surrounding community, thus providing a direct link between town and gown.
At present, the Lam Chi-fung Memorial Building consists of an auditorium, a lobby, a VIP room and some display areas.
The auditorium was the venue to a concert by The Clash
on 25 February 1982, which was marred by fighting in the crowd.
The Chinese Medicine Library is located on the second floor of the Chinese Medicine Building. Its set up aims to meet the growing information demand in the development of Chinese medicine. The European Documentation Centre is located in David C. Lam Building 803A and is open to the public. It provides an important study and research base for European Studies. The Shek Mun Campus Library (SMCL) is a branch of the Hong Kong Baptist University Library. It is established to provide quality information resources and services in support of teaching and learning activities of the College of International Education in Shek Mun Campus.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
education heritage. It is the sole surviving institution of 13 major Christian universities that once operated on the Chinese mainland,
Founded in 1956 by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong, HKBU is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It was established as Hong Kong Baptist College with the support of American Baptists, who provided both operating and construction funds and personnel to the school in its early years.
It became Hong Kong Baptist University in 1994 during the presidency of Dr. Daniel C.W. TSE, LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
, GBS
Gold Bauhinia Star
The Gold Bauhinia Star is the highest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, who succeeded the Founding President, Dr. Lam Chi-fung, as the second president of the University in 1971.
Upon the retirement of Dr. Tse in 2001 after 30 years of educational and social services to the University and Hong Kong, Prof. Ng Ching-fai
Ng Ching-fai
Ng Ching-fai, GBS is a Professor of Chemistry and the former President and Vice Chancellor of Hong Kong Baptist University and the President of United International College....
GBS was appointed as the third president of the University. The chairman of the University Council and Court is Mr. WONG Ying-wai, Wilfred. In 2010, Prof. Albert Chan Sun-chi assumed office as the fourth president of HKBU.
HKBU has four main campuses: Ho Sin Hang Campus (1966), Shaw Campus (1995), Baptist University Road Campus (1998) and the "Kai Tak Campus" (2005), as well as the Shek Mun Campus (2006) for the College of International Education and the Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School. The first three campuses are located in the urban heart of Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong , formerly Kau Lung Tong, is an area in Hong Kong. Within New Kowloon, it is administratively divided by Kowloon City District and Sham Shui Po District...
, while the "Kai Tak Campus" is on Kwun Tong Road and the Shek Mun Campus in Shatin.
Combined enrollment on these campuses is currently more than 8,500.
Hong Kong Baptist University is ranked 111th in the world and 13th in Asia by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
2010.
Emblem
The emblemEmblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
of Hong Kong Baptist University consists of three pictorial elements: the Bible, waves and knots.
The Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
symbolises the unique quality of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
which includes moral and spiritual training in addition to academic education.
The waves, on the other hand, symbolise both Hong Kong's geographic nature as an island while echoing Confucius' dictum that "the wise love water" and the University's continuing effort to improve its educational quality.
The knots, the final symbol, illustrate that within God's embrace, Christians are harmoniously linked and loved.
Logo
The logo, embodying a book and water motifs, was adopted after the institution was granted its universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
status in 1994. The acronym "BU" coupled with the outlined book on the logo resembles the Chinese characters of welcome and progress, conceptualising the merging of eastern and western cultures.
The design of the logo was commended at a design competition held in October 1996. The Hong Kong Designers Association awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Design 96 Show to Kan & Lau Design Consultants for creating the logo.
Academic Organisation
- Faculty of Arts (Dean: Prof. CHUNG Ling)
- Chinese Language and Literature
- English Language and Literature
- Language Centre
- Music
- Religion and Philosophy
- Humanities (Programme)
- Translation (Programme)
- School of Business (Dean: Prof. Stephen CHEUNG)
- Accountancy and Law
- Economics
- Finance & Decision Sciences
- Management
- Marketing
- School of Chinese Medicine (Dean: Prof. LIU Liang)
- School of Communication (Dean: Prof. ZHAO Xinshu)
- Academy of Film
- Communication Studies
- Journalism
- School of Continuing EducationSchool of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist UniversityThe School of Continuing Education of the Hong Kong Baptist University is one of the seven schools of the Hong Kong Baptist University. HKBU SCE with the notion "Learning is a lifelong process" has been providing people of all ages with opportunities for professional training and academic...
(Dean: Dr. Simon C.H. WONG) - Faculty of Science (Dean: Prof. TANG Tao)
- Faculty of Social Sciences (Dean: Prof. Adrian BAILEY)
- Education Studies
- Geography
- Government and International Studies
- History
- Physical Education
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Psychology (Programme)
- Academy of Visual Arts (Director: Prof. WAN Qingli)
- Graduate School (Director: Prof. TANG Tao)
Noted Instructors
- Cheung Kam Ching, LeoCheung Kam ChingProfessor "Leo" Cheung Kam Ching is a philosopher in Hong Kong. He is a Professor of the Department of Religion and Philosophy, Hong Kong Baptist University since 2008 and he was the Assistant Professor , Associate Professor and the Head of Department .During his secondary education, Cheung...
(張錦青, born 1963-), a Hong Kong philosopher and the former Head of the Department of Religion and Philosophy.
- Chow Kai WingChow Kai WingChow Kai Wing is a Professor and the Head of Department of History in Hong Kong Baptist University.Chow attended the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hiroshima University, Osaka University of Foreign Studies and he gained the PhD at University of Hong Kong...
(周佳榮, 1947-), a historian and currently head of the Department of History.
- Michael DeGolyer, a political scientist in the Department of Government and International Studies, and a frequent contributor to the Hong Kong StandardThe StandardThe Standard is an English free newspaper of Hong Kong with a daily circulation of 231,018. It was called the Hong Kong Standard and changed to HKiMail during the Internet boom, but it changed back to The Standard in 2001....
.
- Ringo Ma, Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Communication, cited in many textbooks of intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory, and organizational communication published in the US.
Students Residence
The Student Residence Halls of HKBU are located at the Baptist University Road campus:- Chen-Ning Yang Hall (楊振寧堂)
- Shu-Ren Zhou Hall (周樹人堂)
- Yuan-Pei CaiCai YuanpeiCai Yuanpei was a Chinese educator and the president of Peking University. He was known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement...
Hall (蔡元培堂) - Ching-Ling SoongSoong Ching-lingSoong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China...
Hall (宋慶齡堂)
Academic Community Hall
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
located in the university. It opened in May, 1978, and its seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 1,346.
Originally, the first President and founder of the University, Dr. Lam Chi-fung, conceived the idea of building a hall for University functions. In 1970, on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary, Dr. and Mrs. Lam donated half a million dollars towards the construction of the auditorium. A local architect, Eric Cumine, took charge of the project. However, Dr. Lam died the following year before the project got underway.
The Board of Governors decided to honour Dr. Lam by expanding the planned auditorium into a much larger scale project --- the development of the Lam Chi-fung Memorial Building. As a part of the project, the Academic Community Hall would serve as a cultural centre for the University and its surrounding community, thus providing a direct link between town and gown.
At present, the Lam Chi-fung Memorial Building consists of an auditorium, a lobby, a VIP room and some display areas.
The auditorium was the venue to a concert by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
on 25 February 1982, which was marred by fighting in the crowd.
University Library
The Hong Kong Baptist University Library is made up by a Main Library and a number of branches. The Main Library is located in Au Shue Hung Memorial Library Building and has a gross floor area of 6,900 m2 with a seating capacity of about 850. The library is fully automated with integrated library systems and house a comprehensive collection of Chinese and Western books, periodicals, non-print materials and newspaper clippings.It serves all HKBU staff and students, and occupies seven floors of the building. Of particular importance are the Archives on the History of Christianity in China and the Contemporary China Research Collection, as well as a lantern slide and glass plate negative collection entitled "China Through The Eyes of CIM Missionaries."The Chinese Medicine Library is located on the second floor of the Chinese Medicine Building. Its set up aims to meet the growing information demand in the development of Chinese medicine. The European Documentation Centre is located in David C. Lam Building 803A and is open to the public. It provides an important study and research base for European Studies. The Shek Mun Campus Library (SMCL) is a branch of the Hong Kong Baptist University Library. It is established to provide quality information resources and services in support of teaching and learning activities of the College of International Education in Shek Mun Campus.
See also
- Education in Hong KongEducation in Hong KongEducation in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, in particular the English education system of Hong Kong was modernised by the British in 1861. The system is often described as extremely competitive by global standards....
- List of universities in Hong Kong