HKIEd shows promise as arts hub
Hong Kong Institute of Education could become a regional Unesco-recognised arts and education hub whether or not it gets a university title, a senior visiting academic says.
Larry O'Farrell, the UN cultural body's first chair of arts and learning, said he did not believe a lack of university title would stop HKIEd from holding the world's second Unesco-backed chair in the subjects.
A Unesco chair is an agreement between the organisation and an academic institution to carry out research and teaching in a field advancing Unesco's objectives, but is not directly funded by the body.
'HKIEd has self-accrediting status. It is a university, with only the title being worked on,' said Professor O'Farrell, who is also professor of drama and arts education at Canada's Queen's University.
In Hong Kong this week, Professor O'Farrell spoke at a public seminar on arts education at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity and advised HKIEd on gaining the Unesco chair.
The institute had until the end of next month to submit an application and it would take a year for it to be evaluated, he said. He is also advising a German university which is applying for the same status.
'This is very exciting. It will make Hong Kong a leader in the field and it will also promote arts education in Hong Kong and China,' he said, adding that he was confident Hong Kong could get the chair.
'Hong Kong is equipped with very well developed cultural institutions and it's incredibly efficient. If Hong Kong says it's going to run a chair, you know it's really going to be done and it'll be done at high quality.'
He said HKIEd would need to work out the chair's focus, suitable projects, financing and staffing issues.
Education Post has learned that a leading international figure in arts education has already been invited to join HKIEd and may run the Unesco chair holder if its bid is successful.
HKIEd president Anthony Cheung Bing-leung confirmed the institute planned to submit an application but declined to comment further and asked for the name of the potential chair holder to be withheld.
