University opens door for new recruits

People who want to continue education after entering employment often have to cram study time into hectic work schedules. The Open University of Hong Kong is preparing for expansion to continue making quality and flexible education available to adults.

The university is on a recruitment drive for 10 temporary full-time and part-time associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers to take on subjects such as English and business administration. With an existing pool of 120 full-time academics and 800 part-time teachers, the university supports career development.

'The minimum requirement for a lecturer is a master's degree,' said Danny Wong Shek-nam, vice-president (academic) at The Open University of Hong Kong.

'To be promoted beyond that to a professor, we require a PhD, and lecturers who worked for a number of years, and do further study on their own, are likely to get promoted.'

Fitting study time into work schedules may sound taxing, but those who wish to use the position as a springboard for an academic career are given professional support in the form of subsidies and designated study times.

'We encourage new recruits to further their studies, providing them with financial support and time off,' Professor Wong said. 'When a full-time lecturer joins us and wants to study on a part-time basis, we will pay up to 75 per cent of the tuition fee and give them the support they need to do studies.'

Founded in 1989, The Open University of Hong Kong provides courses to adults who want to bolster work experience with academic credentials. Offering mainly business administration, education and English language courses, the government-established, financially independent educational institution is adapting to a market in which universities are adding adult education to their syllabuses.

In 2000, the university launched full-time courses, increasing the need for teaching staff.

The university has 3,200 full-time and 13,000 distance-learning students with material tailored for the local workforce, especially with subjects such as business and education.

It specialises in preparing people with full-time jobs, who might have families, for a university life that they missed the first time round, enabling them to strengthen a well-defined career path by adding value to achievements in the workplace. In a city that has more universities to choose from than in previous decades, the university is facing stiff competition but has maintained a reputation for successfully reintroducing working adults to the academic world.

New recruits are given an orientation on how to meet the demands of people who have made a precious investment in study time outside work. The course materials include instructional elements that give students everything they need for self study, consolidated by sessions with tutors at learning centres and rented classrooms. The 800 or so tutors assigned for distance-learning courses need to be able to adapt materials written by content experts.

'Students slot self study into the time they find outside work but have regular tutorials in which they can discuss things with teachers,' Professor Wong said. 'Academics are trained to cater to the needs of busy people who are working full-time and may have to go overseas, but also want to pursue a degree.'

This dedication is repaid with compensation that, according to a commissioned survey, ranks higher than those at other institutions, and the university benefits from not being government-funded by having more control over the employment terms it offers.

'We demand a lot from our staff,' Professor Wong said. 'They have to work hard and spend more time teaching and interacting with students. But then we also pay more. So, in order to attract such talent, we provide more benefits and support career development.'

Further education

The Open University of Hong Kong is on a recruitment drive to fill temporary part-time and temporary full-time positions that include associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers and tutors

Lecturers are required to teach students who need to cram study time into busy work schedules

The Open University of Hong Kong offers financial support to full-time lecturers who want to further their studies and has a competitive pay package

New recruits need a master's degree but will require a PhD to be promoted to a professor