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(Hong Kong, 29 September 2026) Dr Sharron Leung, Head of Nursing Education and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) programme at the School of Continuing Education (SCE) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), has been awarded the 2026 University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award for Collaborative Teams for the “Eye Learn I.CARE” programme, an initiative led by scholars from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The award recognises the team’s outstanding cross-institutional and transdisciplinary contributions.

“Eye Learn I.CARE” is a volunteer ambassador scheme for eye care and ophthalmic screening, spearheaded by CUHK in collaboration with HKBU SCE. The project is anchored in the REST (Research, Education, Service-learning, Technology) framework and the guiding philosophy of “learning through service, growth through experience”. It encourages self-directed learning and welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds. After specialised eye care training, students extend their ophthalmic health knowledge across various medical disciplines and into local communities, while gaining invaluable frontline healthcare experience.

The award-winning team is led by Professor Kelvin Chong Kam-lung, Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK. Leveraging her professional expertise in nursing, Dr Leung was instrumental in designing the clinical training curriculum and enriching the service-learning experience for both nursing and non-medical students, ensuring that they can effectively apply academic knowledge to address real-world community needs.

The award presentation ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today. Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and Court of HKBU; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; and Professor Ronald Chung, Dean of SCE, attended the ceremony to congratulate Dr Leung and the award-winning team.

Professor Wai said that HKBU has long encouraged its faculty members to actively engage in cross-institutional and transdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together research and teaching expertise across different fields and translating academic achievements into benefits for the community. “The award-winning project by the CUHK team and Dr Leung is a successful example of such collaboration. This honour not only recognises Dr Leung’s dedication to teaching but also underscores SCE’s steadfast commitment to excellence in professional education and service to society,” he said.

Professor Chung noted, “Service-learning is an essential component of the School’s whole-person education. We firmly believe that authentic learning extends beyond the classroom as students engage with the community and put knowledge into practice.” He praised Dr Leung for her passion and commitment to nursing education, noting how she selflessly integrated her professional knowledge into this cross-institutional learning initiative. “This not only enables students to gain real-world practical experience, but it also propagates the School’s core value of caring for and serving the community,” he added.

Dr Leung expressed her deep honour in receiving the award, but emphasised that the recognition belongs to the entire “Eye Learn I.CARE” team, its partners and every participating student. “I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the CUHK team for their trust and collaboration, and to the HKBU management for their support. As a nursing educator, I firmly believe that young people are the pillars of our society, and their learning must be deeply connected to the real pulse of the community,” she said.

Dr Leung established the Division of Nursing Education at SCE in 2018 and subsequently launched the Bachelor of Nursing (Honours) programme. She has consistently placed service-learning at the core of the curriculum, encouraging students to engage with the real world. Through serving others, they are guided to develop a sense of mission, cultivate empathy, and enhance their innovative thinking and flexible, adaptive problem‑solving skills.

Since its launch, the “Eye Learn I.CARE” programme has successfully trained more than 480 undergraduates from 14 different disciplines across ten tertiary institutions, as well as 1,200 secondary school ambassadors. It has also organised over 200 free consultations, providing free eye examinations to more than 5,000 members of the public and contributing more than 1,600 hours of community health service.

Introduced in 2011, the annual UGC Teaching Award honours outstanding academics from UGC-funded universities. The Award not only recognises their outstanding teaching performance and achievements, but also their leadership and scholarly contributions to enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.

Photos are available for download at http://scepr.hkbu.edu.hk/UGCawards2026.

Photo captions:

Pic 1.jpg: Dr Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and Court of HKBU (2nd left) ; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU (2nd right) ; Dr Albert Chau, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) of HKBU (1st left); Professor Ronald Chung, Dean of SCE (1st right) and Dr Sharron Leung, Head of Nursing Education of SCE (middle) are pictured at the award ceremony.
Pic 2.jpg: Mr Tim Lui, Chairman of UGC (middle), presents the 2026 UGC Teaching Award for Collaborative Teams to the “Eye Learn I.CARE” team.

Pic 3.jpg: The award-winning team is led by Professor Kelvin Chong Kam-lung, Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) of the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK (1st right). Other team members include Professor Arthur Tsang Wai-chung, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, CUHK (1st left); Dr Sharron Leung, Head of Nursing Education, HKBU SCE (2nd right); and Ms Stephany Tai, Research Assistant and Deputy Programme Manager in DOVS, CUHK (2nd left).

Pic 4.jpg: HKBU encourages its faculty members to actively engage in cross-institutional and transdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together research and teaching expertise across different fields and translating academic achievements into benefits for the community.

Pic 5.jpg: Dr Sharron Leung expresses her deep honour in receiving the award, but emphasises that the recognition belongs to the entire “Eye Learn I.CARE” team, its partners and every participating student.

About SCE

Established in 1975, the School of Continuing Education (SCE) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) offers a wide range of full-time and part-time programmes from diploma to postgraduate levels with multi-faceted teaching approaches incorporated through its College of International Education (CIE), Continuing and Professional Education Division (CPED), Division of Nursing Education (DNE) as well as Early Childhood and Elementary Education Division (ECEED) to meet the needs and challenges of the rapidly changing society.

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