About Us

The University of Hong Kong's Department of Extra Mural Studies (DEMS) was
established in 1956/57, the first continuing education unit in a university in the region. DEMS played a significant role in the provision of lifelong learning opportunities for the wider community, and in 1992, was renamed as the School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE). The University has a role in lifelong learning and, as the continuing education arm of the University, HKU SPACE fulfils this part of the University's mission by providing learning opportunities for personal, professional and career advancement for people from all walks of life.

With some 900 full-time staff members and over 2,000 part-time teachers, HKU SPACE is the leading local provider in continuing education. Course enrolments since 1956 have exceeded two million and annual course enrolment offen exceeds 100,000. In 2008/09, this was equivalent to some 21,000 full-time students. The School collaborates closely with the other faculties and departments of the University to offer timely and relevant courses that meet society's needs to update education and skills for the knowledge economy.

Quality support for learners

A hallmark of the HKU SPACE programmes is that they are designed and managed by the full-time academic staff of the School and supported by the excellent corps of part-time teachers. The School's Quality Assurance mechanisms have been reviewed by the University as well as by external agencies and have been described as 'exemplary'. The School, in its Strategic Plan, has committed itself to being a quality
provider in terms of its academic programmes as well as providing quality support
to students through good teaching and well-designed learning centre facilities. The
information age has brought exciting new learning possibilities. The School has developed a web-based, on-line learning platform to provide students and teachers
with an effective means of communicating with each other for teaching and learning purposes. The School is also actively extending its range of e-courses.

Communication and feedback from teachers and learners

HKU SPACE views effective communication with its community as one of its top priorities. Feedback from students and teachers is highly valued and plays an important role in the process of monitoring as well as improving the quality of the programmes and services offered by the School. There are various formal and informal means of communication for students and teachers to channel their feedback to the School and to assist in the quality assurance process. All cases are handled in strict confidence and will not affect students' assessment results in any way.

Organisation of the School

The University manages the affairs of the School through a non-profit-making company limited by guarantee which has a Board of Directors that draws its members from the University itself and from the wider community. The School's academic programmes are monitored by the University Senate through the Board for Continuing and Professional Education and Lifelong Learning. Internally, the School has a Collegiate organisation. The wide range of part-time courses (some 40 subject groups) is allocated among three colleges that report to the Director. Full-time courses come under the Community College, which has a Principal who reports to the Director. There are a number of other centres including the Centre for International Degree Programmes, the Centre for Creative and Performing Arts, the Centre for Research and Lifelong Learning and the Centre for Cyber Learning.

The HKU SPACE Community College opened in September 2000 as a response to the Education Commission's call for a more versatile and flexible education structure. Today, the College has nearly 6,000 students in its Associate Degree and Higher Diploma programmes. The HKU SPACE Community College represents the finest institution of its kind in Hong Kong. Its 13-storey building campus at Kowloon Bay was opened in the 2006/07 academic year.

Another Community College project, in collaboration with the Po Leung Kuk, was launched in 2005. A small pilot cohorts of students were first admitted in 2006. The HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Community College (HPCC) is now fully operational in a new campus that opened in Causeway Bay in 2008.

The Centre for International Degree Programmes (CIDP) established in 2003 provides further opportunities for full-time study for Associate Degree and Higher Diploma graduates to progress to degree level. CIDP works with seven overseas partner universities and has around 1,200 students. These students are based on the 6th floor of the United Centre in Admiralty.

Taking the School to the community

HKU SPACE has a long history of locating its teaching and learning facilities at convenient downtown centres so as to better serve the community. Its flagship location is in the Admiralty area where it has premises in the Admiralty Centre (2/F and 3/F) and United Centre (6/F).The School also uses its campus at Kowloon Bay and the HPCC Campus at Causeway Bay for both full-time and part-time students. Additionally, there is the Island East Centre in North Point as well as the Fortress Tower Learning Centre. The Kowloon West Campus is at Mei Foo and in 2011 the Island South Centre will open in Wah Fu. The University's Main Campus facilities are also available for evening classes.

Global perspective

HKU SPACE is privileged to collaborate with 62 institutions drawn from Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas (principally the UK, the USA and Australia). The School will continue to explore opportunities for further cooperation further with reputable institutions, both local and overseas, in order to offer a greater variety of high-quality and relevant programmes to students. In Mainland China, HKU SPACE offers programmes in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Suzhou. Courses offered include marketing, accounting, transport and logistics, business information technology and public relations.

The Associate Degree programmes have also been introduced to Mainland Chinese students. In 2004, the School opened a campus in Suzhou in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology of Suzhou and Global Edu Tech Management Group (GEM). The HKU SPACE Global College (Suzhou) offers associate degree programmes in business administration, accounting and logistics, as well as Dazhuan programmes.

Future Development

HKU SPACE will strive to maintain its leading role in continuing education in Hong
Kong, Mainland China and the region. It acts as an extension arm of the University
to deliver HKU's mission and role in providing lifelong learning opportunities to the
community.