Key Strategic Areas, Goals and Initiatives

2 Student Development

Student Development

Students are the most important asset of Lingnan. In line with its liberal arts tradition, the University will continue its emphasis on quality whole-person education with the goal of empowering them to achieve all-round excellence. This education aims to transform the students' outlook on life through personal discovery. It also aims to improve their competencies, widen their horizon and exposure, and generate high value-added developmental experiences, all in a supportive learning environment.

More specifically, the University has established two specific goals for this strategic area, namely (a) The nurturing of intellectual and linguistic confidence coupled with a strong sense of community, facilitated by exposure to a vibrant hostel life and the rich co-curricular experiences provided by the Integrated Learning Programme (ILP); and (b) The development of students' international outlook, job competence, entrepreneurial spirit and positive leadership qualities through globalised, on and off campus learning opportunities. The following array of initiatives will be undertaken to accomplish the above goals:

Enriching Hostel Experience

Hostel Life
  • Strengthen the role of hostels in enhancing students' language proficiency (English and written Chinese, in particular) through close collaboration with different academic/support units by initiating language enhancement and book club programmes
  • Provide greater academic support for students through hostel life by encouraging student residents to attend academic seminars as part of the ILP
  • Put in place an enhanced support and quality assurance system for advancing hostel education and experiences in line with the University's mission and attributes of the ideal Lingnan graduate

Broadening International Perspectives

  • Provide students with more exchange opportunities on the Mainland, including exchange programmes, summer programmes, internships, short-term study visits, field trips, company visits, and class observations
  • Provide students with opportunities to study in institutions beyond the Anglo-American mainstream
  • Actively locate overseas internship opportunities in developing economies such as countries covered by China's Belt and Road Initiative (including ASEAN), and in emerging industries (including startups and innovative industries)
  • Collaborate with overseas organisations in identifying service-learning projects worldwide
  • Engage students in ILP's "Around the World Series" and prepare them to become global citizens by encouraging them to explore other cultures in the world
  • Restructure the Office of Mainland and International Programmes as the Office of Global Education to become the University's central agency for coordinating the globalisation of Lingnan's educational experience and managing international partnerships
  • Develop quantitative and qualitative metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of the various types of international experiential learning activities

Enhancing Job Competence

International Exchange
  • Encourage student participation in cross-institutional competitions and global internships
  • Publicise the employer networks of the Career Development Committee, the mentorship by alumni and renowned leaders in the community, the collaborative projects with the community through service-learning, and the qualifications granted by professional bodies
  • Promote a culture of professionalism in respect of students' self-image, attitude, skills, knowledge, and social etiquette
  • Equip students with knowledge and skills in searching, evaluating and utilising information on future workplace opportunities

Developing Positive Leadership Qualities

  • Provide leadership training for students, especially those with leadership or representative capacities in the University, and provide them with more opportunities to practise and sharpen their leadership skills
  • Consolidate support for teaching staff in offering service-oriented courses and projects
  • Promote competition in the offering of service-oriented courses by allowing students to take these courses outside their major departments
  • Encourage students to take up global service-oriented projects, especially those in developing countries

Cultivating Entrepreneurial Spirit and Experience

  • Establish a platform to promote entrepreneurship in a liberal arts context
  • Promote key concepts in, and the practice of, entrepreneurship through formal course offerings, extra-curricular activities, student societies, and outreach activities
  • Widen students' exposure to entrepreneurial experiences by collaborating with local and regional entrepreneurial programmes and activities and through engaging volunteer mentors