Introduction | Curricula | Teaching and Learning | Campus Life | Internationalisation | Community Service

Liberal arts education at Lingnan University aims to instil a sense of civic duty in our students and to cultivate skills, competences and sensibilities that enable graduates to pursue their goals in a rapidly changing social, cultural and economic environment. Lingnan graduates will have breadth and depth of vision, the desire and capacity for public service, an awareness of the complexities that characterise enduring human dilemmas, and, accordingly, maturity of judgement. Excellent as leaders and employees, Lingnan graduates will be the beneficiaries of a multi-dimensional approach to learning. More specifically, the ideal Lingnan graduate will:
 

• have strong oral and written language proficiency in both English and Chinese (Putonghua as well as Cantonese), together with excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• be committed to involvement in and service to the community;
• have an international outlook and be able to understand problems from different cultural perspectives;
• have a secure grounding in his or her chosen academic field(s) and an awareness of possible cross-disciplinary applications;
• possess essential generic research-related skills, including knowledge of information technology;
• have strong analytic skills and a capacity for independent critical thinking;
• be imaginative and possess problem-solving capabilities;
• be capable of imaginative and sound planning;
• have excellent cooperative skills based on tolerance, integrity, civility and a sense of personal responsibility; and
• have both the capacity and the desire for life-long learning.

True to its identity as a liberal arts institution, Lingnan is characterised by a small student body, a residential campus, close faculty-student relationship and an emphasis on exchange and extra-curricular learning experiences. These characteristics are reflected in five areas, namely Curricula, Teaching and Learning, Campus Life, Internationalisation and Community Service.

Curricula

Lingnan features a flexible, credit-based system that allows students to choose freely from Humanities, Social Sciences and Business courses. The University also places great emphasis on students' language abilities. All students are required to undertake prescribed courses in General Education, Chinese and English. By the time they graduate, they are expected to be bi-literate (Chinese and English) and trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English).

To prepare for the implementation of the new four-year university system in 2012, the University has mapped out a 120-credit curriculum framework. This underlies the University's commitment to broaden and enrich the scope of students' learning. Under the new system, all students will have to take 33 credits of core curriculum courses, 15 credits of Chinese and English language courses, a maximum of 48 credits of major courses and 24 credits of free elective courses. The Core Curriculum is made up of a Common Core with four required courses, namely Logic and Critical Thinking, Ethics, East/West Civilisation and Hong Kong Society, and five clusters, namely Values, Cultures and Societies; Creativity and Innovation; Management and Society; Science, Technology and Society; and Humanities and the Arts. All students are required to take all four courses in the Common Core and seven courses from the five clusters, with at least one course from each cluster.

Academic Programmes (2008/09)

Bachelor's Degree Programmes

-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Chinese
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Contemporary English Studies
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Contemporary English and Education#
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Cultural Studies
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Philosophy
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Translation
-  Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Visual Studies
-  Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons)
-  Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons)

#Jointly offered with Hong Kong Institute of Education
 

MPhil/PhD Degree Programmes

-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Chinese
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Studies
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in English
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in History
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Translation
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Studies
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Business
-  Master/Doctor of Philosophy in Social Sciences

Taught Postgraduate Programmes

-  Master of Arts in Chinese
-  Master of Arts in Practical Philosophy
-  Executive Master of Business Administration
-  Master of Cultural Studies
-  Master of Science in International Banking and Finance
-  Master of Accountancy
-  Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy
-  Postgraduate Diploma in Liberal Studies

Programmes of The Community College at Lingnan University

-  Associate of Arts
-  Associate of Social Sciences
-  Associate of Business Studies
-  Higher Diploma
-  Pre-Associate Degree

Programmes of Lingnan Institute of Further Education

-  Master Degree
-  Top-up Degree
-  Professional Courses
-  Diploma
-  Certificate
-  Project Yi Jin
-  Preparatory Courses
-  Short Courses

Teaching and Learning

Lingnan adopts a student-oriented teaching and learning approach, and emphasises close faculty-student relationship. We stress interactive teaching and learning modes that mobilise students to reach for higher levels of intellectual discourse, analytical thinking and independent research capability. Likewise, we also adopt innovative teaching and learning approaches that include internships, overseas field trips, immersion language studies, directed research projects, cooperative learning and action learning.

Campus Life

Campus life, especially hostel life, is regarded as an essential part of a liberal arts education. With 75% of undergraduates living on campus, Lingnan has the highest residential rate of all universities in Hong Kong. By 2012, when the four-year university system comes into place, we aspire to a 100% residential rate for all students. The diverse student programmes organised by our hostels range from academic and cultural to sports, social and recreational activities, including the President's Cup, Inter-hall Sports Competitions, High Table Dinner, Swimming Gala and Singing Contest. These valuable, out-of-class experiences provide an environment that is conducive to self-learning while also enhancing students' communication and social skills, as well as critical thinking abilities.

In 2001, Lingnan introduced an Integrated Learning Programme (ILP). Through a diverse range of courses, workshops and activities set outside the classroom, ILP strives to develop students' potential, foster critical thinking and nurture their whole-person development. The Programme covers five core areas, namely Civic Education, Intellectual Development, Physical Education, Social and Emotional Development and Aesthetic Development.

To further complement these activities, Lingnan also offers a peer mentor programme for all new students and comprehensive career guidance programmes, as well as opportunities for students to sharpen their management, communication and personal skills by participating in activities organised by student societies.

Internationalisation

A major objective of Lingnan's liberal arts education is to provide students with international exposure and whole-person development, particularly through bilateral cultural exchange. This is achieved by sending students abroad to experience different cultures, and by admitting non-local students for exchange or degree studies, so that they can experience our liberal arts environment as well as enrich it. Through cross-cultural interaction and exchange, our students not only gain additional knowledge, but also extra-curricular learning experiences and exposure to other cultures.

Over the years, we have established ongoing student exchange programmes on a "one-for-one" basis with partner institutions overseas and on the Chinese Mainland. To date, we have entered into agreements with more than 60 partner institutions worldwide, encompassing the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

To make the student body at Lingnan truly international, a variety of scholarships are available to local and non-local undergraduates. For non-local students, scholarships include Liu Lit Mo Overseas Student Scholarships, Huadu Scholarship and China Resources Scholarships. Local students can apply for the ZeShan Foundation Scholarships and The Li & Fung Scholarships.

We will continue to expand our Mainland and international networking, particularly with renowned liberal arts colleges in the United States. Student exchange opportunities will increase in phases from the current 25% to 50%. By 2012, one out of two Lingnan students will be able to go on exchange for a term during their undergraduate study. In future, Lingnan will also continue to recruit non-local degree-seeking students from less-developed areas on the Chinese Mainland and around the world. We hope to boost the ratio of non-local degree-seeking students from the present 7% to 10% in the near future. Realising these goals will help us create a distinctive multi-cultural learning environment that will benefit both local and non-local students, while setting the pace for the University's future internationalisation efforts.

Community Service

At Lingnan, community service is an integral part of campus life. We emphasise diversity in both teaching and learning, and use “Education for Service” as our guiding motto. Students are given many chances to engage in various service projects, which facilitate their development as an all-rounded individual with a social conscience. Through active community work, students have a real-life opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills, and to experience personal growth and fulfilment. They also gain a sense of social responsibility, learn about people from different walks of life, enhance their organisational, management and communication skills.

Service-Learning

Lingnan University is Hong Kong's first institution of higher learning to offer service-learning programmes. These programmes are unique because they require students to demonstrate academic rigour while contributing to the community through service, thereby fulfilling the University's motto of "Education for Service". Through participation in such programmes, students further develop their ability to think critically, while strengthening their leadership skills and self-confidence.

The academic components of the service-learning programmes are designed by academic staff in consideration of the community-service elements with partners arranged by the University's Office of Service-Learning (OSL). Since its establishment in 2006, OSL has been actively collaborating with various major corporations and charitable organisations in Hong Kong.