Building on success: Master of Arts in International Higher Education and Management (Managing Education Change in International Context)
Lingnan University’s MA in International Higher Education and Management (IHEM) was launched in 2017 to prepare students for management and leadership roles in contemporary higher education, and to equip them with the theoretical knowledge needed to investigate issues of policy and governance in international higher education. With applications growing year-on-year, the IHEM programme has proven to be extremely popular among those seeking to build a career in the education sector.
However, since the programme’s inception, not only has the demand for skilled education administrators risen but the international higher education sector has been impacted and reshaped by geo-politics and technology. In the light of these developments, and to build on the success of the IHEM ‘mother’ programme, Lingnan’s School of Graduate Studies will offer prospective students a new Concentration in Managing Education Change in International Context (MECIC) from September 2024.
A changing educational landscape
The disruption caused by the COVID pandemic is among the most significant factors that driving transformation in international higher education. “In the post-COVID period students became much more vulnerable in terms of their learning,” explains Professor Michelle Cheng, director of the IHEM program. “Student mobility has also been changing in this period. From Professor Mok’s (Professor Mok Ka-ho, Lingnan University’s Vice-President and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Comparative Policy) research we have discovered that their choices about where to go, the push and pull factors, have been changing because of geo-political reasons.” One way these changes have manifested themselves is in the increasing reluctance of Mainland students to travel further afield for postgraduate studies, such as to the United States and Europe.
In addition, technology has transformed the way we teach and learn, with online and blended learning becoming more prevalent. This has created opportunities for expanding access to education and personalized learning experiences. The increasing use of generative AI technology, such as ChatGPT, is leading to a reconsideration of assessment procedures in higher education. Technology has also revolutionized the workplace, with AI technology being prevalent in universities and continually changing the required work skills and knowledge in higher education management. As a liberal arts university, Lingnan University recognizes the importance of balancing technological progress with human connection and is committed to preparing students with both elements.
The new Concentration adds a new dimension
The MECIC curriculum places an emphasis on the policy and practices that promote student well-being. The aim is to provide students’ with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to manage the impact of societal changes on health-related well-being in educational settings.
The Concentration will also focus on developing the capacity of students to effectively origanise, implement, evaluate and manage educational change at the local, national, and international levels. To this end, the cultural, social, economic, and political contexts in which educational change occurs will be examined.
Unlike in the IHEM mother programme, the MECIC Concentration curriculum will not feature a research-based capstone project but will instead emphasise practical skills. There will be a shift in the balance between lectures and more experiential learning, in the form of workshops, internships and, for example, sessions on counselling within the well-being course. The latter will give students to chance to practice addressing real-world student affairs issues.
“In particular we wanted to raise their awareness of students’ well-being in an education setting,” says Prof Cheng. “So, hopefully, they then will not only be skilled in finance and marketing but also in student affairs in any education management setting.”
The Concentration will also make full use of Lingnan’s partnerships with international organisations, such as the Asia Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership and the Centre for Global Higher Education. “These organisations have taken on the role of co-organisers of our conferences and symposiums and these events are part of the elective and compulsory courses for our students,” she points out.
A solid grounding for a bright future
The top three career paths for graduates of the existing IHEM programme have been in university administration, education consultancy and secondary school administration. The new MECIC Concentration will broaden these opportunities by offering a mix of training which is unique among similar MA programmes in Hong Kong, as it combines management courses with those in student affairs and well-being.
In terms of employment in university administration, graduates from the mother programme may have gone on to take up roles in the admissions or registry departments. “Now, after taking the well-being lessons, they might be better equipped for an administrative role in the students affairs office,” adds Prof Cheng.
The core courses in the Concentration’s curriculum are: Globalisation, Policy and Society; Comparative Social Policy Research Methods; Internationalisation and Quality Management in Higher Education; Internationalising Education: Institutional Strategy and Development; Postgraduate Studies Seminar Series, and; Managing Talents and Finance in Education Institutions. While the elective courses are: Asia Pacific Higher Education Policy and Management Symposium; Leading Change in Education Organisations; Education for Sustainability: Policy and Practice, and; Understanding and Managing Well-being in Education Settings: Theory and Practice.
Excitingly, lessons will take place not only on Lingnan’s main campus but also at M+ – Hong Kong's stunning new museum of visual culture – which is located in the heart of Hong Kong’s vibrant West Kowloon Cultural District.