Wang Jiaying promotes teacher-student care to foster an ideal learning environment

At the age of 16, Wang Jiaying was studying at a vocational school, feeling anxious and uncertain about her future. At that time, a teacher told her, “I don’t expect you to achieve anything extraordinary. I only hope that you can find confidence in yourself and learn to take care of yourself.” These words deeply touched her and made her realise that education is not only about the transmission of knowledge, but also about emotional connection and mutual growth between teachers and students. Since then, Jiaying has aspired to carry forward this warmth and trust between teachers and students, and to contribute to building a more supportive and inclusive educational environment.

To pursue this aspiration, Jiaying decided to explore occupational socialisation and professional identity in depth, with the aim of helping more students find their own direction. She therefore applied for the Master of Arts in International Higher Education and Management (IHEM) programme at the School of Graduate Studies (GS) at Lingnan University (Lingnan). During the interview, the encouragement and guidance of the instructor gave her the courage to embrace new challenges and opportunities. She was admitted and embarked on a new academic journey.

The IHEM programme keeps pace with global trends in higher education and integrates theory with practice. Jiaying highlighted that courses such as “Internationalising Education: Institutional Strategy and Development” and “Cases and Workshop for Management Issues in Education” deepened her understanding of higher education policies and institutional governance, while enhancing her analytical and problem-solving skills through case-based discussions.

Jiaying was also selected to participate in the Postgraduate Summer School programme jointly organised by GS and Hertford College, University of Oxford (Oxford). She described this as a valuable opportunity for comprehensive and multicultural exchange, “I presented my research on vocational students’ motivations and career goals to faculty and students at Oxford and received valuable feedback. I also engaged with participants from around the world, which enhanced my language skills, broadened my international perspective, and allowed me to experience the local culture and lifestyle.”

Throughout her studies, Jiaying also encountered challenges and difficulties. She believes that GS places strong emphasis on fostering the growth of every student and supporting their development in both academic and personal pursuits. She is grateful for the continuous support of the professors and teaching team at GS, who encouraged her to seize new opportunities, such as hosting the Congregation and participating in academic conferences. She has not only acquired knowledge, but also received guidance and companionship from her teachers, building mutual trust between faculty and students. She remarked, “Studying the IHEM programme at GS has not only helped me understand what ‘student-centred education’ means, but also enabled me to experience what it means to ‘influence life with life’.”

Jiaying joined GS as a research assistant after graduation. She is mainly responsible for qualitative data collection, interviews, analysis, and coding. She shared, “Through the IHEM programme, I learnt to apply different statistical tools for data analysis, and these skills have laid a solid foundation for my future work in research and teaching.” Jiaying aspires to promote the emotional well-being and professional development among teachers and students in higher education. She said, “My aspiration is to build bridges between teachers and students, and to promote cross-cultural exchange, so that care and empathy can become a warm and powerful foundation in higher education.”

Jiaying encourages her peers to listen to their own voice and pursue their own direction. She said, “If you aspire to serve as a counsellor at a university, or intend to apply for a doctoral programme in education, the educational philosophy and learning atmosphere of the IHEM programme will set an example for you and illuminate your path forward.”