Subsite Background

About the Programme

Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Public Management and Smart Governance

This new undergraduate top-up degree programme is a response to the rising demand for highly skilled talent in public sector management and organisations. The programme is designed to meet the labour market needs to promote smart city clusters in the Greater Bay Area. The programme is hosted by School of Interdisciplinary Studies.

 

 

Key Features of the programme

  1. An interdisciplinary approach: The programme adopts courses and addresses topics from various disciplines, including Public Management, Policy Process, and Data Analytics;
  2. Experiential learning: The programme offers unique experiential learning for students, exposing them to examine real world management and governance issues;
  3. Flexible mode of learning: The programme is offered through onsite, online, with blended learning;
  4. Strong field visit experience: Special visits to public organisations, non-governmental organisations promoting community-based governance, and private firms promoting smart city and smart governance.

 

Aims of the programme

The programme shall equip students with practical, analytical and theoretical skills and knowledge in leading and managing public sector and organisations and contribute to the governance of smart city. Students will be trained to develop the skills to initiate and assist in implementing smart city strategies in the public sector and organisations. The specific aims of the programme:

  1. To provide students with innovative, theoretical, and practical skills in public management
  2. To equip students with requisite skills in practicing smart governance
  3. To promote interdisciplinary approaches to meet the demand for talents brought by the development of Greater Bay Area
  4. To widen the participation of lifelong learners by offering a programme in public management and smart governance

 

Career Prospects

The programme will provide several generic and specific employment opportunities for graduates. The programme will offer employment opportunities to graduates in areas such as civil service, corporate executive positions, NGOs, and Social Services sector.  Also, based on their in-depth knowledge on issues concerning public management and smart governance, graduates can work in public and private sectors such as government, NGOs, Consultant, and think tank.

 

Strong support from Public Sector Organisations and External Reviewers

The programme has received strong support from some public organisations and professional bodies like the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy and Smart City Consortium.  Professor Peter Fong, the President of the Hong Kong Public Administration Association, has also offered his strong support to the programme recognising the proposed programme will meet the needs of the labour market. The programme has also secured the support of the Dean of MTR Academy and a strategic partnership between Lingnan and MTR will be formed to provide articulation for MTR Academy graduates to join the proposed programme.

 

Two external reviewers have offered strong support of the programme.

 

Professor King Lun Ngok, College of Government, Sun Yat-Sen University, China

“The digital age calls for smart governance. Public management should meet the needs of digital and information age. Against this background, the launching of this new programme is just in time as it will meet the increasing demand for talents with knowledge and skills in public management and smart governance for Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area”.

 

Professor Shafiqul Haque, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Canada

“Arrangements for residentials and workshops and the opportunity to participate in the International Symposium for Public Management and Urban Governance will add to the skill sets offered by the programme. It should be a useful addition to the choices for upgrading skills available to the students in Hong Kong.”

 

Teaching Venue

Full-time programme: campus and other off-campus learning hubs

Part-time programme: campus and Lingnan University Union Park Learning Centre (UPC), Union Park Centre, 771-775 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong