Read More
A CUHK-led inter-institutional team has won the 2026 University Grants Committee Teaching Award in the Collaborative Teams category for developing a cross-university eye care training program that combines service-learning, research and technology.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The team, led by Professor Kelvin Chong Kam-lung of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine, was recognized for the “Eye Learn I.CARE: Joint-University Eye Care Ambassador Training Scheme.”
(From left) Professor Arthur Tsang Wai-chung, Associate Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, CUHK; Stephany Tai Wing-lam, Research Assistant, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, CUHK, Programme alumni and Deputy Programme Manager; Sharron Leung Shuk-kam, Head of Nursing Education, School of Continuing Education, HKBU, and Professor Kelvin Chong Kam-lung, Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine, CUHK.
Established in 2022, the initiative brings together students and academics from six UGC-funded universities across 14 disciplines. It is built around the REST framework — Research, Education, Service and Technology — and encourages students to turn classroom knowledge into community service and research.
Nearly 500 undergraduate Eye Care Ambassadors and 1,200 secondary school volunteers have been trained under the scheme. Together, they have provided more than 1,600 hours of free eye examinations and health education to over 5,000 people, including older adults, underprivileged communities and people undergoing rehabilitation from substance abuse.
The program also encourages students to develop research projects from their service-learning experience. Participants have used technologies including artificial intelligence and virtual reality in studies related to long Covid, thyroid eye disease and dry eye disease.
Some student projects have gone on to be presented at international academic meetings, including the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress.
“We have witnessed students and teachers from different universities and disciplines work together to transform service experiences into meaningful scientific research and translate research outcomes back into society,” Chong said.
He added that the program aims to help students understand how professional knowledge can respond to community needs while nurturing social responsibility.
The award-winning team also includes Professor Arthur Tsang Wai-chung of CUHK’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr Sharron Leung Shuk-kam of Hong Kong Baptist University’s School of Continuing Education, and Stephany Tai Wing-lam, a CUHK research assistant, program alumna and deputy program manager.
The team said it plans to deepen cross-institutional collaboration and expand the use of emerging technologies in service-learning and educational innovation.
