Two HKU Scholars Honoured by Ministry of Education

Two University of Hong Kong scholars have earned national honours in the 10th Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards from China’s Ministry of Education, recognising their work upended conventional thinking on artificial intelligence in education and the roots of Hong Kong’s legal freedoms, respectively.

Professor Cecilia Chan of the Faculty of Education received a third-class award in Educational Science Research for a paper that looks beyond abstract AI ethics debates.

Her study, “A Comprehensive AI Policy Education Framework for University Teaching and Learning”, gathered quantitative and qualitative data from students, faculty and staff across disciplines in Hong Kong universities. The result is a concrete AI ecosystem policy framework that integrates teaching, governance and operations, giving institutions a practical roadmap for an era of both excitement and uncertainty.

Professor Michael Ng, Associate Dean (Research and Institutional Advancement) in the Faculty of Law, won the Popular Science Publication Award in the Law category for a piece that challenges a foundational narrative in legal history.

His book, “Political Censorship in British Hong Kong: Freedom of Expression and the Law (1842–1997),” relies on confidential documents, including classified communications between London and colonial Hong Kong, to argue that the territory’s celebrated freedom of speech and judicial independence are not inherited British legal traditions but products of specific historical circumstances shaped by British policies towards China.

“I am honoured to receive this award and grateful to MoE for recognising this research”, Professor Chan said in a statement. “At a time when AI brings both excitement and uncertainty, education must help shape its future. This research offers institutions a framework to move forward with confidence, ensuring that innovation goes hand in hand with trust, accountability and meaningful learning.”

Professor Ng said: “I am truly delighted that this legal history research, grounded in declassified records, has been embraced by the public and honoured with this award. Law and history share a core commitment to factual evidence; uncovering the past is essential for us to understand today and guide our future.”

The MoE awards, established in 1995, are among China’s most prestigious accolades in the social sciences.