Transdisciplinary Innovation Team led by Professor William Cheung Honoured in UGC Teaching Award 2025
30 Sep 2025
Professor William Cheung (1st right) and his Transdisciplinary Innovation Team receive the 2025 UGC Teaching Award in the collaborative teams category.
Mr. Paul Poon, Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU (2nd right); Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU (1st left); Dr. Albert Chau, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) of HKBU (2nd left), and Mr. Philip Tsai Wing-Chung, Chair of the 2025 UGC Teaching Award Selection Panel and member of UGC (1st right) congratulate the Transdisciplinary Innovation Team at the award presentation ceremony.
The Transdisciplinary Innovation Team, is consisting of Professor Nick Zhang, Dr. Glos Ho, Professor William Cheung, Professor Wendy Huang and Professor Kingsley Ng. (From left to right)
The Transdisciplinary Innovation Team, led by Professor William Cheung from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), has been awarded the prestigious 2025 University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award in the “Collaborative Teams” category for its visionary educational approach to equip students with diverse cultural perspectives, knowledge and skills to tackle various global problems.
The award-winning team is spearheaded by Professor William Cheung, Associate Vice President (Transdisciplinary Education) and Professor of the Department of Computer Science. Team members include Dr Glos Ho, Director and Principal Lecturer of the Division of Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Programmes and the directors of HKBU’s four undergraduate transdisciplinary programmes launched in 2022-23 academic year: Professor Kingsley Ng, Associate Professor of the Academy of Visual Arts and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Arts and Technology; Professor Wendy Huang, Professor of the Academy of Wellness and Human Development and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) / Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Innovation in Health and Social Well-Being; and Professor Nick Zhang, Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism and Programme Director of the Bachelor of Arts, Science and Technology (Hons) in Individualised Major.
The Transdisciplinary Innovation Team is praised for having meticulously defined the concept and key features of transdisciplinarity. Guided by this concept, the team brings together faculty members from different disciplines, community leaders from various sectors, and collaborators from different cultures globally to work with students. Learning and assessment are contextualised in real-life settings with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals advocated by the United Nations.
“Since launching our transdisciplinary undergraduate programmes in 2022-23, we have empowered students to integrate diverse knowledge, collaborate across sectors, and innovate solutions for global challenges. This achievement is the result of our innovative team’s tireless efforts, and I extend my heartfelt thanks for their dedication and commitment. Our approach proves that transdisciplinary education is a robust and adaptable model for preparing future-ready graduates,” said Professor William Cheung.
The transdisciplinary and individualised undergraduate programmes emphasise student-centred actions, decisions, and partnerships. In the courses, students consistently participate in team-based projects that blend their interests and expertise, fostering an understanding of how contributions from each area are necessary to address the problem. They learn how to integrate the lessons from the courses into the proposed solutions and to test and refine the solutions in real-life situations.
“This marks the second consecutive year that faculty members from the Department of Computer Science have received this prestigious UGC Teaching Award, reflecting our strong commitment to innovative education. We are proud to contribute significantly to the Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Arts and Technology and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) / Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Innovation in Health and Social Well-Being. Moving forward, our Department will play a significant role in the new Transdisciplinary Second Major and Second Major, further advancing our transdisciplinary vision,” said Professor Jianliang Xu, Head of the Department of Computer Science.
HKBU’s transdisciplinary education is further strengthened in 2025-26 by the introduction of a new transdisciplinary programme, Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Digital Futures and Humanities, along with seven Transdisciplinary Second Majors and two Second Majors, which further institutionalise and customise the transdisciplinary education options for students at HKBU who wish to add this perspective to their undergraduate experience. Over 600 students are enrolled, supported by more than 100 faculty members, industry, community partners, and overseas universities.
Introduced in 2011, the annual UGC Teaching Award aims to honour those who excel in teaching in the UGC sector. The Award not only recognises the teachers’ past and present teaching performance and achievements but also their leadership in scholarly contributions to teaching and learning within and across universities.
