Led by Professor Sylvia Kwok Lai Yuk-ching in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), the “Joint University Mental Wellness Project” (JUMP) was honoured with a Second Class Award in the 2022 Higher Education (Undergraduate) National Teaching Achievement Award by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. 

The quadrennial award, organised and presented by the Ministry of Education, is the highest national award in the field of education research and teaching. Professor Kwok’s project is one of the two winning projects conducted by local higher education institutions, among the six projects nominated by Hong Kong’s Education Bureau vying for this round’s awards.

By adopting the positive transformational learning pedagogy, the project aims to enhance the well-being and learning experiences of university students, and strengthen their abilities in dealing with adversities. Since its launch, 1,100 professionals have participated in the project's professional training workshops and international conferences, and more than 4,000 students from different higher education institutions and programmes have organised and joined various amazing activities.

“I feel very privileged to receive the national award. In addition to the 2021 University Grant Committee (UGC) Teaching Award, it affirms the strenuous efforts of our team. I’m grateful to CityU for creating the appropriate environment for us to nurture and enhance students’ positive attitude,” said Professor Kwok.

Looking ahead for future development, Professor Kwok said, “We will continue to launch JUMP 2.0 for seven government-funded universities. The ultimate goal is to develop students in all local higher education institutions into citizens who uphold core values and have a strong sense of responsibility and social commitment.”

The inter-institutional project team, led by Professor Kwok, includes scholars from CityU, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Education University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University.

Professor Freddy Boey Yin Chiang, CityU President, congratulated the CityU-led team on receiving the Award. He said, "I am delighted that the teaching achievements of CityU have been recognised. Mental health is one of the most important issues in the world today. As educators, we should not only instill textbook knowledge in students, but also ensure that CityU graduates have a healthy psychological well-being to face future challenges.” CityU will continue to encourage more impactful research and projects to contribute to the well-being of society.

Since its inception in 2014, the Positive Education Laboratory in CityU’s Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences has been striving to promote the well-being of students from pre-primary schools, primary schools, secondary schools, to universities. The Higher Education (Undergraduate) National Teaching Achievement Award signifies recognition of the Ministry of Education on the importance of enhancing positive learning experiences and promoting wellbeing of university students.