HKBU joins hands with Google Hong Kong to enrich students’ transdisciplinary problem-solving skills

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 29 June 2023 - Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) today (29 June) announced that it has collaborated with Google Hong Kong to bring in the Google Career Certificates Programme 2023, a suite of online training programmes for in-demand digital skills, to cultivate the transdisciplinary problem-solving and analytical skills of students of its Bachelor of Arts, Science and Technology (Hons) in Individualised Major (BAScT) programme through the support of information technology.

With the scholarship offered by Google Hong Kong, Year 2 students of the BAScT programme will enjoy free access to courses of Google Career Certificates Programme 2023 in the new academic year (2023/24) and earn credentials for in-demand skills .

The compulsory module "Transdisciplinary Problem Solving I & II" aims to develop students' problem-solving skills in a real-world setting. From September 2023, HKBU will integrate the "Data Analytics Certificate" and "Project Management Certificate" of Google Career Certificates Programme 2023 as part of the module, so that BAScT students will be able to learn essential skills in empirical data analysis and project execution.

Newly introduced by HKBU in 2022, the BAScT programme is a transdisciplinary undergraduate programme that comprises various solution-based learning modules. Under the programme, students can customise their individualised learning pathway and explore solutions that address real-world challenges under the guidance of professors and industry specialists.

Dr Nick Zhang, Programme Director and Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism at HKBU, believes that the collaboration with Google Hong Kong will enrich students' learning experience and outcomes.

"In order to face local and global challenges nowadays, we hope our students can learn how to understand complex issues, develop executable ideas, and provide systematic solutions. The practice of problem-solving requires applications of suitable analytic tools and efficient project management skills, combined with transdisciplinary knowledge. Built and taught by Google experts, the Google Career Certificates Programme will help students master some of the most sought-after digital skills. Through the two courses from Google Career Certificates Programme 2023 and other learning activities of our programme, students are expected to become competent in translating real-world questions into data analytic exercises and develop a proactive mindset on how to start, plan, and execute their own social impact projects flexibly and efficiently."

Michael Yue, General Manager, Sales & Operations at Google Hong Kong, said: "University remains the backbone of our education system; complementing knowledge- based and skill-based training, it provides a perfect learning ground to nurture highly competent talents for the future."

Yue continued: "At Google Hong Kong, we are committed to digitising Hong Kong for good. Supporting education and talent cultivation is an important pillar of our commitment. Therefore, we are delighted to join hands with HKBU to help students cultivate their problem-solving and analytical skills through Google Career Certificates Programme. We believe that students who possess transdisciplinary problem-solving capabilities can also unlock more career opportunities in the future."

BAScT students are pleased to learn about the integration of the Google Career Certificate courses into the "Transdisciplinary Problem Solving I & II" module. Year 1 student Boulder Yi said: "I am thrilled to attend the Google Career Certificates Programme as part of my learning journey of HKBU. I hope the programme can broaden my academic horizons and equip me with more diverse job opportunities in the future. Additionally, I also expect that the skills acquired from the programme will help me pursue a fruitful learning journey at HKBU with more confidence."

Also a first-year student of the BAScT programme, Ella Yu Man-wai said: "Taking the Data Analytics Certificate of the Google Career Certificates Programme 2023 as an example, it provides us with analysing and data visualisation skills, which are highly in-demand across numerous industries nowadays."

In addition to the two GCC courses incorporated into the module, interested BAScT students can also study and gain certificates for the other courses of the GCC programme, covering many of the digital skills that are in high demand, such as digital marketing, e-commerce, cybersecurity, IT support, or IT automation over the academic year at their own pace. To maximise each student's learning experience, HKBU will organise tutorials, field trips, progress-sharing sessions, and reflective discussions to allow them to explore the application of IT knowledge in real-life problem-solving.