Details

Abstract

In Hong Kong, over one-third of undergraduate students have reported experiencing signs of anxiety and depression. Supporting students’ wellbeing through curriculum development has become an important agenda for higher education. In this seminar, the speakers will discuss a teaching and learning initiative – compassion-based pedagogy (CbP) that intentionally cultivates students’ compassionate communication in group work and their compassionate mind for everyday life through experiential learning. The speakers will share their experiences in embedding CbP across the undergraduate counselling curriculum including the capstone project for promoting a supportive learning environment at the University of Hong Kong. The discussion will explore into students’ perception and experiences about CbP, the initial effects on learning outcomes and students’ wellbeing, the potentials of deploying it to other programmes in higher education and the challenges of developing students’ compassion in the digital era.

About the speakers

Jessica Tang is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at The University of Hong Kong and the Deputy Programme Director of the Master of Social Sciences in Counselling. As a Registered Social Worker and a Certified Compassionate Mind Training Facilitator, she teaches counselling and social work courses focusing on mental health recovery, narrative therapy and compassion-based intervention. Jessica was a recipient of the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences Outstanding E-Learning Awards in 2019-2020. In 2023-2024, she attained a Teaching and Development Grant to initiate compassion-based pedagogy in curriculum for fostering a compassionate learning environment to support students’ wellbeing.

Eddie Chong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. He directs the Bachelor of Social Sciences in Counselling. A counselling psychologist, Eddie is interested in evidence-based practices that foster growth and wellbeing among students and is dedicated to advancing the sciences of compassion and diversity. His research seeks to understand: (a) Resilience and stress processes of socially marginalized individuals and (b) facilitators and barriers for intercultural empathy in both therapeutic contexts and everyday life.

Pauline Wan is a lecturer in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong. She also serves as the Deputy Programme Director for the Bachelor of Social Sciences in Counselling. In addition to these roles, Dr. Wan is the Programme Coordinator and Supervisor for the Capstone Project, a core requirement for students majoring in counselling prior to graduation. She facilitates the cultivation of compassionate communication among students and supervisors throughout the Capstone Project via experiential learning, community practice, supervision, and supervisory team meetings.

Winifred Wong is a Social Sciences major (Psychology) student at the University of Hong Kong. With experience in multiple research labs, she has developed a strong interest in exploring topics related to compassion, sleep and their effects on wellbeing. Passionate about contributing to the understanding of mental health, Winifred is eager to further the knowledge in empirical research and evidence-based practices.