Abstract

The present COVID-19 pandemic has prevented all student exchange activities. Biomedical Engineering (BME) proposes a BME local-international student buddy scheme to facilitate international exposure and related learning needs. Currently BME has 38 international students coming from 11 countries among its undergraduate population of 219.

A problem-solving learning platform through the formation of up to 30 pairs of local-international student buddies is proposed. Within each buddy pair, healthcare challenges that exist in one country and that can be addressed by expertise available in the other countries will be identified. Students (under guidance of professors) will develop ideas for innovations and their implementation to address the healthcare challenges.

Students will receive immersion training in communication and language skills through a cross-cultural multi-lingual atmosphere.

Buddy teams will present their progress periodically and through a final open poster competition, both enabling learning assessment. The competition will provide compelling incentives for students and exemplary teams will be supported by the department to speak at their former secondary schools about their positive learning experience and to promote CUHK.

Publishing a case study on supporting cross-cultural interaction through online channels in a premier education science journal is anticipated to increase CUHK’s international visibility in innovative teaching.

Brief write-up

Project objectives

Special FS to Enhance Student Engagement and Address Student Learning Needs_BWU_No.01-31 R

Activities, process and outcomes

Seven faculty members from the Department of Biomedical Engneering had provided tailored guidance and advice from February to July 2021 to each team using a standardized pedagogical manner in an attempt to prepare students to join an online poster competition held in July 2021.

Deliverables and evaluation

This buddy scheme could successfully provide students insights in innovation ideation and implementation as well as perspectives for their future career (e.g. entrepreneurial, corporate, graduate school) as derived from the participants with surveys and interviews.

Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices

Although a budget has been set aside to reward three best performing teams for travel support, the trips are yet to be conducted due to travel constraints. Two manuscripts have been prepared for submission to premier journals in education science. This should increase CUHK’s international visibility in innovative teaching.

Impact on teaching and learning

This project has demonstrated a prototype scheme for online advocation of peer learning. While we may expect that the COVID-19 pandemic may continue for some time, universities need to develop similar innovative education concepts beyond online classes. We are one of its kind to facilitate local students to learn globally through leveraging the presence of international students in BME.