This article presents the Elder Academy (EA) Network as the policy and practice in promoting active ageing through elder learning in Hong Kong. First, the article examines how the change in demographics and the prevalent trend of an ageing population have propelled the government in Hong Kong to tackle issues and challenges brought about by an increasing proportion of the elderly population. Second, the political and cultural contexts are critically discussed to identify the rationale underlying the successive implementation of a series of major reforms within a short time in areas including elderly welfare by the postcolonial Hong Kong government. Third, the Elder Academy Network is introduced to provide a model of cross-sectoral collaboration in the provision of elder learning involving the government as coordinator working jointly with schools, service agencies, and universities to form a network of elder academies providing a myriad of learning opportunities for elders to pursue in their late-life years. Finally, the EA network is critiqued for its benefits and limitations, warranting a need for research and evaluation before the Hong Kong experience can be shared and the EA model of active ageing through elder learning can be emulated in places outside of Hong Kong.
[Copyright of Educational Gerontology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2013.750931]

The article discusses the professionalization and vocationalization of continuing education in Hong Kong, China as a result of educational reforms. Topics include public and private sector involvement in professional and vocational education (PVE), the relation between education and occupational or job training, and the emphasis on learning outcomes assessment.
[Copyright of International Journal of Lifelong Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2013.774066]

This paper draws upon a small-scale investigation to shed light on the perceptions of successful ageing by a group of senior adults in Hong Kong. It also identifies attributes that are associated with ageing well and examines the extent to which education or learning is perceived as important in the ageing process. To this end, the research has taken on an educational perspective to find out what older people themselves want and need to learn, what motivates them and what poses as barriers to their participation in learning. By making such data available, policy-makers and educational providers alike will be better placed to understand and determine the role of learning in the ageing process and to plan appropriate interventions in support of late-life learning for and by the elderly.
[Copyright of Studies in Continuing Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2012.746228]

Hong Kong's ageing population is growing at an unprecedented rate. Over the past two decades, the government has implemented policies and innovative engagement activities for elders in areas including lifelong learning and community participation. This paper aims to discuss conceptual, policy and practical issues relevant to the participation of elders in lifelong learning; examine the role of government, providers and community agencies in developing policy and practice for elder learning in Hong Kong; discuss the "Elder Academy Network" approach to elder learning set up in 1997, which is marked by the retrocession to China and establishment of the Hong Kong Elderly Commission; investigate new directions in elder learning policy and practice; and finally, identify the needs for future research and policy development of lifelong learning for elders in Hong Kong.
[Copyright of International Journal of Lifelong Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02601370.2012.663805]

This paper explores the notions of active ageing and elder learning in Hong Kong where a strategic approach to elderly education is applied by the government to encourage lifelong learning. The paper outlines the policy development and support for elder learning in Hong Kong in two distinct periods: pre-1997 and post-1997. The post-1997 period is marked by the retrocession to China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Elderly Commission to provide advice on policies and programs for meeting the challenges brought about by an ageing population. The pertinent needs for research are identified to review the effectiveness and adequacy of the policies and provisions for elder learning in Hong Kong. To determine whether such policies and provisions have achieved the desired outcomes, they must be subjected to rigorous evaluation. Only then can these policies and provisions claim to have achieved significant and important outcomes for Hong Kong.
[Copyright of Educational Gerontology is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2010.515899]

Prompted by an increasing concern for quality in higher education in Hong Kong, a study was conducted at Lingnan University, a small liberal arts institution, to measure the influence of university education on students' academic, social and personal growth. The purpose of the study is to assess if value has been added to students as a result of their university experience and the kind of education they received. The empirical investigation adopts an approach of assessing quality of university education using data collected from individual students about their subjective experiences during the university years and their perceptions of the value of the educational experience.
[Copyright of Quality in Higher Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1353832042000299531]