The complexity of the idea of a university has been intensified globally as more universities pursue entrepreneurship. For modern universities in China as latecomers, contemporary entrepreneurial reforms are implemented against a backdrop of ongoing interactions between Chinese and Western ideas of a university, with the Western established as the formal system and the Chinese functioning informally yet powerfully. Through 71 semi-structured interviews at four universities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this study explores how academic freedom and institutional autonomy are perceived by Chinese academics under entrepreneurial reforms. The study has two major findings through Clark's analytical framework of academic, government, and market forces: (1) A novel form of statist academic freedom is emerging, merging traditional Chinese scholarly values with state-driven entrepreneurial demands; (2) The adapted triple helix model in China emphasises competition and excellence, shaped by a unique blend of state influence and market dynamics. It offers a nuanced perspective on academic freedom and institutional autonomy amidst entrepreneurial reforms in China, highlighting a compatibility with Chinese idea of a university and a response to global entrepreneurial pressures. Copyright © 2024 Taylor & Francis.

Asia as Method, in decolonial thinking, endorses the value of local knowledge while concurrently recognizing colonial and global knowledges' ongoing influence and potential value in knowledge production. The author takes such a decolonial approach to examine how actors interact in translating the Fine-tuning Medium of Instruction Policy in a Hong Kong school. To grasp the nuances of actor interaction, the Cantonese term mohap (wearing in) is employed. Three concepts from distinct traditions are used to explain mohap: meritocracy, harmony and agency. This study examines actors' mohap process through three stages: How actors perceive the government guidelines, form the school-based policy, and develop the school-based policy. The findings show that actors' mohap in the local context entails the meritocracy ideology, sought-after harmony, and actor agency. It reveals the need and the potential of localised approaches to educational policy studies in the Global South. Copyright © 2024 Taylor & Francis.

In today's evolving educational landscape, the ‘broker teacher’ plays a pivotal role. These educators manage cross-sector partnerships involving government, business and non-profit sectors to introduce innovative practices in schools. This study seeks to explore broker teachers' nuanced roles and the perceptions, which have not yet been extensively studied. Applying the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, our research focuses on broker teachers in Hong Kong, investigating how they enact their roles and influence innovative practices through these partnerships. By focusing on the perspective of broker teachers, this study diverges from previous research that often concentrated on schools' external partners. As such, the study highlights the unique challenges and opportunities that broker teachers face as agents of change. In three case studies, we show how broker teachers align their roles with the stakeholders' expectations during school initiatives. The findings unearth the dynamic nature of broker teachers' roles, highlighting the need for explicit role definitions and robust support structures. These elements are fundamental for broker teachers to effectively navigate the complexities of cross-sector partnerships and to drive sustainable educational reforms. Context and implications Rationale for this Study: Schools' cross-sector partnerships are rapidly developing to drive educational innovation. Research understood these partnerships as brokering activities. However, educational brokering is under-studied from the perspective of the broker teacher, who is in charge of the partnership from within the school. Why the New Findings Matter: This study investigated the nuanced roles of broker teachers, highlighting their more specific roles. For practitioners, this study underscores the importance of clear role definitions and robust support structures for broker teachers to effectively manage cross-sector collaborations. Implication for Policy and Practitioner: Policy

Purpose The present study adopts the analytical framework of new managerialism (NM) to explore the progress, challenges and outlook of self-financing post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong since 2000. This study also identified issues and related managerial implications for developing this niche form of higher education in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted a critical review of self-financing post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong, including the sub-degree and degree sectors, via collecting a series of policy documents and archives from the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, the Public Records Office and other government bodies. To supplement the findings, semi-structured in-depth interviews of 18 academic staff of Hong Kong's self-financing post-secondary institutions were carried out. Findings The study shows that self-financing post-secondary institutions not only encounter challenges related to insufficient resources but also face pressure from accreditation requirements of various international organisations. The study also suggests that massification and privatisation of self-financing post-secondary institutions, and embracing a managerial approach for operation and governance will induce a new wave of self-financing post-secondary institutions in the near future. Originality/value This study offers insights for self-financing post-secondary institutions into implementing appropriate strategies to maintain competitiveness and retain talents in the coming years. © 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited.

This paper aims to explain the path of higher education development and governance in (post-colonial) Hong Kong in light of the concept of hybridity. The paper begins with a historical review, delineating the establishment of major universities in Hong Kong, thereby illustrating how hybridity informs the trajectory of higher education development in the city. Considering the tensions and conflicts that emerged during the post-colonial transition and underlining the influences of managerialism and political activism, the paper draws on data from interviews with university council members and student leaders to outline the issues on university governance in Hong Kong. This paper argues that the response of the Chinese central government to the social unrest in the city represents a re-Sinification process that redefines the idea of the university in postcolonial Hong Kong. © 2023 The Author(s).

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Target 4.7 stated that by 2030, all learners should acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. However, only scattered studies outline how SDG knowledge has been taught in public K12 curricula. This study aims to identify SDG topics in 13 subjects in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education curriculum and the perceptions of teachers in relation to SDG education. Data were collected through a machine learning approach and semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the module, subject, and curriculum level was conducted. By examining how teachers perceive in relation to the results of SDG classification and implementation of SDG education, the findings showed that teachers and administrators have adopted positive attitudes towards SDG classification, and supportive government can positively influence teachers and administrators in implementing SDG education. Such findings can be useful for policymakers to develop strategies to facilitate SDG education. © The Author(s) 2023.

This study aims to develop an AI education policy for higher education by examining the perceptions and implications of text generative AI technologies. Data was collected from 457 students and 180 teachers and staff across various disciplines in Hong Kong universities, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Based on the findings, the study proposes an AI Ecological Education Policy Framework to address the multifaceted implications of AI integration in university teaching and learning. This framework is organized into three dimensions: Pedagogical, Governance, and Operational. The Pedagogical dimension concentrates on using AI to improve teaching and learning outcomes, while the Governance dimension tackles issues related to privacy, security, and accountability. The Operational dimension addresses matters concerning infrastructure and training. The framework fosters a nuanced understanding of the implications of AI integration in academic settings, ensuring that stakeholders are aware of their responsibilities and can take appropriate actions accordingly. Highlights Proposed AI Ecological Education Policy Framework for university teaching and learning. Three dimensions: Pedagogical, Governance, and Operational AI Policy Framework. Qualitative and quantitative data collected from students, teachers, and staff. Ten key areas identified for planning an AI policy in universities. Students should play an active role in drafting and implementing the policy. © The Author(s) 2023.

Purpose: This study aims to explore barriers and pathways to a whole-institution governance of sustainability within the working structures of universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper draws on multi-year interviews and hierarchical structure analysis of ten universities in Canada, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Brazil, the UK and The Netherlands. The paper addresses existing literature that championed further integration between the two organizational sides of universities (academic and operations) and suggests approaches for better embedding sustainability into four primary domains of activity (education, research, campus operations and community engagement). Findings: This research found that effective sustainability governance needs to recognise and reconcile distinct cultures, diverging accountability structures and contrasting manifestations of central-coordination and distributed-agency approaches characteristic of the university's operational and academic activities. The positionality of actors appointed to lead institution-wide embedding influenced which domain received most attention. The paper concludes that a whole-institution approach would require significant tailoring and adjustments on both the operational and academic sides to be successful. Originality/value: Based on a review of sustainability activities at ten universities around the world, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the governance implications of integrating sustainability into the four domains of university activity. It discusses how best to work across the operational/academic divide and suggests principles for adopting a whole institution approach to sustainability. Copyright © 2023 Emerald.

This chapter surveys the state of the field and presents a rigorous account of the core and cutting-edge concepts, timely and novel issues and pioneering theories related to the subject of entrepreneurialism and higher education policies. Apart from conceptualising the linkage between higher education policies and entrepreneurialism, it will also use the empirical example of Hong Kong and illustrates a contextual approach to understand the role of higher education policies in an attempted capitalist restructuring from a finance-led model to an innovation-led model (Baark & So, 2006). The case of Hong Kong demonstrates the state level response, by cities, instead of firms, to the interurban competition and capitalist restructuring in the global knowledge economy (Jessop 1998; Jessop and Sum 2000), particularly through capitalising the academic profession and scientific capital (Tang, 2020). The contextual approach expounded by this chapter will offer international readers a lesson learned for the function of higher education policies in reconsidering academic entrepreneurialism and rejuvenating innovation in the post-COVID precarious 21st century. Copyright © 2023 Gerard A. Postiglione, Christopher J. Johnstone and Wesley R. Teter.