Press Release

(17 January, 2015, Hong Kong) The Annual Hotung Lecture, the yearly signature event of The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) for exchange of ideas in the educational community, was successfully held this morning at the Lecture Theatre, 4/F, West Block, Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre.

The Annual Hotung Lecture 2015 is an important occasion for the local educational community, offering an opportunity to gather around 400 principles, teachers, educational psychologists who support gifted education and parents to exchange their experience and ideas. This year, the HKAGE was honoured to have invited the well-known educational expert, Dr Sylvia RIMM, Director of Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., as the guest speaker to share her insights into “Social-emotional Development of Gifted Learners” with the educational leaders, frontline teachers, parents and students at the Lecture.

Dr Sylvia RIMM is a renowned expert in gifted education. She speaks and publishes internationally on family and school approaches to guiding children towards achievement and reversing underachievement, and on topics of social and emotional issues related to giftedness. She is a dynamic and inspiring speaker who fascinates audiences of different ages and from different backgrounds by tailoring her talks to cater for the specific interests of audiences.

The Lecture, in addition to having Mr NG Hak Kim, Eddie, SBS, JP, Secretary for Education as the guest of honour to deliver the opening remarks, was also attended by a number of university professors and the board members of the HKAGE. In the welcome address, Prof NG Tai Kai, Executive Director of the Academy, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the guests and participants for their support. He also mentioned the importance of understanding the social-emotional development of gifted students as it could help with further comprehending their inner worlds. Apart from the keynote speech, a group of experienced local educators were invited to the event to host a panel discussion. With Dr PANG Ming Fai, Associate Dean and Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong being the facilitator, Ms WONG Kit Lin, Principal, Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary School and District Councillor of Shatin; Dr HO Yuk Fan, Esther, Vice-principal, Carmel Secondary School and Chairperson of Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters, and Dr CHU Ho Tat, Matthew, Honorary Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, the panel discussion aimed at summarising the main points of the keynote speech and exploring ways of applying them to the context in Hong Kong, making the Lecture more informative and lively.

Picture 1 Professor NG Tai Kai, Executive Director of the HKAGE thanks for participants’ support in his welcome address.	Picture 2 Dr Sylvia RIMM elaborates on the social and emotional issues of giftedness.

Picture 3 Guest of honour Mr NG Hak Kim, Eddie, SBS, JP, Secretary for Education presents the souvenir to Dr Sylvia RIMM.	Picture 4 Nearly 400 educators are attracted to the Annual Hotung Lecture 2015.