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Education is the backbone of civilised society, and quality is the cornerstone of education. Having recognised that quality education holds the key to the future, many countries and regions began to set up their own quality assurance agencies in the early 1990’s. Among those set up was the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation, the predecessor of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ). As the education landscape evolved over the years, the scope of the Council’s academic accreditation services was extended from degree programmes to encompass the sub-degree sector, and from publicly-funded institutions to privately-funded programme providers. Following the reconstitution under the HKCAAVQ Ordinance (Cap 1150) in 2007, and the launch of the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (QF) and Qualifications Register (QR) in 2008, the statutory powers and responsibilities of the Council have been further extended to the quality assurance of the vocational sector. Over the past two decades, the role and functions of the Council have evolved to cope with the needs of an increasingly diverse post-secondary education sector. Throughout we remain committed to our core values, including that of developing a robust quality assurance system to benchmark and safeguard the quality of learning in Hong Kong. Today, the QR contains more than two hundred operators and six thousand qualifications and has become an important source of information for Hong Kong learners and the community. The education landscape is constantly changing. Staying ahead of the curve requires both insight and foresight, in addition to an innovative and open mind to embrace change and deliver on our mission. To this end, we have a group of distinguished academics, professionals and practitioners on our Council from both Hong Kong and overseas, whose perspectives, knowledge and wisdom allow us to ensure that the HKCAAVQ’s processes and practices are in line with international good practices. We also strive to strengthen and extend our capabilities through persistent collaboration with quality assurance networks around the world. From modest beginnings to a leading quality assurance agency in the Asia-Pacific region, the HKCAAVQ has continuously sought to develop its expertise and professionalism as well as to evaluate and improve itself in a dynamic and often challenging setting. Education is a long-term endeavour, so is quality assurance. The HKCAAVQ will continue to build public confidence and trust in our quality assurance work through an effective and transparent framework. We shall also collaborate closely with different stakeholders to work towards a coordinated and harmonised quality assurance system. We are entering into an exciting new era of education and training. The globalisation of education and training is intensifying both competition and cooperation among nations. With support from the Government, our partner institutions and organisations, specialists, as well as the commitment of our Council members and staff, I am confident that the HKCAAVQ will rise to the challenges ahead and continue to contribute to the promotion and enhancement of quality assurance of higher education and vocational education and training in Hong Kong.
Mr. Martin LIAO Cheung-kong, JP
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