The millennium is a momentous occasion for people around the globe.  It makes the beginning of a new era in which science and technology will predominantly influence the development of agriculture, trade and industry as well as all kinds of service industries.  It features the change from a skill-based economy of the twentieth century to a knowledge-based economy of the twenty-first century.

In order to meet the needs of the community which are fast changing, every member of the workforce who wishes to survive with a competitive edge in the new era must acquire update knowledge and appropriate skills on a continuing basis with a view to becoming a specialist in his/her own trade or profession equipped with diversified abilities and competencies.

To meet the tremendous challenges which lie ahead, Caritas Francis Hsu College is actively promoting lifelong learning and providing quality holistic education at post secondary level.  The College has also sought to upgrade its status and has lodged an application with the HKSAR Government for official registration as a post secondary college under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Chapter 320).  Accordingly, we underwent a full-scale institutional review this year conducted by the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation.

Over the past two years, the College has acted on the advice of professionals, academics, representatives from the commercial and industrial sectors, parents and students and has been working towards improving the curricula of its programmes, its teaching and learning facilities as well as its administrative system.

Moreover, we have given due emphasis to the enhancement of teaching quality and the provision of training for staff.  Besides inviting discipline-based scholars and experts to host seminars and conduct workshops for our staff on a regular basis, we undertake to encourage especially our academic staff to participate in scholarly activities of different nature, including research, further academic pursuits, seminars, conferences and others.

The College is at all times fully committed to providing holistic post secondary education.  Besides the constituent courses of the programmes of their specialism, students are also required to take electives from the General Education curriculum which seeks to provide them with a wide exposure and an enriched perspective and develop their intellectual and critical skills.  It is hoped that students may gain a better understanding of the society they live in and be in a better position to face future challenges.

Incidentally, our College motto “Ad Destinatum Prosequor” – persevering until the goal is achieved – happens to be in line with the recommendations for the education review put forward by the Education Commission in the Education Blue Print for the twenty-first century issued in September 1999: “Review of Education System: Framework of Education Reform”.

It is evident that both the operational framework and the programmes of the College are developing along the lines of a community college geared to providing continuing and vocational education on a full-time basis.  I firmly believe that the assumptions upon which the educational mission and policy of the College are based are consonant with the Education Blueprint.  I am also positive that the College, through its programmes and excellence in teaching, is able to nurture quality people who can readily serve the community in the new millennium.

Established in 1985, the College was named after Bishop Francis Hsu, the later Bishop who devoted the greater part of his life to education.  Bishop Hsu’s vision was to develop higher education under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese.  At the initial stage of its operation, the College offered two-year Diploma programmes as well as Advanced Level courses to secondary school levers.  In 1990, the College obtained the approval of the Hong Kong Government to provide three-year post secondary Professional Diploma programmes.  It is the first registered Catholic institution in Hong Kong offering programmes of such nature.

Over the years, the College has provided numerous opportunities to secondary school students who wish to seek advancement in their studies.  It has undergone extensive development and has sought to upgrade its registration status to an officially recognized post secondary college under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Chapter 320).  More importantly, it is believed that the College has fulfilled its mission in providing holistic education fro the ‘whole person’ development of its students.