PolyU's service leadership education is fuelling youth with positive energy.

With the global transformation of economies from industrial to service orientations, the expectations placed on future leaders have changed remarkably. The holistic development of students, covering their professional competencies, moral character and caring disposition, is now in high demand.

PolyU has been offering a credit-bearing Service Leadership subject for undergraduates since 2012. Apart from lectures, the subject features experiential and reflective learning. Students are also engaged in role play, group discussion, debates and other class activities as they learn to be service leaders. Overall, they are expected to gain a better understanding of the service leadership model and the related core beliefs.

 

Prof. Daniel Shek Tan-lei

To measure the effectiveness of service leadership education at PolyU, a research team led by Prof. Daniel Shek Tan-lei, Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), has conducted a series of evaluation studies, including objective outcome, subjective outcome, process and qualitative evaluations, of the creditbearing courses and non-credit bearing programmes.

Triangulation of the results demonstrated that the subjects and programmes have had positive impacts on students. This is evidenced by significant changes in positive youth development, life satisfaction and service leadership qualities.

Findings based on qualitative evaluation provided additional evidence that the service leadership endeavours at PolyU are nurturing service leaders, making students more reflective and more aware of the importance of a service mindset. As one student put it, “This course helps me to know more about myself. Through the course, I have learnt more about how to communicate with others and care for the others.”

Related academic papers have been published in international refereed journals, including International Journal on Disability and Human Development. A book entitled “Promoting Service Leadership Qualities in University Students” edited by Prof. Shek and Dr Po Chung, Chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management Limited, was also published by Springer in 2015. ♦