Aim

FSTE Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) was established in 2024, to spark off an highlight for FSTE 30th anniversary, to recognise and reward FSTE Member Institutions’ teachers with excellent teaching performance.  This annual sector-wide Award also aims to promote and share good practices for learning and teaching so as to foster a culture of quality enhancement amongst Member Institutions.

Eligbility*

  • Full-time teaching staff who are in the academic / teaching track and have been performing teaching duties on QF Level 4 or above programmes(s) for at least two consecutive academic years.
  • Nomination can be made on individual or team basis. For team nomination, each team should comprise not more than four teachers including a team leader.
  • A maximum of two nominations, including individual and team, are limited to each Member Institution.
*Previous Individual Awardee(s) and Honourable Mention Recipient(s): not eligible for nomination in either Individual or Team Award for the next three academic years.
Previous Team Awardees and Honourable Mention Recipient(s): not eligible for nomination in Team Award for the next three academic years but are eligible for nomination in the Individual Award.
Examples: AY2023/24 Awardee/Recipients of Individual Category may run for Individual/Team Award in AY2027/28, the earliest.  AY2023/24 Recipients of Team Category may run for Individual Award in AY2024/25 (the earliest) and Team Award in AY2027/28.

Awards

  • Three awards will be granted each year.  Final number of awards will be subject to the decision of the Selection Panel.
  • Awardee(s) of each Individual or Team will be given a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize of $6,000.
  • Honorable Mention Receipients will be awarded a certificate of merit.
  • Opportunities for Awardees and Honorable Mention Receipients to take part in sharing session(s) or related event(s) for the teaching staff amongst FSTE Member Institutions, as well as joining the future Selection Panel.

Key Dates

Call for Nomination: 12 May – 11 July 2025
Briefing session: Early June 2025 (exact date to be announced)
Shortlisting and Interview: September 2025
Announcement of results: October 2025
Presentation of awards: November 2025

Selection Criteria

The Award is for teachers who consistently perform impactful and excellent in learning and teaching for the benefit of students’ achievements.  Adopting a holistic outcome-based approach with evidence, the nominees are to be considered by the nature of disciplines/professions and evaluated for the award according to the following criteria:

  • Demonstrating Student-centred and Outcomes-based Learning, Teaching and Assessment to facilitate effective learning and teaching for students;
  • Adopting Digital Learning and Teaching Strategies (including Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching) to promote self-led, self-regulated responsible learning for students;
  • Arranging Internships, Job Attachments, Service Learning, or Designing Learning Activities and alike, to benefit students to better understand industries, employers, community and societal needs;
  • Engaging in Continuing Professional Development and Applied Research to inform teaching to improve teaching skills and research practices; and
  • Promoting Teaching and Learning Excellence with impactful achievements within respective institutions and/or across the sector.

Note: The selection is a holistic assessment based on the above five criteria, which carry no specified weighting.  Nominee(s) are suggested to demonstrate and highlight their excellence in specific criteria by evidence to the Panel Members during the selection interview.

Composition of the Selection Panel

Chairperson: from Non-self-financing Higher Education Sector
Members: Three representatives from Teaching & Learning Specialists / Senior Management of Higher Education Institutions (recent affliation could be included) / Statutory Bodies / Industry
An alumnus representative from FSTE Member Institutions
A Past Awardee of the FSTE Teaching Excellence Award
A FSTE Director (former / current)
Secretary: FSTE Secretariat

Shortlisting and Selection

  • Nominations will be reviewed and assessed by a Selection Panel.  The Selection Panel may request additional information from the nominee(s), or other stakeholders, e.g., supervisors, students, peers who are familiar with the nominee(s).
  • Shortlisted nominees will be invited to present in the Selection Panel meeting.  For Team nominations, Team Leader and all the members are required to attend and present in the Selection Panel meeting.
  • The decision of the Selection Panel will be final.

Nomination & Submission

Each submission should include the following documents:

a. A completed Nomination Form (a template of Appendix 3 below is included) signed by two staff members (supervisors / management) and approved by the President / Director / Principal / Head of Institutions before submission.
b. Appendix 1: A brief Resume (one to two pages for each nominee)
c. Appendix 2: A Teaching Portfolio (refer to the Guidelines for Teaching Portfolio) containing no more than 20 pages shall include:
   (i) Teaching Philosophy;
   (ii) Student Feedback Questionnaire (SFQ) survey results on learning & teaching; and
   (iii) Evidence-based supporting documents, such as curriculum / lesson plans, teaching materials / resources etc. related to your performance in learning and teaching.
d. Appendix 3: Statements for Nomination (each nominator has to write a statement of about 100 words highlighting the reasons for making the nomination)
e. Appendix 4: Other relevant and recent information to support the nomination when appropriate

Enquiry

Please contact FSTE Secretariat at TEA@fste.edu.hk or 2573 0896 for enquiry.

FSTE reserves the right to change the above arrangement at any time without prior notice.