Page 9 - SYU Prospectus

University History

power, HKSAR, officiated at the Topping-Out Ceremony of the new Residential and Amenities
Complex on 10th May 2004 and on 5th November 2005 Professor Li officially opened the
Residential and Amenities Complex amidst much fanfare.

The year 2006 marked the culmination of a process of institutional changes that had
started in 1996, when the College submitted a request to the Hong Kong Council for Academic
Accreditation (HKCAA) for accreditation as a degree-awarding institution. In the ensuing ten
years, the College underwent a series of institutional reviews and developed ten four-year
honours degree programmes, which were successfully validated by the HKCAA and intro-
duced between 2001 and 2005. In 2006, a specially convened Institutional Review Panel
recommended that, on the basis of its track record of offering high quality degree pro-
grammes, Shue Yan College should be granted university title. Upon completion of legal
formalities, the title of Shue Yan University was granted by the Chief Executive in Council on
19th December 2006, and Shue Yan University became the first private university in Hong
Kong. The then Chief Executive, the Hon. Donald Tsang, G.B.M., also graciously agreed to
join the university community in celebrations to mark the attainment of university status on
14th February 2007.

In 2008, the Grand Bauhinia Medal was awarded to the University’s President, Dr. Henry
H. L. Hu, in recognition of his life-long dedication and contribution to public and community
service, particularly in broadening the tertiary education opportunities of the younger
generation by establishing Hong Kong Shue Yan University. The citation noted that Dr. Hu has
devoted substantial financial resources and personal efforts to continuously improve the
University and its students’ learning experience over the previous 36 years.

In 2010 the University launched its first post-graduate programme, the Master of Social
Sciences in Counselling Psychology, following successful validation by the HKCAAVQ.

A piece of land adjacent next to the Student Residential and Amenities Complex was
granted to the University by the Government in April 2011 for the construction of a new
research complex with additional student hostel, teaching and learning facilities.

In June 2012 our proposed Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology (PGDP) programme
was successfully validated by HKCAAVQ for launch in January 2013. In November of the
same year three new Master’s programmes were accredited by HKCAAVQ for launch in late
2013. The three programmes are: Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Cultural Studies, Master
of Social Sciences (Transformation of Chinese Societies), and Master of Science in Marketing
and Consumer Psychology.

In 2014, the HKCAAVQ validated the Master of Social Sciences in Psychology to replace
the PGDP (above), as well as the Doctor of Psychology in Counselling Psychology and
approved by the Executive Council for offering in January 2016 and September 2015

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