Community for Enhancing Intercultural Learning Experiences: Special Event - Supporting LGBTQ+ Students on Campus

THE SESSION

This Community supports and promotes the efforts of faculty and staff to enhance the intercultural learning experiences and competence of students at HKUST.

In this sharing session, Dr. Diana Kwok will present a community photovoice project to illuminate the experiences of LGBTQ+ young people in Hong Kong. Specific examples will highlight university students’ campus experiences. Overarching themes reflected negative experiences on campus, such as being excluded through misgendering and censorship. However, students also identified safe zones and active advocacy strategies related to their on‐campus experiences. Implications for fostering a sexual and gender inclusive culture, through course and research development within higher education will be discussed.

Dr. Kwok is Associate Professor with the Department of Special Education and Counselling at the Education University of Hong Kong. She is a registered social worker, approved counselling supervisor, and a certified sex therapist. Diana used to work in schools, family, mental health, and LGBTQIA+ social service settings, in Hong Kong, and in the U.S. Her areas of research include sexual and transgender prejudice, cultural competence of professionals working with sexual and gender expansive communities; school experiences of LGBTQIA+ students; sexuality education for students with special educational needs.

Click here to see more about her work and publications.

Students representing the Rainbow Bird Community at this event are:

• Chan Si Tung, Veronica, Year 4, SENG
• Natalia Jennifer Duane, Year 4, SBM
• Wong Hiu Lam, Year 2, SBM

WHO ARE WE?

Melissa Megan, Principal Coordinator
Melissa is a Senior Lecturer in the CLE. Melissa has been living and interacting interculturally for about 30 years, 22 of those having been spent at HKUST. Melissa believes that intercultural competence, put simply, refers to the skills, attitudes and behaviours needed to improve interactions across difference, and hopes that this Community can work to promote this competence at HKUST.

Beatrice Chu, Coordinator
Beatrice is an Educational Developer and heads up the professional development programs and initiatives at CEI for faculty and frontline teaching staff. She has over 20 years of experience working in different sectors in tertiary education. Beatrice was trained as a physicist, and her current interests are innovative instructional approaches and programs that facilitate students' knowledge, skillset, and mindset for the 21st century. She involves in multiple intercultural teaching competence initiatives at HKUST.