File HKIEd/144 - Faculty forum

The Faculty of Languages, Arts and Sciences (FLAS) was one of the two Faculties created to replace the four Schools in September 2005, after the Hong Kong Institute of Education (the Institute) successfully achieved the self-accrediting university status in the year before. FLAS aimed at preparing its students to become professionals with strong disciplinary and educational knowledge to facilitate effective learning; and offered a total of 19 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in primary and secondary education, 11 in-service teacher education programmes supported by government funds, language immersion programmes, exchange programmes and study tours. FLAS was composed of five Departments and a Centre: the Department of Chinese, the Department of Creative Arts and Physical Education, the Department of English, the Department of Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology, and the Centre for Citizenship Education.

The Institute took further actions in enhancing its academic and research capacities following the submission of the Development Blueprint in 2007. Apart from creating the new position of Vice President (Research and Development) and implementing strategic recruitment and appointment exercises, FLAS and the Faculty of Professional and Early Childhood Education (FPECE) were reorganized into a three-Faculty structure on 25 August 2008. The five academic departments initially under FPECE came under the Faculty of Education Studies; whereas the newly created Faculty of Languages took over both the Department of Chinese and Department of English, and the restructured Faculty of Arts and Sciences housing the Department of Creative Arts and Physical Education as well as the Department of Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology.