Five CityU teachers have made their mark this year. The 2002 Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) winners were selected on the virtue of their teaching skills, promotion of the University's teaching culture and the ability to keep students up-to-date in their subject areas, said Professor K S Chiang, Panel Chair of the TEA Scheme and Associate Head of the Department of Electronic Engineering. The winners, who were presented with their awards during the Congregation and will have their names added to a permanently displayed register, are:

Dr Alice Chan, Assistant Professor, Department of English and Communication (second right in photo below), who emphasizes the importance of stimulating teaching to arouse student interest and to master critical thinking and problem solving skills. "Students respond well to things relevant to real life and when they know you care," she said, "so it is important to remember their names."

Dr Tony Shieh, Assistant Professor, Department of Accountancy (centre), said, "It's the relationship of trust and confidence with the students I cherish most." He focuses on developing innovative teaching methods and believes in the importance of interacting with his students outside the classroom.

Dr Rita Takahashi, Senior Lecturer, Division of Language Studies (far right in photo), who emphasizes the importance of out-of-classroom experiences in addition to providing her students with a pleasant learning atmosphere and skills to help them learn on their own. "I treat students attending my Japanese class as family members," she explained.

Mr Alex Tham, Instructor I, Department of Marketing (far left), said: "I always encourage my students to learn from projects." A committed teacher, Mr Tham influences his students inside and outside the classroom and gives them the experience of solving real problems with large enterprises.

Dr Alan Yeung, Associate Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, a practical, hands-on teacher, whose teaching philosophy involves helping students apply their knowledge to solve real life problems. "My students' success is my success," he said, "seeing them grow and prosper and become professional engineers is a gratifying experience."