Quality Assurance

The University adopts a rigorous quality assurance framework aligned with that of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), encompassing both external quality reviews and internal evaluations. This framework is designed to ensure that the academic standards of CUHK(SZ) remain on par with those of CUHK.

External quality review

  • Quality Assurance Council Quality Audit

The Quality Assurance Council (QAC) was established in April 2007 as a semiautonomous non-statutory body under the aegis of the University Grants Committee (UGC) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. The QAC quality audits seek to safeguard the quality of the student learning experience and academic standards in the UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong. Since academic programmes offered at CUHK(SZ) lead to degrees awarded by CUHK, the quality audit will cover all academic programmes offered by both CUHK and CUHK(SZ). QAC's first round of quality audit was completed in 2011, and the third audit cycle concluded at the end of 2024. More details can be found at the QAC Quality Assurance website.

  • Three-level external reviews

There are three levels of external review: Visiting Committee (VC) inspections at the school level, External Examiner (EE) reviews at the programme level, and External Reviewer (ER) reviews at the course level each semester.

External Reviewer

Frequency

Composition

VC

4 years

Three to six local and international senior academics and practitioners with considerable leadership experience in higher education.

EE

1 to 2 years

OR

4 years

A senior academic with considerable experience in higher education and who has not been on the staff of either CUHK or CUHK(SZ) for at least three years before the appointment.

ER

Semester

An experienced academic at the rank of Associate Professor or above in the corresponding department/programme at CUHK.

Visiting Committee Exercises:

The VC review is established to provide a holistic assessment of an individual School or equivalent Unit, covering various aspects of its strategy, operations, research, teaching, and learning activities. Visiting Committees consist of local and international senior academics and practitioners with considerable leadership experience in higher education. VC review is conducted on a four-year cycle, the same as that of CUHK.

External Examiner Exercises:

The EE aims to review Teaching & Learning activities of each Programme and provide an assessment of the standards and quality of each programme. The EE is a senior academic with considerable experience in higher education and who has not been on the staff of either CUHK or CUHK(SZ) for at least three years before the appointment. UG and RPg programmes are reviewed every four years, whereas TPg programmes is reviewed every one or two years.

External Reviewer Exercises:

The External Reviewer (ER) is for assessing course quality against the standard of CUHK. The ER is typically an experienced academic at the rank of Associate Professor or above in the corresponding department/programme at CUHK. All major courses offered by CUHK(SZ) are reviewed by the ERs every semester.

Internal Evaluation

  • Internal Programme Review:

Programme review acts as an essential quality assurance mechanism for monitoring programme performance and improving teaching and learning at the University. The reviews are undertaken on a regular circle as determined by Academic Board. Each programme review is conducted by a panel of CUHK(SZ) academics with relevant disciplines and pedagogical expertise.

  • Peer Review of Teaching:

The peer teaching review exercise is vital for upholding the University's commitment to teaching excellence and supporting faculty members in their professional development. The University adopts two kinds of formative teaching review: School-based formative teaching review and University-level Teaching Quality Inspection (TQI). Both approaches are carried out every semester to provide constructive feedback on teaching for professional development and ensure consistent teaching quality across disciplines.

  • Course and Teaching Evaluation (CTE):

It is conducted online anonymously as a mandatory exercise each semester for each standard course in every taught programme offered at the University. This course level evaluation aims to improve both teaching methods and curriculum design, while also serving as a component in the appraisal of academic staff.

  • Early Teaching Feedback (ETF):

It was introduced in 2020 to capture student feedback on individual classes throughout the study term to complement the end-of-term CTE exercise. Students can give their comments and concerns on a particular course in the University Portal system, either anonymously or with their identity. It enables teachers to respond promptly to student feedback and to improve the quality of teaching more efficiently.

 

March, 2026