Professor Yue Chen, Director of Scholarship, School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Over the course of my career, I have led multiple scholarship projects, ranging from module-level to programme-level, and broader disciplinary portfolio-level initiatives. These projects covered a diverse range of focus areas, including curriculum design, quality enhancement, pedagogy exploration, student-staff collaboration and best practice inquiries. Soon after joining Queen Mary as an academic member of staff, I had the privilege of being involved in the first Queen Mary work grouping tasked to establish our first transnational education (TNE) programme in China. It was a very challenging project as there was no precedents to follow. Curriculum, delivery model, academic regulations, facilities and financial logistics, everything needed to be designed and implemented from the ground up while taking into account the differences between the UK and Chinese education systems. For example, the well-adopted UK-Chinese mark scale conversion which is currently used by many UK-China TNE programmes/institutions across the UK, was originally developed from this project. This now ‘taken for granted’ tool was carefully designed and had gone through extensive scrutiny in the initial proposal. The scholarship projects that I enjoyed most were those involving students and staff. Hearing their point of views, creating an active feedback loop and working together with them to nurture a culture of excellence in teaching and learning is tremendously rewarding. For example, we have invited students to our NSS and PTES review meetings, the interactions with students always gave us some different perspectives than what was drawn directly from the numerical satisfaction results. The resulting actions derived from these discussions became more purposeful and yielded positive impacts. When formulating governance structures, quality enhancement initiatives and education committees, I involved and consulted with staff members even when there were conflicting views and suggestions. Empowering individuals has proven to be remarkably effective. This approach not only boosted team morale but more importantly, fostered an open, inclusive and friendly working environment.
The scholarship projects provided me with opportunities to reflect upon my own practices, learn from others, share experiences with the national and international education communities, and interact with different stakeholders. They have challenged me to shape my professional values and develop my academic leadership capabilities. It is hard to credit any single project which had played a key role in my career development as they all contributed in their own way. Identifying the right, timely, and relevant scholarship questions in context before diving into actions is crucial to make a meaningful impact.
To me, the biggest impact of engaging with these scholarship projects is that it has made me a better people person. As all scholarship projects deal with people as learners, educators, fellow researchers, scholars and professionals. Technologies and other compounding factors have an impact on how teaching and learning are facilitated. But fundamentally, education is about people’s development and learning is a lifelong process. I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to conduct these scholarship projects and contribute to the advancement of education.
Engaging in scholarship is vital for personal and professional growth. It enables you to generate new knowledge, insights and perspectives, and contribute to the advancement of your disciplinary field. Active engagement in scholarly activities builds networks and collaborations around you which in turn supports your career development. By aligning your scholarship projects with your personal and professional goals, as well as institutional priorities, you can enhance the impact and the quality of your scholarly contribution. Embracing scholarship in your academic journey leads to continuous learning, expanded horizons and a more productive and fulfilling career.
Find out more about Professor Chen's role as Director of Scholarship and why she feels passionate about it.