Undergraduate students at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will have to watch up to 10 hours of video clips online and complete a multiple-choice test, during which they can consult their course materials, to pass an upcoming compulsory course on the Beijing-imposed security law.
From September, all HKU undergraduates will have to pass a non-credit bearing course – titled Introduction to the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law – to graduate.
According to an email sent to HKU students on Friday and seen by HKFP, students have been asked to view less than 10 hours of video clips and complete an open book assessment that lasts under an hour and consists of multiple-choice questions. Repeated attempts are also allowed.
“You can flexibly plan for the completion of this course throughout the entire period of your study,” the email added. There are “optional supplementary video clips and reading materials” for students to watch and read according to their own schedule.
In the email, HKU registrar Jennie Tsang she was writing the email after receiving enquiries about the workload of the new compulsory course.
All eight universities in Hong Kong funded by the University Grants Committee have launched, or announced that they would introduce, national security courses.
The Education Bureau said the universities should instil “a strong sense of civic duty” in graduates, according to a report submitted to the legislature in January.
“The education on the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law should also form part and parcel of students’ university studies to nurture them as law-abiding responsible citizens,” the education authority said.
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