Teaching
Scholarly Work
Service
Young Researcher /
Early Career Researcher
Research Supervision

Prof. Chiu Sung Nok
Department of Mathematics
Professor Chiu Sung Nok has earned the deep respect and high esteem of his students and colleagues alike for his wholehearted dedication to teaching. Joining the University in 1995, Professor Chiu stands out as a devoted, passionate and inspirational teacher with a distinctive and effective approach to classroom work. With a wealth of experience and wisdom, he is also untiring in his contributions outside the classroom as well as within.

Professor Chiu is heavily involved in the teaching of statistics, courses which are highly regarded by students, as reflected in their appreciative feedback. In his approach to teaching, Professor Chiu emphasises not just the results of learning but also the process leading to those results. For example, he encourages students to understand the principles behind the formulae by asking them to invent their own formulae then to see if those formulae work. He also stresses to students the importance of applying class knowledge in their daily lives. Real life examples are incorporated in his courses, enhancing students’ interest in and understanding of the lecture contents.

Professor Chiu’s students have responded positively, commenting that his teaching pedagogies help them understand highly complex theories of statistics quite easily. Furthermore, instead of standard lecture notes, Professor Chiu makes good use of “weekly reviews”, summarising the content covered during the week and allowing students to have a clear idea of the progress made in the classes. He is often described as a pleasant and highly effective teacher who is always able to inspire students by his unique approach. One of his students commented that “his class is more than a medium of transferring knowledge; it is a kind of enjoyment”. Professor Chiu’s teaching evaluation results rank him top among his colleagues.

Moreover, Professor Chiu has contributed a great deal in developing new courses. He is proactively involved in the course development for the four-year curriculum. He incorporates his teaching approach and philosophy in the new courses, encouraging students to interact and use real life examples in their studies. His attitude and efforts are highly appreciated by his seniors as it is always a challenge to design courses that are suitable for students with diversified backgrounds.

Professor Chiu is also deeply committed to service contributions which include providing personal guidance to lecturer staff in the Department. He is always willing to share his teaching experience and practices with them. Furthermore, he makes effective use of his connections with the Census and Statistics Department to enable students to apply their knowledge in the workplace by joining summer internship programmes.

Overall, Professor Chiu is an all-round scholar who is keen to achieve perfection in every aspect of students’ learning experience. With his demonstrated excellence, the Selection Committee has no hesitation in recommending Professor Chiu for the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Teaching.