Since the mid-1990s, GE (previously the Department of Liberal Studies) has offered a wide range of non-credit courses to enhance students' training in several key educational principles: independent thinking and judgement, appreciation of diverse cultures and arts, emphasis on moral values to achieve the goal of whole-person education. Today, the GE programmes include organic gardening, arts and cultural courses, seminars, film salons, creative workshops and a “Human Library”, etc. Some of these lectures are also open to the public too.

The non-credit programmes are mainly targeted at students, and students are also the organisers of these programmes! Before the start of each semester, the GE team will recruit students to join the GEST (GE Student Team) and take part in the planning of events, from promotional design to on-site filming, and even take on the role of urban farmers to look after the rooftop farms and herb gardens across the campus. In the days before online registration, GE would set up an actual course registration counter for two to three days, attracting a long queue and all quotas were fully booked in the twinkling of an eye...

In the GE office today, there is now a new shared space for GEST called “Gatherland”. Students can meet up with friends and enjoy a literary moment during opening hours, or rent it in advance for an event.

Come and enjoy a relaxing moment or simply share your stories over coffee at Gatherland in the Pao Siu Loong Building!