Dr Stephen D Tommis MA, D Phil, PGCE
Honorary Advisor
Most of Dr Tommis’ 40-year career has been in the education sector. He trained at the London Institute of Education as a secondary school teacher in 1979 to teach Geography and Economics.
His first teaching post was at Mill Hill School in NW London. From there he moved to Sherborne School in Dorset where he stayed for 16 years. He was rapidly promoted to Head of Department and Under Master. In 1996 he was appointed as Deputy Head at The King’s School, Gloucester and in 1999 he moved to Abbotsholme School, Staffordshire as Headmaster where he turned persistent losses into surpluses within three years and with pupil numbers amongst the highest in the school’s history.
In 2003 he moved sectors to lead a UK charity specialising in gifted children. From there, he was invited by the Hong Kong government to advise them on their gifted education policy and, with seed capital of $200m, he was tasked with setting up the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) between 2008-2014. Within 5 years HKAGE had provided out-of-school courses for 45,000 students, supported 30,000 parents and had retrained, through CPD, 25,000 teachers in Hong Kong and parts of Asia. Whilst in post, he was invited to Mainland China and most countries in SE Asia to advise on similar programmes.
On his return to the UK he was made CEO of Montessori St Nicholas, the leading organisation in the UK for promoting Montessori nursery education. He left in 2018 after four years to take up his present position as CEO of Thames Premier Service Ltd, an educational service company with franchised schools in Mainland China.
He is a graduate of the University of Dundee (MA First Class Honours), Jesus College, Oxford (DPhil) and the London Institute of Education (PGCE).
Professor Kuen Fung Kenneth SIN, MH
Honorary Advisor
Professor Sin is currently a Professor for the Department of Special Education and Counselling as well as a Director of the Centre for Special Education Needs and Inclusive Education. He received the Medal of Honour from The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2021.
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His expertise and research lie in the area of supporting students with special educational needs and professional development in inclusion. He has great consultancy experience in many local research projects as well as the training work for teachers in Mainland China and Macau.
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Professor Sin also successfully got a number of research projects and commissioned programs in the areas of special needs and inclusion. He once led a project valued 51 million Hong Kong Dollars for three years funded by the Education Bureau. It aims at advancing the inclusion by organising a wide range of professional development programs at different levels for Hong Kong teachers.
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He was invited to be the school council members of some special schools, members in some task groups for giftedness, inclusion, special needs and child welfare in Education Bureau, Curriculum Development Institute, Hong Kong Examination Assessment and Authority and Social Welfare Department. He is also appointed as the executive members, committee members or chairs in many NGOs for serving kids with special educational needs.
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Professor Sin is now the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Special Education Society.
Chairman's Message
The goal of education is to teach students according to their learning needs, facilitate and develop their talents.
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At Inspire Education Association (IEA), our goal is to inspire the future of students by providing them diversified learning experiences. We hope to realise the potential of all students, including those with special education needs, and to create an equal platform where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.
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Through our activities and projects, we encourage students to utilise divergent thinking and to stay naturally curious when exploring the world. I am very hopeful to see students create and achieve their dreams, inspiring the next generation to do the very same.
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IEA cares for the overall well-being and holistic development of our students, supporting them to cope with the challenges of our fast-changing and complex world.
Last but not least, we strive together to be responsible, sensitive and interactive with our community, and I am sure that the efforts we are making today will yield exponential benefits to the students in the future.
Our Board of Directors
IEA is managed by a Board of Directors, including experienced educators, legal experts, financial professionals, and corporation executives.
Iris LI
Chairman
Area(s) of experience and expertise: Gifted Education, Social Services, and Non-profit Leadership
Why IEA: As a parent and educator, I understand that each student has his or her own strength and learning needs. I sincerely believe that IEA empowers all students to reach their potential, gives them the opportunity to experience the world, and allows students to truly enjoy their learning journey. By collaborating with both local and overseas universities, non-government organisations, and professional organisations, we hope our students will acquire a global mindset and the ability to flourish in a world where cultural awareness and cultural competence are essential.
Elvis CHU
Director
Area(s) of experience and expertise: Communication, Marketing and Social Services
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Why IEA: As a communication and marketing executive working in local and international commercial firms for over 15 years, , I have consistently emphasized on the market needs and customization per the target requirements. We feel that the same theory and attitude is to be apply towards students of the next generation, providing the opportunities to satisfy their curiosity of the world through our programmes. At IEA, we also value the feedback given to us by students, parents, and our board of advisors, which allows us to create personalised education plans. People are at the heart of an effective learning ecosystem, and I aim to build a community filled with people invested in the welfare and vitality of our students.
WHO WE ARE
Our Advisory Team
Our Management Team also consists of a number of Advisors who possess ample teaching, management experiences, education exposure, both locally and internationally.
Our Volunteers & Partners
Our group of volunteers and partners are enthusiastic and experienced in the education sector, in sync with the IEA's core values. IEA endeavors to create an ambiance where students have equal opportunity to learn, experience and unleash their potentials.
Dr. Milk W.K. Wong, FACKM, Eng.D.
ESG Advisor
Dr. Milk WK Wong is currently the Chief Environmental Consultant for Win Engineering Consultant Limited as well as the Environmental Consultant and member of the Environmental Advisory Committee for both Asia Women’s League Limited and Neighborhood Advice-Action Council.
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He has more than 25 years of engineering experience and has served as the engineering consultant for many domestic projects in China and Hong Kong, such as: China Liquefied Natural Gas receiving stations; Gaotang Hydropower Station in Huaiji County, China; Solar Power Plant (1.1MW) in Shanghai Shui On Plaza, Macau Lisboa Hotel Fortuna, and Siu Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works; Xi'an World Horticultural Exposition "Hong Kong Garden" in 2011; and Ecological Garden of the Education University of Hong Kong, etc.
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In addition, he has also participated in more than 300 engineering projects and provided ESG advice for various educational institutions, non-profit organizations, public and private organizations over the past 15 years.
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Dr. Wong believes that it is necessary to focus on the sustainable development when planning for the environment, economy, and society. He was being invited to lecture on environmental protection topics in vast number of organizations on low-carbon life and renewable energy. He is dedicated to implement the concept of sustainable development to the public, provides energy/carbon audit services for organizations, and delve into possible corporate solutions to achieve the goal.
Mr. Chan Kwok Keung, Paul
Project Consultant
Mr. Paul Chan is an environmental innovation consultant and a renowned expert in the field of corporate learning. He graduated from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park Incubation Programme and was one of the designers of Zero Carbon Zone in Hong Kong. He has taught at various institutions, such as China Business School of The University of Hong Kong, Polytechnic University, Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Education University of Hong Kong. Mr. Chan is committed to sharing his experience and new technology research with innovative cultivation companies and spreading the concept of creative thinking management. His research focuses on corporate innovation and financial technology. He has participated in and guided numerous global enterprises in their innovation practices.
In 2011, Mr. Chan led his team to win the Hong Kong ICT Awards, showcasing his boundless creativity and extensive experience. He also received the “Green Building Award” in 2012, the “FutureArc Leadership Award” and the “Most Successful Design Award” in 2013. In recognition of his architectural and interior projects, he was awarded the Platinum rating by the Hong Kong Green Building Council in 2012 and 2015.
Inspire Education Association (IEA) is a non-profit organization and has a Hong Kong IRD S88 charitable status.
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IEA provides supports to students from kindergarten to tertiary institutions with diversified educational needs. We are also a Concern Group with special focus on Special Educational Needs.
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IEA comprises individuals from both commercial and NGO backgrounds, brought together by their experiences and striving towards the same goal.
About Our Team
Professor Ji Kang CHEN, Ph.D.
Honorary Advisor
Professor Chen was born and raised in Taiwan. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His primary research interests include cross-national comparative research on violence and bullying in school and cyberspace, adolescents’ mental health, and children’s well-being. Specifically, his research aims to contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge of school violence and cyberbully in Chinese societies (i.e., Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China) and other countries to help design effective intervention strategies and policies to alleviate school violence and bullying. He has collaborated for many years with scholars from different countries on school violence and bullying research projects. As one of the pioneering researchers in this research area in Chinese societies, he has used various methods, such as random sampling, longitudinal designs, and multi-informant approaches, as well as various data analyses, such as structural equation modeling (SEM), Rasch analysis, latent class analysis (LCA), and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), to examine various factors associated with different forms of school violence (e.g., peer bullying, student maltreatment by teachers, and student violence against teachers) and cyberbullying. He has received many competitive research grants from various sources to study school violence and bullying, and his work has been published in reputational academic journals across diverse disciplines. He has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of School Violence since 2012.
In addition, he has been invited by non-governmental organizations, legislators, and governments to consult on strategies and policies concerning anti-violence measures in schools in Chinese societies. His outstanding teaching performance in research methods and advanced statistics merited an Exemplary Teaching Award from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016 and The Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Southern California in 2006.
David Tai Wai LAM, JP, B.A., Dip.CL, AHKIArb.
Honorary Advisor
David T.W. Lam is a Consultant Solicitor with a reputable law firm in Hong Kong. In his undergraduate studies in Canada, Mr. Lam studied sociology and psychology. He then studied law and became a solicitor in Hong Kong. Mr. Lam also has legal qualifications in England and Wales, and Singapore.
Mr. Lam gained judicial experience as a Deputy Adjudicator in the Labour Tribunal and the Small Claims Tribunal in Hong Kong.
Owing to his previous government appointments and other work serving the community, Mr. Lam was awarded Justice of the Peace in the year 2009 for “outstanding contribution to the community” as described by the then Chief Secretary for Administration.
Mr. Lam (under the pen name 祖 臣 ) is the main author of two books translated as “Careless Driving” and “Small Claims and Litigation” and the co-author of a book translated as “Dismissal of Employment”. The law series is available in the public libraries in Hong Kong.
Mr. Lam spends effort on studying the topics of school bullying, cyberbullying and Special Educational Needs. He finds ways to combat the problem of bullying relating to students. Mr. Lam writes about these topics. His articles can be found in websites belonging to the City University of Hong Kong, Positive Behaviour Support Academy Asia, and ICan-B Asia.
Mr. Lam is a major collaborator in a cyberbullying project called Cyber-Joy Enjoy Lab set up by the City University of Hong Kong. As a result of his involvement in the project, Mr. Lam was given the Distinguished Community Service Award by the Law Society of Hong Kong in 2022.