Professor Amy Ha Sau-ching joined EdUHK’s Department of Health and Physical Education in June 2025 as Head of Department and Chair Professor of Physical Education and Sports Science. She had previously spent 35 years at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she served as Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Education and Professor and Head of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education. She was later named Emeritus Chair Professor in recognition of her significant contributions.

Professor Ha’s affinity for sport began with childhood runs on the playground. Her experiences as a member of the school athletics team and the Hong Kong Division A women's basketball team fostered her confidence, discipline, and perseverance. From further studies in Taiwan and the United States, she emerged as an accomplished athlete and a sports science scholar with an international outlook. On returning to Hong Kong, she dedicated her time volunteering as coach of the Hong Kong wheelchair athletics team, exemplifying inclusivity in sports whilst enriching her educational and research endeavours with profound humanistic values.

Insights: lack of physical literacy stems from missing foundations

Years of teaching and research have afforded Professor Ha valuable insights into the fundamental challenges facing sports education in Hong Kong. Many children lose interest and confidence in physical activity, and some even develop resistance, due to inadequate guidance and opportunities during their formative years. She identifies the root cause as insufficient development of fundamental sports skills. True ‘physical literacy’, transcends mere competitive ability, she stresses, is not only about competitive ability but also about understanding sport, developing habits of sustained participation, and mastering basic movement skills. Without a robust foundation, children struggle to enjoy sport, let alone embrace a long-term healthy lifestyle.

Support: science-based programmes targeting young children and families

To tackle the issue at its root, Professor Ha spearheaded a research project funded by the Research Impact Fund of the University Grants Committee between 2022 and 2025, focusing on fundamental movement skills in early childhood. Her team trained kindergarten teachers and parents to implement scientifically designed games, such as tossing lightweight scarves or practising throws with sponge balls, to systematically enhance pre-schoolers’ basic motor skills. She paid particular attention to the constraints of limited living space in Hong Kong, developing parent-child exercise programmes suitable for indoor settings. Results indicated significant improvements in the motor skills of participating children and marked enhancements in concentration, with the most notable progress observed among K2 and older pupils, thereby affirming the effectiveness of early scientific intervention.

Practice: promoting rope skipping with lasting impact

Professor Ha’s efforts extend beyond the confines of the classroom. As early as 1995, she co-founded the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association with Dr Daniel Chan Wan-ka and colleagues, launching the ‘Fun Skipping for All’ programme to popularise the activity in schools across Hong Kong. This initiative enabled students to meet the World Health Organisation’s recommended levels of physical activity, as well as elevating Hong Kong’s rope skipping to the international stage, where it was even a demonstration sport at the 2024 Olympics. This success story illustrates how promoting fundamental physical activities can concurrently advance public health and support the development of elite sport.

 

Values: beyond skills – sport as a lifelong gift for children

Professor Ha underscores that the value of sport transcends mere development of physical skills. She recalls a moving experience. “I once asked the parent of a baseball player why their child kept attending training despite often being on the bench,” she explains. “The parent replied, ‘Because I see his happiness in being in the team.’” For Professor Ha sport imparts to children the virtues of teamwork, resilience in the face of adversity, perseverance, goal-setting and the pursuit of excellence. These are gifts that last a lifetime. This encapsulates the essence of sports culture: nurturing character and fostering a positive outlook on life.

Research: integrating disciplines and applying technology

Looking to the future, Professor Ha is planning an interdisciplinary research project that melds sports, medicine and engineering. She aims to collaborate with specialists to develop an application that tracks and records both the quality and quantity of physical activity, using scientific data to illustrate the genuine value of exercise to parents and society. “Proper exercise enhances cerebral oxygenation and improves learning efficiency. Sport is not merely about ‘burning energy’ – it’s an investment in cognitive function and overall health.” Through research, she seeks to reinstate sport’s rightful position in education, promote public well-being, and help Hong Kong become a vibrant sporting city.

Talent development: EdUHK programmes keep pace with the times and empower the development of sport

Cultivating talent is pivotal to societal advancement. The Department of Health and Physical Education at EdUHK offers a comprehensive curriculum spanning bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes, and is dedicated to nurturing professional physical education teachers, coaches, and health specialists. Courses incorporate sustainability concepts and emphasise community service, encouraging students to apply their knowledge to serve people of all ages, thereby promoting participation in sports.

Since 2010, EdUHK has admitted elite athletes, providing pathways for academic advancement and career transition. In future, the department will further explore strategies to assist athletes in planning ‘people-centred’ career paths. EdUHK graduates possess solid professional competence, and hold key roles in education and other fields, actively promoting the integrated development of community and elite sports. Many have been recognised with the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

Global Outlook: fostering East-West exchange and contributing to global sports development

To maintain an international perspective, the department actively pursues collaborations at local, Chinese Mainland and global levels. In October 2025, Professor Ha led a delegation to Peking University to participate in the ‘Smart Sports Future’ academic exchange among institutions from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao, delivering a keynote address at a high-level forum on the humanistic spirit of sport in the era of artificial intelligence.

Later this year, the department will host a major international conference on health and sports science, gathering esteemed experts from around the world to share research findings and explore future directions in sports education, health education, exercise science and talent development. By facilitating East-West integration, the department aims to contribute to the advancement of global sport.