The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) announced on 19^th September the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Training of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Department of Training) to promote educational exchange in arts and culture between Vietnam and the Academy.

The Academy is honoured to welcome a delegation of 22 people, led by H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Dam, Consul-General of Vietnam in Hong Kong, and Associate Professor Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Director General of the Department of Training of Vietnam.

The MOU was signed by Associate Professor Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Director General of the Department of Training of Vietnam, and Professor Gillian Choa, Director of HKAPA. Witnessing the signing of the MOU were Professor Douglas So, Acting Council Chairman of HKAPA, and H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Dam, Consul-General of Vietnam in Hong Kong.

The MOU outlines the principles and scope of collaboration, aiming to enhance professional knowledge and skills in the performing arts sector in Vietnam. Under the MOU, selected Vietnamese students will participate in education and training programmes organised by HKAPA. Cooperation and cultural exchange activities between HKAPA and the training institutions under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam will be encouraged.

Professor Douglas So, Acting Council Chairman of HKAPA, welcomes the collaboration, stating, “The signing of the MOU today signifies our commitment to fostering closer ties between the Academy and Vietnam in the field of performing arts education. Through this collaboration, we envision a wide range of arts and cultural activities that will strengthen our artistic communities. By joining hands with the Department of Training of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, we look forward to creating meaningful opportunities for artistic exchanges, talent development, and collaborative projects in Asian performing arts.”
 

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu) 
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), established by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance in 1984, is a leading tertiary institution in the performing arts in Asia. It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning.  

Since 2008, the Academy has attained the Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status awarded by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to self-monitor and accredit its own undergraduate and post-secondary programmes in the five programme areas of Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Since 2016, the PAA status has been extended to cover Master’s Degree programmes and below; and since 2023, the programmes operated by the School of Chinese Opera accredited by HKCAAVQ has also received PAA status for its post-secondary and undergraduate programmes.  

Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the site of the Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, has housed training facilities for the School of Film and Television since 2006.  

In the QS University Rankings announced in 2023, the Academy ranks 1st in Asia and 13th in the world in the Performing Arts category.