Dr Cheng Tak Lai, Mic is Lecturer I in the Department of Education Policy and Leadership at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). His academic work bridges professional practice and higher education research, focusing on life and values education, experiential learning, reflective practices, and vocational education and training, with a sustained focus on how learners’ values and beliefs are transformed through educational experiences. At EdUHK, Dr. Cheng coordinates and teaches courses in values education, professional and vocational education, and philosophical and socio-cultural issues in education, and serves as the Field Experience Coordinator for the Bachelor of Education (Professional and Vocational Education) programme. Additionally, he has designed and led numerous experiential learning projects, including overseas study tours to Dubai, Mainland China, Mongolia, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Dr Cheng holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Lancaster University, a PgCert in Academic Practice from the University of Liverpool, and both a M.Ed. in Life and Spirituality Education and a PgDE in Professional and Vocational Education (with distinction) from EdUHK. He began his professional journey as a registered social worker, serving vulnerable youth through the Salvation Army, Hong Kong and Macau Territory. Prior to joining the Department in 2022, he taught and developed post-secondary programmes at the Vocational Training Council (VTC) for 8 years, contributing to certificate-to-degree pathways in community services and early childhood education in collaboration with UK universities. He also served at EdUHK’s Centre for Religious and Spirituality Education for 6 years, where he led educational initiatives and general education courses on life and values education. These extensive frontline experiences have profoundly influenced his academic focus and sustained commitment to the transformative potential of education.
Dr Cheng is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a Registered Teacher (RT), and a Registered Social Worker (RSW). His contributions to teaching have been recognised by the Faculty Teaching Award (FHED “Top 10%” Teaching Award 2023/24) and a Departmental Teaching Reward. In 2016, he received the Life Education Personal Excellence Award conferred by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation.
In the academic year 2025/26, he coordinates the following subjects: