Congratulations to Dr. David Birks for being named one of three recipients of the University’s Teaching Excellence Awards 2025!

David is the first person from the Faculty of Social Sciences to win this award since 2018, and only six other members of FoSS have been presented with an equivalent or more prestigious teaching award since they were launched in 2008. The previous member of PPA to win such an award was in 2015.

The awardees were selected by a rigorous panel composed of HKU scholars, student representatives, and external assessors. As an HKU tradition, this annual award recognises scholars for their unwavering commitment to teaching and the significant, positive impact they have on student learning.

One his former students, SHI Yiran (LLB 2023) wrote the following for the ceremony:
“Dr Birks’ teaching is simply phenomenal. He approaches his philosophy lectures with a ceremonial sense, crafting every detail to perfection. From candy allocation to poster drawing, from sticky-note answers to ‘hands up, eyes closed’ votes, every thoughtful class activity he designs brings charm and joy to the learning experience and makes obscure philosophical concepts lively and clear.
Dr Birks is a rigorous scholar. He sets the bar high yet makes every effort to help his students reach it. He treats his students like intellectual equals. He listens carefully and never judges. He takes all contributions from students seriously, no matter how tentative or unconventional they might appear. Under Dr Birks’ guidance, across lectures, office hours, and email correspondence, I learn the true dispositions of philosophy: curiosity, courage, and perseverance in deciphering life’s fundamental perplexities with an open and critical mind.”

In a recent video, Dr. Birks shared the philosophy behind his engaging teaching style.
Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YZN2Ea4QXU
Click HERE to learn more about the award.