Chinese name: 鮑勃

Variants: Adamson, B., Adamson, R. B., Adamson, R. D.

Bob Adamson is Chair Professor of Curriculum Reform and Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning Research and Development. Formerly, he was UNESCO Chairholder in TVET and Lifelong Learning, Director of the UNEVOC Centre (Hong Kong), Foundation Head of the Department of International Education and Lifelong Learning, Head of Graduate Programmes Office and Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies. He has also served as the President of the Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong, and as Director of the Comparative Education Research Centre at the University of Hong Kong.

Bob started his teaching career as a language assistant in France (1980-81), before completing a PGCE at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1983. He then spent four years in mainland China teaching at Taiyuan Teachers College and Shanxi Mining College, while working part-time as a presenter for Shanxi TV. In 1988, he moved to Hong Kong, teaching at Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School, Sir Robert Black College of Education and the University of Hong Kong. He spent two years at Queensland University of Technology (2002-04) and Liverpool Hope University (2005-06), and joined Hong Kong Institute of Education (now the Education University of Hong Kong) in September 2006.

Bob publishes in the fields of language policy, curriculum studies, comparative education, teacher education, and higher education. His books include Trilingualism in education in China: models and challenges (with Anwei Feng, 2015), China’s English: a history of English in Chinese education (2004),  Curriculum, schooling and society in Hong Kong (with Paul Morris, 2010), Assessment reform in education (with Rita Berry, 2011), The reorientation of higher education: challenging the East-West dichotomy (with Jon Nixon and Feng Su, 2012), and Comparative education research: approaches and methods (with Mark Bray and Mark Mason, 2007, 2014)—a work translated into eight languages to date.

Bob has also written and co-written more than fifty textbooks for primary, secondary and tertiary students. One series, L’Europe Ensemble, was awarded the European Label for Innovative Initiatives in the Field of Language Learning by the European Union in 2006. Another textbook, A Course in English Language Teaching, was awarded First Prize in the Outstanding National Higher Education Textbook category by the Chinese Government in 2001, and the second edition was designated one of 15 Key National Textbooks for Higher Education by the Chinese Government in 2006. He was part of the curriculum development team that produced the Junior English for China and Senior English for China textbook series, which were used by approximately 400 million students.

He has served as External Examiner of more than 25 doctoral degrees at the University of Hong Kong; University of East Anglia; UCL Institute of Education; Griffith University; Deakin University; University of New South Wales; Monash University; Flinders University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Chinese University of Hong Kong and elsewhere, and 3 Ed.Ds at the University of Western Sydney, University of New England and Open University of Hong Kong.

Bob has worked with the People's Education Press in the Ministry of Education, China, as a consultant since 1989. He is an Honorary Professor in seven universities in China. In 2013, he was awarded the title of "Kunlun Expert" (昆仑学者) by the Qinghai Provincial Government in the People’s Republic of China in recognition of more than 30 years' work in Chinese education, particularly in minority education.  

ORCID : 0000-0001-6747-0195

Scopus ID: 7006173287