Announcements

Offical Announcements and Statements:

 

1. Copyright and Open Access Policy

Open Access Statement

This is a fully Open Access academic journal, meaning all articles are made freely and permanently available to everyone worldwide upon publication. Users are free to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose.

Copyright Ownership

In accordance with the publication policy of this journal, once a manuscript is accepted and formally published, the copyright of the article shall be jointly owned by the author(s), HEPM (Higher Education Publishing Management), and the Hong Kong Institute of Higher Education Research. The journal's overall layout design, compilation rights, and all other related rights are owned by HEPM (Higher Education Publishing Management) and the Hong Kong Institute of Higher Education Research.

Licensing

All articles published in this journal are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows any third party to:

• Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
• Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
• For any purpose, including commercially, as long as proper attribution is given to the original authors and the source.

Author's Rights Notwithstanding the joint copyright, the journal ensures that authors retain a range of rights, including but not limited to:

• The right to attribution and the right to protect the integrity of their work (moral rights).
• The right to reuse their article's content in subsequent works, such as in teaching, academic presentations, or their own books.
• The right to deposit the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version of their article in their personal or institutional repository.
• The right to share copies of their article with colleagues.

 

2. Privacy Policy

This journal is committed to protecting the privacy and data security of its users, including visitors, authors, reviewers, and editors. We strictly adhere to major global data protection regulations, including the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Personal Information Protection Law of the P.R. China, and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) of Hong Kong.

• Data Collection and Use: Personal information (such as name, email address, affiliation, academic background) submitted to this journal's website will be used

exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal. These purposes include manuscript processing, peer review, editorial communication, article publication, notifications, and subscription services. We will not use your information for any other purpose or make it available to any unauthorized third party.

• Data Security: We employ industry-standard security measures, such as encryption and access controls, to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, or alteration.
• Data Retention: We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the publishing purposes described above or as required by applicable laws.
• Cookie Policy: This website may use cookies to enhance user experience and for site analytics. You may choose to accept or decline cookies through your browser settings.
• User Rights: You have the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of your personal information at any time. To exercise these rights, please contact us via our official channels, and we will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

 

3. Publication Ethics Statement

This journal strictly adheres to the core practices and guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of academic misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, redundant publication, inappropriate authorship, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.

• Duties of Authors: Authors must ensure the originality of their work, the accuracy of their data, proper citation, appropriate authorship, and must disclose any potential conflicts of interest. For research involving human or animal subjects, ethics committee approval must have been obtained. In cases of misconduct, the journal will take serious measures, including rejection, retraction, and notification to the author's institution.
• Duties of Reviewers: Reviewers must conduct their work objectively, impartially, and confidentially, based on the academic merit of the manuscript. They must not disclose manuscript information and should recuse themselves if a conflict of interest exists.
• Duties of Editors: Editors are ultimately responsible for publication decisions, based solely on the manuscript's academic merit. They must ensure the fairness and confidentiality of the review process and avoid any personal conflicts of interest.
• Reporting and Investigation: We encourage readers to report any ethical concerns. All allegations will be treated confidentially and investigated thoroughly, with outcomes communicated as appropriate.

 

4. Legal Disclaimer

This disclaimer governs your use of our academic journal's website; by using our website, you accept this disclaimer in full.

• Views Expressed: The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Editorial Board, the editors, or the publisher (HIGHER EDUCATION PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT (HEPM)).
• No Warranties: The content of this journal is provided for academic and informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the quality of published work, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the absolute accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability for any particular purpose of the information contained herein.
• Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will the journal or its publisher be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss or damage arising out of, or in connection with, the use of or inability to use the information published in this journal.
• External Links: Our website may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only, and we do not endorse and are not responsible for the content, truthfulness, legality, or security of any external sites.
• Website Use: You must not use this website in any way that is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent, or harmful. We reserve the right to revise, suspend, or discontinue our website services at any time.
• Governing Law: This legal disclaimer shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong SAR of China).

 

Disclaimer

The reviews, opinions, and views expressed in this journal are solely those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the publisher or its agents. The publisher and its associated agents assume no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage to any person, institution, or property resulting from any part of the article or its cited materials. We solemnly declare that the publishing activities of this publisher and its agents do not constitute a warranty of this product's commercial performance, nor do they imply an endorsement that the content described in our publications is suitable for any particular purpose. If you have any questions, please contact us via email.

 

Partnership Announcement

To better support the dissemination, service, and management of this academic journal in Mainland China, the publisher and the journal's editorial office have authorized HIGHER EDUCATION PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT (SHAOGUAN) CO., LTD. to act as the official exclusive agent for our academic journal in Mainland China.

HIGHER EDUCATION PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT (SHAOGUAN) CO., LTD. is fully responsible for and represents the journal's editorial office in handling all affairs within Mainland China, including but not limited to:

Publication, distribution, and promotion of the journal in Mainland China;

Cooperation related to database indexing and retrieval;

Legal affairs, copyright management, and rights protection support;

Issuing invoices and handling financial settlements;

Other coordination and implementation tasks related to the journal's operations in Mainland China.