The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) held the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Principals’ Forum” on EdUHK's Tai Po campus today (3 December), with the theme of “Cultivating Principal Leadership in the Context of a Leading Country in Education”. The forum explored how to develop the leadership skills of principals to build a leading country in education. Co-organised by the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau and the Education Bureau of Hong Kong, with EdUHK as host, around 260 principals from kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and special schools in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macao, and other Greater Bay Area cities participated, fostering exchange and collaboration to jointly advance educational development.
The guests at the forum included Dr Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Mr Guan Su, Counsellor of Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, Mr Liu Maozhou, the First-level Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in the HKSAR, Ms Choi Man Chi, Head of the Department of Non-Higher Education of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, and Professor Liu Genping, Research Professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology.
The opening ceremony of the forum was addressed by Dr Choi Yuk-lin and Mr Guan Su. In her welcoming remarks, Dr Choi said the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) had consistently prioritised the professional development of school principals. Since 2002, the EDB has implemented a continuous professional development policy for principals, encouraging them to complete 150 hours of professional development every three years through systematic learning, practical learning, and service to the education community and society. The EDB will continue to provide high-quality training for principals in the future, and work together with them on aspects such as moral education, self-improvement, and taking responsibility.
Mr Guan Su praised the ongoing Shenzhen-Hong Kong Principals' Forum, which has been held for 13 consecutive years to achieve regular, in-depth, and multi-faceted exchanges among Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao. The forum is regarded as the regional dialogue in the education sector of the three places, significantly fostering integration, communication, and exchange in learning, and has received significant recognition from the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the Ministry of Education, LOCPG in the HKSAR and the Department of Education of Guangdong Province. The forum featured speakers sharing experiences and advanced concepts from various dimensions, including reforming schools, principal perspectives, and principal management, contributing to the joint effort of building a high-quality education hub.
EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, and Professor Liu Genping, Research Professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology were the keynote speakers at the forum. In his keynote speech entitled “Building a Leading Country in Education: Principals as Leaders and Drivers of Education Reform”, Professor Lee pointed out that the globe was facing unprecedented changes. As highlighted in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, education must be closely integrated with technology and talent to achieve high-quality development. As the leader of a school, the principal should possess vision and capability to set long-term development goals and foster the comprehensive development of students. At the same time, they should cultivate an innovative culture, encourage teachers to think about innovative teaching methods, and support students in developing innovative thinking. As an advocate of education reform, the principal must encourage curriculum diversification and internationalisation, and lead and pioneer new teaching methods.
For his part, Professor Liu talked about “Understanding the 'Capability Trap': Enhancing School Leadership in Action and Thought” in his keynote speech. He said that cultivating school leadership among principals should emphasise “practical wisdom” alongside “theoretical wisdom”.
Since 2011, the Education Bureau of Hong Kong and Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau have jointly organised the “Shenzhen-Hong Kong Principals’ Forum”, to promote educational exchanges and collaboration between the two places. Principals from Macao began participating in the forum in 2013, promoting professional development for primary and secondary school principals and enhancing educational quality across the three regions through interaction among principals from Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao.
