The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted the joint conference ‘Education Futures: Talent Development and Innovation for a Dynamic World’ at its Tai Po Campus, bringing together scholars, industry leaders and professionals from Hong Kong and overseas. The event also marked the 10th anniversary of the University’s retitling and featured distinguished guests sharing insights on global education trends, artificial intelligence (AI), national security and talent development strategies. A cheque donation ceremony was held to express gratitude to businessman Mr Gu Ying for his generous HK$5 million donation, supporting the University’s initiatives in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and New Quality Productive Forces.
Keynote speeches were delivered by Mr Felix Chan Hoi-king, Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE); Ms Agnes Chan Sui-kuen, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK and Director of the co-organising academies — the Academy for Applied Policy Studies and Education Futures (AAPSEF) and the Academy for Education Development and Innovation (AEDI); and Mr Ian Choy Jing-man, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management. The conference featured six parallel sessions on AI, ESG, Innovation and New Pathways, Leadership Skills and Positive Values, National Security Law, and Strategic Management. Notably, the National Security Law session welcomed Dr Elsie Leung Oi-sie, former Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government. Across the sessions, experts from education, policy, business and society engaged in in-depth discussions on the structural challenges facing the world today and the role of education in addressing them.
In his opening remarks as the Guest of Honour, Mr Felix Chan highlighted Hong Kong’s rise to fourth place globally and first in Asia in the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025, which fully demonstrates the city’s academic strength and its strong appeal to global talent. He emphasised that HKTE is committed to promoting Hong Kong in different global markets, and will continue to provide diverse support services for incoming talent to facilitate their settlement for long-term development in Hong Kong. Professor John Lee noted that the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan identified education modernisation, AI and talent development as key priorities, reflecting the critical importance of advancing education and nurturing talent. He emphasised that, under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework, EdUHK has leveraged Hong Kong’s role as a vital bridge between the Chinese Mainland and the wider world.
Professor Lee’s keynote address stressed the importance of interdisciplinary education in tackling complex societal challenges such as human well‑being, social inequality and sustainable development. He explained that AAPSEF and AEDI, established in 2023, operate with an entrepreneurial mindset guided by the principles of ‘Innovation, Integration and Impact’. He announced plans to launch around 20 interdisciplinary master’s programmes and highlighted new initiatives, including the National Security and Legal Education Research Centre and a strategic partnership with China Foreign Affairs University and other institutes. “In the face of global technological transformation,” he said, “EdUHK is not merely reacting. We hope to lead with purpose.”
Ms Agnes Chan structured her keynote speech around three strategic themes: the relationship between AI and human capital, the role of women in the technology sector, and the long‑term importance of investment in education. She emphasised that AI was fundamentally reshaping the workplace, and future education must integrate ‘cultivated intelligence’ with ‘calculated intelligence’ to nurture a new generation of talent with both humanistic values and technological thinking. On women in the workforce, she urged educators to eliminate gender stereotypes through curriculum design, teacher development and campus culture, enabling women to become architects of the future economy.
The National Security Law session featured distinguished panellists including Dr Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Hong Kong’s first Secretary for Justice; Professor Albert Chen Hung-yee from the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong; Professor Lin Feng, Dean (School of Law) of City University of Hong Kong; and Professor Jiang Zhaoxin from the Institute of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies of Sun Yat-sen University. The experts emphasised that national security education must extend beyond legal provisions to encompass Chinese history, constitutional development and international perspectives, fostering a comprehensive understanding among students.
The ESG session examined collaborative governance in addressing ESG challenges, analysed the dual drivers of policy and capital markets in building a sustainable economy, and discussed Hong Kong’s positioning as a global green technology hub.
In the Strategic Management and Organisational Effectiveness session, experts shared insights on the shift in corporate talent strategies from ‘building’ to ‘buying’ in the AI era, talent development during organisational change, and pathways for cultivating interdisciplinary leadership. In addition, the AI session explored human‑centred AI, intelligence augmentation, AI literacy frameworks and the application of GenAI in education; the Innovation and New Pathways session focused on the challenges and transformation of creative media education in the AI era; and the Leadership Skills and Positive Values session discussed authentic leadership, youth empowerment and cross‑sector collaboration.
In his closing remarks, Mr Ian Choy noted that recruitment assessments were increasingly focusing on “How do you adapt?” rather than “What did you learn?”, citing World Economic Forum publications. He urged educators to equip students with the ability to “learn, unlearn and relearn.” He congratulated EdUHK on its outstanding QS ranking and expressed confidence that the University will continue to nurture future-ready leaders for Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the Nation.
The conference concluded on a warm and engaged note, with participants affirming that EdUHK, guided by the principles of Innovation, Integration and Impact, is shaping the future of education and contributing Hong Kong’s wisdom to global talent development.