EdUHK President Professor John Lee Chi-Kin welcomes the Financial Secretary’s announcement of the Budget on 25 February, which includes several measures to promote the popularisation of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of educational technology, as well as accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis. These initiatives align perfectly with the 15th National Five-Year Plan, which emphasises the integrated development of education, technology and talents, fostering deep integration of AI with various industries, while nurturing and attracting more specialised talents to Hong Kong.

To support the national implementation of the “Artificial Intelligence+” initiative, EdUHK has formulated policies to actively enhance AI literacy among students and staff through curriculum, training, system optimisation, and operational model improvements. The University has previously launched the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology and the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology, it will also introduce 50 taught postgraduate programmes to cultivate talents equipped with advanced technological knowledge, practical experience, and skills. Meanwhile, EdUHK will also establish a new global institute for new media, arts and education, focusing on educational practice and academic research related to new media technologies - such as social media and artificial intelligence, to meet the developmental needs of Hong Kong and the nation.

The Budget also proposes that tertiary institutions organise AI application learning courses, seminars, and competitions to enhance AI awareness among students, youth, and the public. Last July, EdUHK’s Department of Mathematics and Information Technology taught AI-assisted learning skills to 2,180 students from 39 primary and secondary schools across Hong Kong, setting a new world record for “Most Attended Single-session AI Literacy Learning Event.” In terms of teacher training, EdUHK has been a pioneer in higher education, providing programming and AI literacy education training to primary and secondary school teachers since 2016. In terms of programming education alone, nearly 250 primary schools, over 1,800 teachers, and 100,000 primary students have benefitted to date.

Professor Lee also welcomes the proposal in the Budget to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis, considering it vital for Hong Kong’s educational and research landscape. The Northern Metropolis is the core of the new “South Finance, North Innovation and Technology” framework and will become an international innovation and technology hub. EdUHK believes these measures will provide more opportunities for cross-sector collaboration in education – particularly in AI, educational technology, and new media research. The University will form complementary partnerships with innovation and technology enterprises in the Northern Metropolis to promote talent cultivation, research translation, and social application. Professor Lee stated that EdUHK would actively explore development opportunities in the Northern Metropolis, advancing Hong Kong as a regional and international hub for education and innovation through industry-academia-research collaboration.

Professor Lee also supports the Budget’s proposal to allocate more resources to actively promote the development of sports in Hong Kong through community engagement, supporting elite sports, promoting Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events, enhancing professionalism, and developing sports as an industry. He mentioned that EdUHK’s elite athlete students had achieved inspiring success, winning gold medals in five events at last year’s National Games. EdUHK will continue to support dual-track development for athletes, contributing to Hong Kong, the region, and the nation.

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