President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the National Conference on Education last September, following which the 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education (master plan) was issued, setting out a roadmap for the national education development in the next 10 years. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (February 12) held a seminar on the master plan at the Central Government Offices. Vice Minister of Education Mr Wu Yan was invited to deliver a keynote speech to enable different sectors to obtain a deeper understanding of the significance of the master plan. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, delivered the opening and closing addresses respectively.
      
     The master plan is the first national action plan themed on building a leading country in education with the key mission to support the country's modernisation in all aspects. It clearly proposed to establish a mechanism for co-ordinating and promoting the integration of education, technology and talent by leveraging the support of education to technology and talent. The master plan also set out the close collaboration with the development of the innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the building of a high-calibre talent hub and platforms for talent attraction and retention, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the innovation system.
      
     Speaking at the seminar, Mr Chan said that the Resolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted in the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC suggested that Hong Kong be built into an international hub for high-calibre talent. The HKSAR Government has been proactively creating favourable room for development for talent from different backgrounds, and fostering synergistic development of nurturing talent, gathering talent and science and technology, to enable talent to make Hong Kong their home and give full play to their strengths for contribution to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and the country.
      
     He pointed out that the HKSAR Government established the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents with him as the Chairman at the end of last year to enhance the systemic, holistic and synergistic nature of policies, which target the manpower demand of Hong Kong's strategic positioning of "eight centres". It aims to promote integrated development of education, technology and talent from the top and fully implement the work of invigorating the country through science and education.
      
     Speaking at the seminar, Dr Choi said that with the rapid development of education in the country in the coming 10 years, Hong Kong's education will also thrive. The Education Bureau (EDB) will keep its principles and be innovative to tie in with the national strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, and grasp the development opportunities offered by the country's initiatives such as the Belt and Road and the Greater Bay Area to push forward with Hong Kong's education development.
      
     She stressed that the EDB will deepen Hong Kong's role as an international post-secondary education hub, pooling together talent with a view to consolidating and developing Hong Kong's education strengths. Apart from boosting the comprehensive strengths of tertiary education and forging new development competitive edges with digital education, the EDB will also create multiple pathways for young generations, further enhance students' whole-person development, and raise teachers' professional qualities and capabilities to achieve the goal of cultivating values and nurturing people.
      
     A number of participants also shared their views at the seminar.
      
     The seminar today was attended by around 400 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress; Hong Kong Standing Committee members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; members of the Legislative Council Panel on Education; the EDB directorate; representatives from the councils of universities and post-secondary institutions; representatives from school councils and principals' associations in relation to kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools, and representatives from relevant education organisations and advisory and statutory bodies.

Ends/Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:00

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