Following is the speech by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, at the Hong Kong Reception of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) 2026 Conference and Exhibition today (February 23):

Professor Dennis Lo (Vice-Chancellor and President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Convenor of the Heads of Universities Committee), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Birthday! Tonight's gathering is especially auspicious as it falls on the seventh day of 正月, the first month of the traditional Chinese calendar. This day is known as 人日 which legend says is "everyone's birthday". It is fitting that we celebrate this day of shared humanity here, as we come together to shape the future of education for our youths. 

     It is a great pleasure to join you this evening at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, one of our city's iconic cultural landmarks. I am pleased to welcome educators and friends from across the globe to Hong Kong for the APAIE 2026 Conference and Exhibition. We are honoured that Hong Kong once again has the privilege of hosting this important gathering of leaders and practitioners in international higher education.

     Over the coming days, the APAIE will serve as a platform for meaningful global dialogue on the future of international education, while also offering participants a special opportunity to experience Hong Kong during the vibrant Chinese New Year period. I hope you can feel the positivity and energy that the Chinese New Year brings – a spirit that also guides our approach to education – to groom our next generations with innovative ideas and future-ready skills.

     Tonight, I would like to highlight Hong Kong's evolving role as an international education hub, and how we can deepen our collaboration with you at all levels – from undergraduate education, postgraduate study, research and beyond. As a super-connector of global education networks, we have been maintaining our academic environment highly internationalised and diversified. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong enjoys the distinctive advantages of being part of China with strong support from our Motherland and at the same time being centrally located in Asia. Our universities are globally recognised, with five of them within the world's top 100 and the Asia's top 20. Hong Kong claimed all top four spots in the ranking of the world's most international universities last year. Indeed, one in every four of our students come from outside Hong Kong. The proportion is even higher for academic staff, with around 70 per cent from elsewhere. 

     To further promote higher education in Hong Kong to the world, we are dedicating this week as the "Study in Hong Kong" Week, during which we will share our success stories and connect more closely with partners worldwide. The key highlight is of course the APAIE. Our Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) around the world will also promote "Study in Hong Kong" at their Chinese New Year celebratory events worldwide. We warmly encourage our overseas partners to approach our ETOs if you need support or facilitation in exploring new opportunities to study, teach, or collaborate with institutions in Hong Kong.

     At the post-secondary level, we will continue to promote quality and expand opportunities for non-local students to pursue our high-quality and internationally recognised programmes in Hong Kong. We are welcoming more non-local students whose number has been growing and developing deeper research collaborations with institutions from around the world. We certainly appreciate the support from our partner universities, especially those of you present here tonight. While Hong Kong is highly popular among students from the Chinese Mainland, those from other parts of the world, especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Belt and Road countries or regions, have increased significantly in recent years. Hong Kong is also playing a pivotal role as a knowledge and innovation hub through our extensive research partnerships in the Chinese Mainland as well as North America and Europe. Meanwhile, we have expanded collaborations with institutions in African and Central and South American regions. 

     At the same time, the Government is extending Hong Kong's role as an international education hub with a more comprehensive approach. We are recruiting more non-local students in our primary and secondary Direct Subsidy Scheme schools to enrich our classrooms by bringing in more students from Asia and other regions, as well as providing more schooling options for expat families. We are therefore building up a larger pool of students with more diverse backgrounds for higher education opportunities here. As we welcome more non-local students to our schools and universities, we hope Hong Kong can serve as a springboard for them to engage with the Chinese Mainland and the wider Asia-Pacific, and as a pathway to widen collaborations across this vibrant region. 

     In a moment, you will see a short video that encapsulates the essence of "Study in Hong Kong" – a place where world-class education, cultural diversity and opportunities in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area converge. The tagline of the video is "Live the Future", and it speaks directly to the aspirations of our students. By choosing Hong Kong, overseas students are not just selecting a university, they are securing a front-row seat to the rapid growth of Asia. They are equipping themselves with the networks and insights necessary for a glorious career, ensuring they do not just witness what comes next, but actively live and shape the future. I invite your students, your faculty and your institutions to embark on an exciting journey together with us in the years ahead.

     I would like to thank the Heads of Universities Committee for bringing us together in this magnificent setting tonight. To all our guests, thank you for your support, your partnership and your commitment to international education. We look forward to working with you beyond the exciting activities this week at the APAIE and our "Study in Hong Kong" Week to build even stronger and more impactful partnerships for our students and our shared future.

     Finally, let me wish you a most enjoyable evening and a rewarding week at the APAIE and in Hong Kong. Thank you.

Ends/Monday, February 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:19

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