Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Yao and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, in the Legislative Council today (May 13):
 
Question:
 
     There are views pointing out that there is a strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) talents. Regarding the enhancement of Hong Kong's AI talent pool to enable the country to gain a greater influence in the global AI competition, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as it has been reported that eight local universities in Hong Kong are ranked among the top 100 universities in Asia, with five of them even ranked among the world's top 50 in the fields of data science and AI, how the Government will step up efforts to promote Hong Kong's AI education in the Mainland and emerging market countries along the Belt and Road, with a view to attracting more relevant talents to Hong Kong for further studies in AI;
 
(2) as there are views pointing out that AI is a systematically complex subject involving multiple challenges across areas such as ethics, law and governance, how the Government will enhance the development of the local interdisciplinary framework, promote the integration and innovation of humanities subjects and computer science, and cultivate a group of interdisciplinary talents who possess both technical knowledge and AI governance capabilities; and
 
(3) whether it will draw on the experiences of the "AI Apprenticeship" programmes in Singapore and the United States to provide local talents with paid training and internship opportunities for in-depth participation in the application of AI in industries, so as to nurture them into AI professionals?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Hong Kong's higher education sector is internationalised and diversified; approximately a quarter of students enrolled in the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded programmes come from outside Hong Kong, with the majority from the Chinese Mainland and Belt and Road (B&R) countries. Notably, five UGC-funded universities rank among the world's top 100, demonstrating outstanding performance in academic influence, research standards and internationalisation, and nurturing outstanding talent for our nation and Hong Kong across various fields, including innovation and technology (I&T). Furthermore, the Education Bureau and the UGC have all along prioritised the promotion of I&T education to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Hong Kong's higher education in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI).
 
     As regards the question raised by the Hon Andrew Yao, having consulted the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, our reply is set out below:
 
(1) To support universities in strengthening the promotion of "Study in Hong Kong" and showcasing Hong Kong's world-class universities and academic subjects, including AI and I&T education, to the global community, the UGC has provided a funding of around $40 million in the 2025-28 triennium for the Heads of Universities Committee's Standing Committee on Internationalisation (HUCOMSCI), which involves the eight UGC-funded universities, to organise and participate in various overseas activities, with a view to promoting the "Study in Hong Kong" brand worldwide and attracting more students to pursue their studies in Hong Kong. The UGC has also provided a funding of about $10 million to support the HUCOMSCI in promoting Hong Kong's higher education to the countries along the B&R, including the formulation of publicity and promotion strategies and the production of publicity materials and videos.
 
     In terms of academic exchange, the universities have been actively organising a variety of large-scale international academic events, inviting the participation of representatives and renowned scholars from universities in different parts of the Chinese Mainland and overseas. The events held in 2025 included the International Low-Altitude Economy Summit organised by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with the support of the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Greater Bay Area Low Altitude Economy Alliance; the Digital Universities Asia 2025 co-hosted by the Lingnan University in partnership with Times Higher Education; and the 25th Asian Quantum Information Science Conference co-organised by the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Institute of Quantum Science & Technology. These conferences and exhibitions further foster collaboration and exchanges between universities and institutions worldwide by bringing together higher education leaders and representatives from around the globe (including the Chinese Mainland and B&R countries), thereby enhancing the promotion of the "Study in Hong Kong" brand.
 
(2) Through the Planning Exercise for the 2025-28 triennium, the UGC serves as a vital bridge connecting national strategies, the needs of Hong Kong and the universities' development. It encourages the universities to review and launch new programmes in response to the Government's policy steer, market demand and industry trends. This enables institutions to keep pace with the times and provide students with appropriate curricula to navigate future social developmental changes.
 
     In the 2025-28 triennium, the UGC-funded universities collectively introduce 27 new undergraduate programmes related to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) or the "eight centres", covering areas such as AI, creative industries and data science to create opportunities for young people to unleash their potential. The universities are also launching interdisciplinary programmes and programmes that integrate technology with traditional fields, such as educational technology and digital humanities, to cultivate specialists with cross-discipline expertise through innovative curriculum content.
 
     Moreover, the Government launched the Hong Kong Future Talents Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Studies in the 2025/26 academic year to encourage more local students to pursue postgraduate studies in priority areas that are beneficial to Hong Kong's development and to expand the pool of high-calibre talent across different fields. Digital transformation and innovation is one of these priority areas.
 
     At the same time, to align with developments in teaching and learning as well as evolving societal needs, the UGC launched the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education (FITE) in 2023 with an allocation of $100 million to support UGC-funded universities in applying innovative technologies in teaching and learning and in nurturing digitally competent and technologically responsible talents. The FITE encourages universities to develop teaching, curriculum and student support initiatives related to AI and other emerging technologies, and to promote inter-institutional collaboration and engagement with the industry. The universities may utilise the fund to advance AI-related curriculum reform, teaching innovation and student development initiatives, including the strengthening of AI literacy, data security, academic integrity and education on technological ethics.
 
     In addition, the UGC has increased the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant for the 2025-28 triennium to $919.8 million. The universities may use the grant to address changes and challenges in teaching and learning, including the integration of generative AI and innovative technologies, thereby supporting universities in advancing AI education.
 
(3) The UGC has always encouraged the UGC-funded universities to strengthen collaboration with industry and the community, so as to provide students with more practice-oriented learning opportunities, including internships, work experience, industry partnership projects and joint teaching arrangements. In addition, one of the four key themes supported under the FITE is fostering academia-industry collaboration for authentic learning experience, which strongly encourages the universities to develop innovative projects related to the industry and the community, enabling students to experience AI applications in real-life settings and enhancing their practical skills in an innovation- and technology-driven environment, thereby helping students accumulate experience in actual workplace contexts.
 
     Furthermore, the Innovation and Technology Commission launched the STEM Internship Scheme in 2020 with the aim to subsidise full-time university students enrolling in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)-related programmes to take up short-term internships, so that they could gain I&T-related work experience and cultivate their early interest in pursuing a career in I&T after graduation, thereby enlarging the local I&T talent pool. Internships funded by the Scheme must be related to I&T, including AI and other I&T areas.
 
     In addition, the New Industrialisation and Technology Training Programme under the Innovation and Technology Fund also subsidises local enterprises on a 1 (Government): 1 (enterprise) matching basis for them to arrange training in advanced technologies (including training related to AI) for their staff. Moreover, the Hong Kong Productivity Council is committed to providing various upskilling training courses to employees of enterprises undergoing digital transformation. Focus of these courses includes different soft skills such as AI, equipping employees with knowledge in different technology areas.
 
     Thank you, President.

Ends/Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:37

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