HK education leaders respond to Policy Address

Editor's note: Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor delivered her fifth Policy Address on Wednesday. How have people in Hong Kong reacted to the new initiatives she has outlined? Here are some of the responses gathered by China Daily.

Tim Lui Tim-leung

Chairman of the Education Commission

I welcome the government's unwavering commitments in education, with priority accorded to cultivate the sense of national identity, values and civic-mindedness among our next generation and to enhance teachers' professional conduct and training, as well as new initiatives in areas such as vocational and professional education and training (VPET), progression pathways and university research, so as to further improve the quality of education.

Education is the key to nurturing talents, and it is of the utmost importance for the future development of the society. I believe that the Education Bureau will maintain close communication with stakeholders when introducing the education initiatives. The Education Commission will continue to render advice to further enhance the quality of education and nurture talents, thereby facilitating the sustainable development of our economy and community.

Carlson Tong Ka-shing

Chairman of the University Grants Committee

The new initiatives announced in the Policy Address will drive research excellence in Hong Kong and enable universities to net top-notch talents, thereby laying a solid foundation for Hong Kong's development under the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). The UGC will look into the supply of and demand for research postgraduate places and consider the feasibility of increasing the number of such places.

Leonard Cheng Kwok-hon

President of Lingnan University of Hong Kong

I firmly welcome the initiatives in the Policy Address concerning education and youth development, including extending the Research Matching Grant Scheme to support research of the higher education sector. These plans will help enhance the long-term development of Hong Kong universities in academic research and knowledge transfer, thereby strengthening the city's overall competitiveness and enhance the efforts to train professionals who will contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The university will fully cooperate with these initiatives.

Stephen Cheung Yan-leung

President of the Education University of Hong Kong

I warmly welcome the proposal in the Policy Address to relocate the Pak Shek Kok Sports Center to a place closer to the main campus of the university in Tai Po. The move will save time and provide convenience for faculty members and students, and will benefit the long-term development of the university.

I believe the planned new sports facilities will be more compatible with the surrounding low-density environment. The precious land resources released by this relocation will also help develop the economy and improve people's standard of living. The university would like to meet with relevant government departments on the arrangements and details of the relocation in the near future.