Hong Kong to Host APAIE 2026 Conference, Promoting Global Education Opportunities

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, attended the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) 2025 Conference and Exhibition in Delhi, India, on March 27 (Delhi time) and received the APAIE flag from the President of the APAIE, Professor Venky Shankararaman, officially announcing that the next APAIE Conference and Exhibition will be held in Hong Kong.

In her speech at the closing ceremony of the Conference, Dr Choi said that Hong Kong, as Asia's world city, offers a unique confluence of global connectivity, world-class infrastructure and rich cultural experiences for all APAIE Conference participants.Dr Choi also noted that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) forms a world-class innovation hub, providing vast opportunities for academic collaborations. She sincerely invited overseas partners to attend the APAIE Conference next year in Hong Kong to build connections in teaching and research collaboration with representatives from the city and around the globe.

The APAIE Conference and Exhibition is the largest education conference in Asia-Pacific region. The conference in 2026 will be held from February 23 to 27 by the Chinese University of Hong Kong with support from the other University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities. The conference will gather leaders and representatives from the higher education sector worldwide in Hong Kong and offer local post-secondary institutions an opportunity to further enhance co-operation and exchanges with their counterparts around the world. Coinciding with the 2025 ranking of the world's most international universities published by the Times Higher Education last week, in which four UGC-funded universities claimed all top four spots, the holding of the next APAIE Conference and Exhibition in Hong Kong highlights the city's image as an international hub for post-secondary education.

At the Conference this year, Dr Choi also delivered a speech under the theme "Study in Hong Kong". She said that Hong Kong is renowned for its vibrancy, high quality of life and safety, making it an exceptional study destination. With Hong Kong's aspirations to become an international hub for post-secondary education, as well as its pursuit of excellence in teaching and research, five publicly funded universities of Hong Kong rank among the world's top 100.

The Secretary-General of the UGC, Professor James Tang, also spoke at a seminar of the Conference to elaborate on Hong Kong’s edges in higher education, among which, around one in every four students and around 70 per cent of academic staff of UGC-funded universities come from outside Hong Kong. The institutions have also signed over 2 600 student exchange agreements with their counterparts worldwide, underscoring their achievement in enhancing diversity in higher education and strengthening collaboration with institutions from other places.

Dr Choi visited the Hong Kong Pavilion, which was set up by the Heads of Universities Committee Standing Committee on Internationalisation and funded by the UGC, to learn about the proactive work of the UGC-funded universities in expanding their international network as well as their promotion for recruiting students from more places to undertake further studies and exchanges in Hong Kong. In addition, she toured various booths at the Exhibition and exchanged views with representatives from different countries and regions on the development and promotion of post-secondary education.

On March 28 (Delhi time), Dr Choi will pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to India, Mr Xu Feihong, to introduce Hong Kong's latest education policy. She will then conclude the visit and return to Hong Kong.

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by SJ at opening ceremony of 22nd Willem C Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the opening ceremony of 22nd Willem C Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot today (March 30):

Ms Barrington (Director of the Vis East Moot Foundation, Ms Louise Barrington), Ms Tung (Deputy Director of the Vis East Moot Foundation, Ms Sherlin Tung), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. On behalf of the Department of Justice of Hong Kong (DoJ), it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the 22nd Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Moot). For those coming from other jurisdictions, a very big and warm welcome to Hong Kong. I would like to start by thanking the Vis East Moot Foundation for holding the Moot in Hong Kong again this year.

I am very delighted to learn that over 1 500 students and coaches from 154 university teams around the world will participate this year. I also wish to extend another very warm welcome to over 400 arbitrators for joining us. This Moot is more than just a competition. It is a platform for gaining knowledge in international arbitration and trade law, while honing the legal and advocacy skills of our young legal talents.

I understand that the Moot will focus on the use of international commercial arbitration to resolve international commercial disputes, and involves the harmonised legal texts of UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) including the CISG (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods) and the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, both of which apply to Hong Kong. This demonstrates Hong Kong’s commitment to adopting established international commercial law and practices.

Hong Kong is a leading international financial, commercial and trading centre well known for its strong rule of law, independent judiciary, and well-established legal framework. Under the important principle of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China. Our unique legal system is bilingual in both Chinese and English, which enable people and friends from around the world to navigate with ease. And it provides very strong legal protection to cross-border business transactions and investments, which helps to establish Hong Kong as a deal-making, legal,and dispute resolution services hub.

Hong Kong is and has always been one of the most preferred seats of arbitration in the world. Arbitral awards made in Hong Kong are generally recognised and enforced by the local courts, the Mainland courts and in over 170 Contracting Parties to the New York Convention. In addition, Hong Kong is the first and only common law jurisdiction outside the Mainland where, as a seat of arbitration, parties to arbitral proceedings administered by designated arbitral institutions would be able to apply to the Mainland courts for preservation measures. An award creditor of a Hong Kong arbitral award may also make simultaneous enforcement applications to both the Mainland and Hong Kong courts.

To further facilitate the conduct of arbitrations in Hong Kong, starting from March 1, 2025, the Hong Kong Government has regularised the Pilot Scheme on Facilitation for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings, now known as the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Persons Participating in Arbitral Proceedings in Hong Kong. This initiative enables eligible visitors to participate in arbitration in Hong Kong without requiring any employment visa. Hong Kong launched the Scheme back in 2020 on a short-term basis. The arbitration community has been supportive of the Scheme since its launch, finding it conducive to maintaining Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. The streamlined process under the Scheme covers arbitrators, experts and factual witnesses, parties to the arbitration, parties’ representatives, and other persons directly related to or involved in the arbitration such as tribunal secretaries, tribunal-appointed experts. The DoJ will issue a Guidance Note on the Scheme to the relevant arbitral and dispute resolution institutions soon. I really look forward to seeing many of you coming to Hong Kong to participate in international arbitration in future.

To conclude, I wish each and everyone of you a rewarding mooting experience and a very fruitful stay in Hong Kong. Please do seize this opportunity not only to showcase your advocacy skills but also to forge connections and explore the vast possibilities and opportunities Hong Kong offers, including our fascinating food and drinks and entertainment. Let us look forward to another successful year of the Moot! Thank you very much!

Speech by SJ at opening ceremony of 22nd Willem C Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases