John Lee Opens 2nd Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference, Welcoming Global Innovators and Scholars

2025-04-13 16:00 Last Updated At：04-14 12:12

Speech by CE at Opening Ceremony of 2nd Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and Xiangjiang Nobel Forum 2025 (with video)

Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Opening Ceremony of the 2nd Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and Xiangjiang Nobel Forum 2025 today (April 13):

Deputy Director Liu Guangyuan (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Ms Li Ran (President of the Hong Kong Alumni Association of Beijing Universities), academics and scientists, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you, virtually, at the opening ceremony of this year's Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and Xiangjiang Nobel Forum. For those speakers, academics, scientists and guests coming from abroad, a very warm welcome to Hong Kong.

I am glad to note that many brilliant minds are brought together by the event today, from Nobel laureates, Turing laureates, and some 50 internationally renowned academics and scientists, to more than 600 leaders of innovation and technology enterprises from around the world.

You come from a wide scope of disciplines in frontier technologies and strategically important industries, such as life and health technology and artificial intelligence. We look forward to your insights at the upcoming conference and forum, bringing us inspiration and enlightenment for our innovation and technology (I&T) journey ahead.

You gather today in Hong Kong, a vibrant metropolis dedicated to innovation and technology. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to promoting scientific progress, technological breakthroughs, and realising the boundless potential of talent like yourselves.

Innovation and technology form an important engine for economic development. And Hong Kong provides the ideal environment for I&T growth. Hong Kong is proud to be home to five of the world’s top 100 universities, with many academic subjects within the world's top 10. Our universities and research institutions attract some of the world's top scholars. Beyond our scientific excellence, Hong Kong's world-class business environment also makes it easy for us to foster a vibrant I&T ecosystem here, where research and development, entrepreneurship, and I&T collaboration flourish.

Hong Kong is dedicated to develop into an international I&T centre. We will set up an Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund, worth HK$10 billion, or over US$1.2 billion, to channel more market capital into emerging and future industries of strategic importance.

We will also launch an I&T Accelerator Pilot Scheme, which will provide nearly US$4 million in funding, on a one-to-two matching basis, to each professional start-up service agency joining the Scheme. It will help to enrich our start-up ecosystem and widen their business network. These efforts bring together our prowess as an international financial and trade centre, and build the momentum for the future growth of our vibrant I&T scene.

Innovation does not exist in isolation. It thrives through exchange, dialogue, and collaboration - precisely the spirit of this conference. Over the next few days, Hong Kong will usher in a rich line-up of I&T activities to foster exchanges on various strategic areas.

Tomorrow, the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit will take place, for the first time, in Hong Kong. InnoEx, our flagship marketing-oriented event that showcases smart solutions, will be held this coming week. All these, during our Business of Innovation and Technology Week led by the Government's Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau.

I look forward to the exchange of innovative ideas among scientists, academics, industry experts, and more. While you're here, rejoicing in these intellectually stimulating events, also enjoy all that our world city has to offer, from natural scenery, to wine and dine.

I wish you all the best in your scientific endeavours and business, and an extraordinary stay in Hong Kong. Thank you.

Asia Cultural Forum 2025: Ministers Collaborate on Arts and Cultural Development in Hong Kong.

2025-04-22 20:54 Last Updated At：22:28

Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 promotes cultural co-operation

Key event of the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025, Ministerial Panel, has been held this afternoon (April 22). Participating cultural ministers and senior officials from 17 countries joined the Panel. They exchanged views and shared experience on policies and measures to promote arts and cultural development. Organised in Hong Kong, the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 further strengthens Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

The theme of the Forum is "Connect, Create, Engage: Bridging Cultures for All". Officiating at the Panel opening today, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, highlighted that the world has undergone rapid and vigourous changes and technological advancement is something inevitable. A people-oriented approachshould be adoptedto promote the arts and cultural development, i.e. to connect more with people, to create more for people and to engage more people. Making good use of Hong Kong as an East meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and the largest art trading centre in Asia, Hong Kong will surely continue to work hard to make our name card more shiny and tell good stories of Hong Kong.

In addition to the speeches given by Miss Law and Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Gao Zheng in the Panel, participating cultural ministers and senior officials from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam also took turns to speak.

The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, hosted the gala dinner for the delegations as well as local cultural leaders. Local musicians, all-inclusive orchestra and a cappella choir were invited by the forum to perform in the dinner, showcasing a blend of Chinese and Western traditional and contemporary music, demonstrating to the guests the diversified and vibrant of art and culture scene in Hong Kong.

In his speech at the dinner, Mr Chan pointed out that the Government has been actively fostering the city's development into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange with the clear national support in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. With its unique advantage of blending Chinese and Western cultures and its extensive international connections, Hong Kong will become a "super connector" and "super value-adder" between the Mainland and the rest of the world.

The delegations attending the forum visited the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) yesterday (April 21). They will attend the plenary session and visit the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District tomorrow (April 23).

The Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum has been held since 2003 with the aim of promoting cultural co-operation and exchanges among regions. Drawing on the success of past forums, this year's forum is themed "Connect, Create, Engage: Bridging Cultures for All" and has expanded its scale. In addition to inviting more Asian countries to participate, Belt and Road countries outside of Asia are invited to participate for the first time to further promote cultural exchanges with countries in the region.