The two-day World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 held at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) successfully concluded today. The event brought together over 130 university presidents, scholars, and academic leaders, who convened in Hong Kong from more than 50 leading universities and higher education institutions across Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. Gathering for a series of panel dialogues and roundtable sessions, the delegates engaged in deep discussions on how institutions can nurture talent in the intelligent age, foster innovation, advance open science, and collectively address pressing global challenges.
Speaking on the second day of the Forum, Dr. CHOI Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government, highlighted Hong Kong's growing strength, global voice, and strategic vision as a premier international higher education hub. She noted that the two-day forum gathered leaders and university presidents representing more than one-third of the world's top 50 universities. "Assembling such a distinguished constellation of global academic leadership strongly reaffirms Hong Kong's standing as an international education hub and significantly enhances the city's discourse power in the global educational arena," she said.
Elaborating on the forum's theme, "Higher Education Reimagined: Innovating for the Future," Dr. Choi stressed that no matter how the global landscape evolves, universities remain fundamentally tied to economic development, societal well-being, and human progress. World-leading institutions must stand at the forefront, guiding that transformation. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's educational future is taking concrete physical shape through the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. Under the "One Town, Five Elements" framework, the HKSAR Government is building a holistic campus ecosystem integrating higher education, advanced research, market innovation, vibrant living spaces, and top-tier talent. Positioned at the gateway to the Chinese Mainland, the University Town will foster deep industry-academia-research integration, linking academic research directly with industry capabilities to serve national development under the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, summarized the Forum, stating, "The past two days of the forum have yielded remarkable achievements, culminating in the signing of multiple cooperation agreements among participating institutions to deepen research collaboration, drive innovative development, and promote talent cultivation and student exchanges. Through this international platform, we successfully convened global leaders in higher education to engage in profound dialogues regarding the core issues shaping our collective future.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our guests for sharing their invaluable insights. The vibrant discussions over the course of the Forum were not only visionary and inspiring, but they also deepened our shared understanding of cross-regional, cross-cultural, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Faced with a rapidly changing era and an unpredictable future, the global higher education community must stand hand in hand now more than ever. It is our sincere hope that the bonds and connections forged during this Forum will endure and flourish, allowing us to collectively sow the seeds of innovation. Together, let us contribute to the next century of higher education and open a brilliant new chapter for global educational development. We look forward to seeing these seeds grow into magnificent forests in the years to come, bearing rich fruit across the globe."
The second day of the forum featured a series of panel dialogues and roundtable sessions. Participating university presidents, scholars, and academic leaders engaged in profound exchanges centered on core issues, including global health, a habitable planet, open science, the university in its place and in the world, and the roadmap for the future of higher education. Together, they explored the future trajectory of higher education and discussed how universities can leverage their leadership roles to address pressing global challenges.
Representatives from participating universities noted that the Forum not only served as an invaluable exchange platform for global higher education leaders, while successfully facilitating the creation and deepening of cross-regional partnerships. Encouraged by the collaborative opportunities explored, delegates expressed keen anticipation for closer cooperation with Hong Kong higher education institutions in scientific research, talent cultivation, and student exchange. Furthermore, participants showed great interest in the HKSAR Government's vision to promote the "Study in Hong Kong" brand, elevate the city into a global hub for post-secondary education, and develop the Northern Metropolis University Town. They noted that these strategic initiatives will generate vast opportunities for international research collaboration, talent pooling, and knowledge transfer.
Following the conclusion of the forum, delegates will embark on a Greater Bay Area Innovation Tour tomorrow. The delegation will conduct site visits to key innovation and technology enterprises and cutting-edge research facilities across the region. The tour will offer participants a firsthand experience of the vibrant innovation and dynamic vitality of the Greater Bay Area, while providing deeper insights into Hong Kong's pivotal hub role in fostering international research collaboration.
