The upcoming Policy Address public consultation will begin on Monday alongside the city's first Five-Year Plan consultation as Hong Kong drafts its long-term strategy, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
The announcement follows the city leader’s morning meeting with 33 tertiary education representatives for the construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town.
Together with Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, the meeting lasted over 1.5 hours with participants including Hong Kong University of Science and Technology President Nancy Ip Yuk-yu, Saint Francis University President Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, and Education University of Hong Kong Council Chairman David Wong Yau-kar .
Speaking after the session, Lee described the meeting as very useful for the city's blueprint over the next five years, particularly the construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town.
He said the government has held over 10 consultation meetings since the Five-Year Plan consultation began, receiving nearly 1,000 submissions.
To facilitate public input, he announced that the public consultation for his final Policy Address will be launched on Monday and will collect views on both the Policy Address and the Five-Year Plan simultaneously.
"Whether citizens submit their views separately or together, the government will collate and analyze them for appropriate incorporation into both documents,” he added.
Describing the Five-Year Plan as a "forward-looking, strategic and directional" guiding map for Hong Kong's economic and social development over the next five years, he noted that the Policy Address will serve as the annual policy blueprint, setting specific targets to respond to the plan's direction.
A plan that respects institutional autonomy: Tim Lui
University Grants Committee Chairman Tim Lui Tim-lueng, who attended the session, said discussions were lively and the five-year plan carries significant weight for post-secondary education.
He revealed the meeting focused on the Northern Metropolis University Town and the integration of education, technology and talent development—key areas responding to national development under the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Lui described the plan as flexible and respectful of institutional autonomy, encouraging development of varied projects based on the universities own strengths and missions.
He affirmed that the UGC will continue serving as a bridge between the government and universities, leading the eight publicly-funded institutions to break new ground for the education sector and drive the construction of the university town under the Five-Year Plan.
In response to the adequacy of the proposed 1,000-hectare university town, Chinese University of Hong Kong Council Chairman John Chai Yat-chiu described the plan as a breakthrough concept, where San Tin Technopole and Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop will be included.
Aligning with the national strategy, he said the education sector will focus on four major technology fields, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, financial technology and new energy materials.
He added that cross-institutional research will be promoted while leveraging Hong Kong's strengths as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" .
