Institute of Philanthropy and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust support “The Master Classes for Youth” in Hong Kong to inspire future I&T talent

The two-day “The Master Classes for Youth — Youth Stands Beyond the Horizon: Tomorrow’s Questions, Today’s Answers” programme was held in Hong Kong recently, providing students with insights into how innovation and technology are shaping everyday life and future careers. It also helped to reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub under the National 15th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan.

The programme was organised by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, and funded by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups served as the strategic partner, supported by the Hong Kong Rosamond Foundation.

Under the programme, leading experts from the Chinese Mainland in fields including artificial intelligence, aerospace, robotics, energy technology, traditional Chinese medicine and cultural conservation engaged with more than 4,300 students from 34 local secondary schools through thematic talks and face-to-face exchanges.

“The Master Classes for Youth” programme forms part of the three-year Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project, supported by IoP and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The project aims to equip Hong Kong youth with progressive and hands-on innovation and technology learning opportunities through an “industry-school-community” collaboration model. Through initiatives such as the Journey of Exploring the Motherland, which has engaged nearly 260 secondary school students to date, Knowledge Quest, which has attracted 350 primary and secondary school students, and the Teacher Nurturing Scheme, which has benefited more than 100 teachers, participants are connected with universities, research institutions, high-tech enterprises and major national technology projects across the Chinese Mainland, deepening their understanding of the country’s innovation ecosystem.

Students who joined Nurturing Future InnoTech Project expressed their enthusiasm for the initiative. One participant, Sky Wan, noted that technology “reshapes how we understand development pathways” and that breakthroughs often emerge when attempting to solve real-world problems. To build on their experience, students will join “In-depth I&T Bootcamps” in Beijing this summer, where they will apply the knowledge and skills acquired through the project to develop their own innovation and technology projects.