Press Release: HKU Faculty of Education hosts Dialogue on Reimagining Higher Education Governance in Hong Kong
新聞稿：香港大學教育學院舉辦學術對談
重塑香港高等教育管治新視野

HKU Faculty of Education hosts Dialogue on
Reimagining Higher Education Governance in Hong Kong
 

The Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) hosted a dialogue titled “From Legacy to Leadership: Reimagining Higher Education Governance in Hong Kong” on April 1. The event brought together global experts and local leaders to explore how Hong Kong’s universities can navigate global uncertainties and enhance their strategic position within the evolving international higher education landscape.

Professor Yang Rui, Dean of the HKU Faculty of Education, underscored the significance of the dialogue in his opening address. He warmly welcomed attendees and introduced the event’s two distinguished speakers: Professor Simon Marginson, Visiting Research Professor at the HKU Faculty of Education, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Bristol, and Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford; and Professor James Tang, Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee. Professor Yang highlighted their invaluable contributions to advancing higher education policy and practice.

The dialogue was moderated by Professor Liz Jackson, Karen Lo Eugene Chuang Professor in Diversity and Equity and Associate Dean (Research) at the HKU Faculty of Education. The panel also featured Professor Jisun Jung, Director of the Consortium for Higher Education Research in Asia and Associate Professor at HKU Faculty of Education.

Professor Simon Marginson opened the discussion by highlighting Hong Kong’s distinctive and advantageous position in higher education, describing it as a city where public confidence in universities remains high and support for higher education is steadfast. In contrast to declining trust in higher education seen in some parts of the world, Hong Kong demonstrates notable qualities, acting as both a bridge between East and West and a strategic gateway to the Greater Bay Area. He called this moment as “Hong Kong’s time”, emphasising the city’s pluralistic identity, global connectivity, and potential to serve as an international forum for dialogue on pressing global issues.

Professor James Tang reinforced this optimistic outlook while providing a pragmatic perspective on policy and governance. He noted that Hong Kong’s higher education institutions benefit from sustained government commitment, strong societal support for higher education, and growing interest from international students. While acknowledging Hong Kong’s strengths, he also identified the challenges ahead: ensuring universities remain relevant by delivering value to society, maintaining accountability alongside institutional autonomy, and navigating trust issues. Professor Tang reiterated the need for Hong Kong to maintain its openness and to foster greater collaboration between local and international institutions, ensuring continued success and relevance.

Professor Jisun Jung brought forward the perspective of academics navigating Hong Kong’s globally engaged higher education system. She underlined key advantages, including robust international networks and strong research support, and also indicated areas for growth such as the scale of the system, the need for deeper local engagement, and the importance of broadening definitions of academic excellence beyond narrow metrics.

Concluding the dialogue, Professor Liz Jackson reflected on the richness of ideas shared during the discussion. She emphasised that Hong Kong’s unique strength in shaping the future of higher education lies not only in its global competitiveness but also in its ability to leverage diversity to foster meaningful global collaboration.

The event concluded with a Q&A session where participants posed questions on topics such as academic mobility, cultural diversity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and Hong Kong’s role in advancing global higher education. The dialogue reaffirmed the HKU Faculty of Education’s commitment to facilitating thoughtful, forward-looking conversations that support higher education through an era of change and opportunity.
 

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Kelly Shum, Executive Officer (Communications), Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel: 3917 8239 / Email: [javascript protected email address]).

April 21, 2026
 

香港大學教育學院舉辦學術對談
重塑香港高等教育管治新視野
 

香港大學（港大）教育學院於4月1日舉辦了一場主題為「從傳統到領導：重塑香港高等教育管治的新視野」的學術對談。活動匯聚國際及本地高等教育學者和領袖，共同探討香港的高等院校如何在全球不確定性加劇的背景下，靈活應對挑戰，並在不斷演變的國際高等教育格局中強化其策略定位。

港大教育學院院長楊銳教授在歡迎辭中強調此次對談的重要意義。他歡迎與會者並介紹兩位傑出的講者：港大教育學院客座教授（研究）、布里斯托大學教授及牛津大學榮休教授Simon Marginson教授；以及大學教育資助委員會秘書長鄧特抗教授。楊教授讚揚兩位講者在推動高等教育政策與實踐方面的重要貢獻。

是次對談由港大羅琪茵莊友堅基金教授（多元與公平社會研究）兼教育學院副院長（研究）Liz Jackson教授主持。港大教育學院亞洲高等教育研究聯盟總監兼副教授丁智善教授亦參與討論。

Simon Marginson教授在對談中首先指出，香港在高等教育領域具備獨特而有利的地位。他認為在香港，公眾對大學仍然保持高度信任，社會對高等教育給予支持，相較於現時世界部分地區出現對高等教育信任度下降的情況，香港展現出顯著的優勢。他又提出，香港不僅作為連接東西方的橋樑，同時也是通往粵港澳大灣區的戰略門戶。他形容當下是「屬於香港的時代」，並強調香港所擁有的多元身份、全球聯繫力，以及成為國際重要議題對話平台之潛力。

鄧特抗教授從政策與管治角度提出務實的見解，並進一步肯定了香港高等教育的樂觀前景。他表示，香港的高等學府受惠於政府長期而穩定的支持、社會對高等教育的重視，以及國際學生日益增長的留學興趣。在認可香港優勢的同時，他亦提出了一些未來的挑戰，包括如何確保大學能為社會創造價值及保持相關性、在維護院校自主性與履行職責之間取得平衡，以及妥善處理公眾信任問題。鄧教授強調，香港應保持其一貫開放的態度，促進本地與國際院校間更緊密的合作，以確保高等教育的持續成功與影響力。

丁智善教授則分享了學術界在香港高度全球化的高等教育體系中的經驗與觀點。她強調了多項關鍵優勢，包括完善的國際網絡及對學術研究的強大支持；同時亦指出有待強化的領域，例如體系規模的限制、本地社區的參與度，以及對學術卓越定義需有更為全面與多元之拓展。

在對談的結尾，Liz Jackson教授就交流中各講者的豐富觀點進行了總結。她表示，香港在塑造高等教育未來發展方面的獨特優勢，不僅體現在其全球競爭力上，更在於其善用多元性以促進具實質意義的全球合作能力。

活動最後設有問答環節，參加者就學術流動性、文化多樣性、跨學科協作，以及香港如何為全球高等教育帶來正面影響等議題作出提問。是次活動展現了港大教育學院致力於促進具前瞻性與深度的交流對話，並支持高等教育在充滿變革與機遇的時代中持續發展。
 

傳媒查詢，請聯絡香港大學教育學院行政主任（傳訊）沈宇彥女士（電話：3917 8239 / 電郵︰[javascript protected email address]）。

2026年4月21日