2023年2月7日
Honourable guests, employers, colleagues and students,
Good afternoon! Welcome to HKBU’s Employers’ Luncheon 2023. At long last, we are so delighted to be able to gather here today to enjoy a face-to-face luncheon once again!
Over the past few years, we have all experienced how the pandemic has changed our society as well as the world. But in adversity, we see opportunities and the bloom of creativity. I am sure all of you, as employers and prominent leaders, have innovated new business solutions to cope with the challenge of the pandemic and the changes brought about by AI, from which our students can learn and be inspired. But before that, let me share how we embrace the AI challenge and advance our education of all disciplines as we venture into the future.
With a significant grant from the Research Grants Council in 2021 for our research project entitled “Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong”, we have made breakthroughs in the application of AI technology in the arts. In July last year, we presented a concert featuring an AI media artist, AI musicians and AI dancers alongside our university’s Symphony Orchestra. It was the first human-machine collaborative performance of its kind in the world, and the audience was enchanted by a highly expressive performance. It also showcased how HKBU is using technology to push the envelope of human imagination in the arts and cultural sphere.
Following this initial success, we launched the world’s first Turing AI Orchestra last August. Using state-of-the-art AI technology, this AI ensemble offers an open platform for artists and scientists from around the world to collaborate within a dynamic and innovative environment. We can expect more ground-breaking AI research that will disrupt the arts world and shape the landscape of arts development in the future.
Another exciting ongoing development is the Future Cinema Systems project. It is an international collaborative initiative that is leveraging next-generation technologies to provide interactive and immersive forms of cultural heritage experience, as well as entertainment and education. Why do we have to watch a movie by sitting down and looking at the screen in front? Why can’t we be surrounded by LED panels, walk around and interact with what happens in the movie? Our artists asked. It is a showcase of the vision of our artists in terms of the composition of future cinematic, artistic or cultural experiences.
What’s more, it can be a future classroom, taking teaching and learning of various disciplines to another level. It can be used as an educational tool for visualising scientific or historic data, or be used to build an enormous Chinese medicine database of knowledge. It unlocks endless possibilities for advancing transdisciplinary education and research.
In short, our projects are about the future. We venture into the future. We shape the future with our vision, and we prepare our students for the future.
All of the above collectively form an innovation ecosystem within HKBU that can generate ideas with the potential to transform society and lead to progress that positively changes people’s lives. It is also within this ecosystem that our students are equipped with a diverse skill set and encouraged to apply technology in their study. This is the environment in which our students are inspired and nurtured — an environment which encourages one to be daring, creative and visionary, and embrace the possibilities that the future holds.
To grow and groom tech-savvy future professionals, we have launched four transdisciplinary undergraduate programmes to foster future-ready students with a broad yet in-depth education that integrates science and the humanities. Upon graduation, they will be ready to contribute to different sectors of society in meaningful ways, from art-tech, business administration and global entertainment to health and social well-being.
Over the past six decades, HKBU has endeavoured to prepare our students in the best possible way to be global changemakers. Reflecting on the past year, despite all the challenges, our students have achieved excellence and demonstrated creativity in many areas.
Examples are plentiful. To name just a few, student teams from the School of Communication won awards at the HK4As Students’ Award for their creative branding campaigns, and the championship in a national data mining challenge. Graduates of the Academy of Film have also received recognition for their outstanding productions at film festivals around the world, including those in mainland China, Korea, Sweden, and other countries or regions. Our scholars are beacons of light in the uncharted areas of the future, and our students are our pride and joy. You will soon hear the stories of seven of our star students, who display their exceptional academic and personal achievements in their own unique ways. You will find in them a passion for learning and a sense of readiness to make a difference that will have a positive impact on our society in the future.
The pandemic has brought about changes in the social and professional landscape. As we bid farewell to its disruptions, HKBU continues to provide training and support for students in response to the ever-growing demand in Hong Kong, mainland China and the rest of the world for talent who can transcend disciplines to work across sectors. We remain committed to enhancing students’ personal attributes and readiness for their paths after graduation in the new post-pandemic era. They will become not only skilful and competent members of the workforce, but also forward-looking, collaborative, caring and adaptive global citizens who can shine in their careers and thrive in a competitive market. Yes, we are ready to embrace the future, and our students are future ready!
Again, thank you for joining us and for your support!