Hong Kong to Host APAIE 2026 Conference, Promoting Global Education Opportunities

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, attended the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) 2025 Conference and Exhibition in Delhi, India, on March 27 (Delhi time) and received the APAIE flag from the President of the APAIE, Professor Venky Shankararaman, officially announcing that the next APAIE Conference and Exhibition will be held in Hong Kong.

In her speech at the closing ceremony of the Conference, Dr Choi said that Hong Kong, as Asia's world city, offers a unique confluence of global connectivity, world-class infrastructure and rich cultural experiences for all APAIE Conference participants.Dr Choi also noted that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) forms a world-class innovation hub, providing vast opportunities for academic collaborations. She sincerely invited overseas partners to attend the APAIE Conference next year in Hong Kong to build connections in teaching and research collaboration with representatives from the city and around the globe.

The APAIE Conference and Exhibition is the largest education conference in Asia-Pacific region. The conference in 2026 will be held from February 23 to 27 by the Chinese University of Hong Kong with support from the other University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities. The conference will gather leaders and representatives from the higher education sector worldwide in Hong Kong and offer local post-secondary institutions an opportunity to further enhance co-operation and exchanges with their counterparts around the world. Coinciding with the 2025 ranking of the world's most international universities published by the Times Higher Education last week, in which four UGC-funded universities claimed all top four spots, the holding of the next APAIE Conference and Exhibition in Hong Kong highlights the city's image as an international hub for post-secondary education.

At the Conference this year, Dr Choi also delivered a speech under the theme "Study in Hong Kong". She said that Hong Kong is renowned for its vibrancy, high quality of life and safety, making it an exceptional study destination. With Hong Kong's aspirations to become an international hub for post-secondary education, as well as its pursuit of excellence in teaching and research, five publicly funded universities of Hong Kong rank among the world's top 100.

The Secretary-General of the UGC, Professor James Tang, also spoke at a seminar of the Conference to elaborate on Hong Kong’s edges in higher education, among which, around one in every four students and around 70 per cent of academic staff of UGC-funded universities come from outside Hong Kong. The institutions have also signed over 2 600 student exchange agreements with their counterparts worldwide, underscoring their achievement in enhancing diversity in higher education and strengthening collaboration with institutions from other places.

Dr Choi visited the Hong Kong Pavilion, which was set up by the Heads of Universities Committee Standing Committee on Internationalisation and funded by the UGC, to learn about the proactive work of the UGC-funded universities in expanding their international network as well as their promotion for recruiting students from more places to undertake further studies and exchanges in Hong Kong. In addition, she toured various booths at the Exhibition and exchanged views with representatives from different countries and regions on the development and promotion of post-secondary education.

On March 28 (Delhi time), Dr Choi will pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to India, Mr Xu Feihong, to introduce Hong Kong's latest education policy. She will then conclude the visit and return to Hong Kong.

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SED attends APAIE 2025 Conference and Exhibition Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CFS to follow up certain batches of powdered infant and young children formula with possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (January 10) said that, it took initiative to meet with Nestlé Hong Kong again today, and confirmed the company's today announcement of an additional batch of powdered infant and young children formula suspected to have possibly used the raw material concerned. Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall. The CFS has collected samples of powdered infant and young children formula from the market for Bacillus cereus testing, the test results so far were satisfactory. The Environmental and Ecology Bureau is also closely monitoring the supply situation of other formula milk powder and maintaining communication with other major suppliers. It is noted that there is sufficient formula milk powder to meet the demand.

The spokesman said, the CFS has been actively following up on Nestlé company's voluntary and precautionary recalls of certain batches of its powdered infant and young children formula in certain areas in Europe due to possible presence of Cereulide produced by Bacillus cereus in the individual raw material. According to the latest information from Nestlé Hong Kong today, an additional batch of its powdered infant and young children formula imported into Hong Kong might have used the raw material concerned. The CFS had earlier enhanced surveillance in the market and collected a sample from the above batch for testing of Bacillus cereus. The test result of the sample was satisfactory. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Nestlé Hong Kong has voluntarily stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a precautionary recall.

Product details are as follows:

Product name (Net weight): NAN PRO 1 2 HMO (800g)

Batch number: 51670742F2

Best-before date: June 16, 2027

Place of Origin: Germany

"The CFS met Nestlé Hong Kong again today, urging them to properly handle the product recall issue and respond to public enquiries, in order to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the CFS and Nestlé Hong Kong have jointly followed up, six suspected affected batches of infant and young children formula products that had not entered the market were marked and sealed. An additional 15 batches are currently en route to Hong Kong and will also be marked and sealed upon arrival. The CFS will continue to closely monitor the recall matters and remain fully committed to ensuring food safety, " the spokesman said.

Nestlé Hong Kong has initiated a recall of the affected batches of the products concerned. For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may contact the company through the following channels:

Consumer services hotline: 2599 8874 / 2797 6031/ 2179 8136 (Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm)

Email: consumerservices@hk.nestle.com

WhatsApp: 5283 4139 (NESTLÉ® NAN®) / 2599 8871 (Wyeth® Nutrition)

Online form: forms.office.com/e/BhqMhWfsUG?origin=lprLink

Consumers may choose to bring along the products (brand new or opened) for refund at place of purchase, or at exclusive service counters of Nestlé Nutrition Services from January 13 (Tuesday) onwards, to settle the recall and refund of the batches of the products concerned. Details of the exclusive service counters are as follows:

Kowloon Services Counter

Address: G/F, Park Hovan Commercial Building, 18 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (MTR Jordon Station Exit D)

Contact number: 3996 8196

Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5.30pm (except public holidays)

Hong Kong Services Counter

Address: 1/F, Ka Nin Wah Commercial Building, 423-425 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit B)

Contact number: 3996 8197

Office hour: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7.30pm (except Sundays and public holidays)

The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted earlier that certain batches of Nestlé powdered infant formula were being voluntarily recalled in Europe due to possible contamination with Bacillus cereus. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS has immediately initiated follow up actions, published food incident posts to inform the public and the trade about the issue, and has been actively following up on the incident and enhanced surveillance.

Over the past three days (as of 4pm on January 9), the FEHD received a total of 18 food complaints and enquiries suspected to be related to the infant and young children formula products, including one anonymous complaint without contact information. The CFS and the Environmental Hygiene Branch have promptly followed up on all cases, including contacting the parties concerned to obtain details and collecting samples for testing. In addition, the CFS has referred the cases to the health department for follow-up. At present, no food poisoning cases related to the formula have been recorded.

Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Cereulide is a heat-stable toxin produced in food by some strains of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

The spokesman urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batches of the products, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately.

"The CFS continues to closely monitor the developments of the situation, follow up and take appropriate action," the spokesman said.

Source: AI-found images