Youth Development Summit in Hong Kong Connects Over 3,000 Participants to Foster Global Perspectives and Collaboration.

2025-09-27 17:50 Last Updated At：17:58

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) today (September 27) hosted the second edition of the Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong. Under the theme "Connecting the World into the Future", the Summit has gathered officials responsible for youth policies from various regions, alongside experts and leaders of different sectors as guest speakers. The Summit attracted over 3000 young people registered to participate, including around 600 of them from the Chinese Mainland and 33 overseas countries such as the United States, Malaysia, Laos, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which enabled them to exchange views and engage in mutual learning on issues of concern to young people.

Click to Gallery

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

More Images

Youth Development Summit · Hong Kong Connects the World into the Future Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, officiated at the Summit. In his opening remarks, he said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to youth. Our Youth Development Blueprint, released in late 2022, outlines our guiding principles for advancing youth development, as well as charting a clear pathway for stakeholders everywhere. Our vision is to nurture a new generation of youth equipped with a global perspective, a positive thinking mindset, and an affection for our city and our country. Since the release of the Blueprint, more than 250 concrete actions and measures have been put forward to providing young people with wide-ranging opportunities and support."

Mr Chan thanked all the speakers who shared their experiences and visionary ideas, inspiring the participants from around the world to think about how they can foster stronger connections across boundaries and cultures to help and learn from each other to build a better future together. He also encouraged young participants to make good use of the Summit as a platform to exchange ideas with young people from different regions to develop innovative solutions, and to turn bold ideas into tangible impact.

At the morning's keynote session on "Youth Creativity Energy", key officials responsible for youth development policies from various regions were invited to share insights on the importance of connecting young people around the world in driving social development, as well as policies and initiatives in different regions that aim at nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and encouraging active youth engagement. Keynote speakers included the President of All-China Youth Federation, Mr Xu Xiao; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Minister of Youth and Sports, Malaysia, Ms Hannah Yeoh; the Deputy Minister of Society Development at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr Ahmed Saleh AlMajed; the Deputy Secretary General of the Central Committee, Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union, Mr Souliya Keophilavong; the Vice Minister of Culture and Information, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Yevgeniy Kochetov; and the Deputy Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Dr Qu Xing.

Miss Mak delivered a keynote speech at the Summit and shared the vision of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region Government in deepening international exchanges and co-operation, and highlighted key Government measures and initiatives on youth development which broaden local young people's horizon and encourage them to share the good stories of Hong Kong youth.

Miss Mak said, the Government has been taking forward measures in the Youth Development Blueprint at full steam to provide more Chinese Mainland and overseas exchange opportunities for Hong Kong young people to strengthen their global perspective. She wished that young people would work together to unlock endless possibilities for a brighter future of Hong Kong, the country and the world.

The afternoon featured three thematic sessions. The first session, chaired by the Vice-President of All-China Youth Federation and the Vice-Chairman of Youth Development Commission, Mr Kenneth Leung, was themed "Digital Reform · InnoTech of the Future". The panelists, including the Director-General of Investment Promotion of Invest Hong Kong, Ms Alpha Lau; the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Vidi Labs Ltd, Ms Lamia Sreya Rahman; the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Wang Fei-Yue; and the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Terry Wong, explored how technological innovation can drive economic growth and sustainable development in the digital era, aiming to inspire young people to embrace innovation and harness technology.

The Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, was the moderator of the next session titled "Cross Cultural Creativity". Leaders from different sectors, including the Global Operations Director of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, Mr Edwin Kibuthu Kimani; the Founder of Bakehouse, Mr Grégoire Michaud; and the Chairman of the Board of Ocean Park Corporation, Mr Paulo Pong, explored development trends in integrating traditional culture with the creative industry, aiming to inspire creative thinking among youth and create new opportunities for the younger generation.

The final thematic session "Unleash Potential and Positivity" was hosted by the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung. He was joined by former Captain of China Women's National Volleyball Team and Associate Professor of the School of Sports Science and Physical Education, Nanjing Normal University, Professor Hui Ruoqi; former F1 Racer and Director, Head of Private Office of Knight Frank Greater China, Mr Tung Ho-Pin; the Gold Medalist of 1 000m Speed Skating at Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and the Head of the Olympic Studies Centre, Harbin Institute of Technology, Professor Zhang Hong. They delved into the importance of positive thinking and a proactive mindset, inspiring young people to cultivate a positive attitude towards life and fully realise their potential.

In addition to the above sessions, starting yesterday (September 26), the HYAB has arranged a three-day thematic visit programme and exchange activities to enhance the participants from the Chinese Mainland and overseas in understanding Hong Kong's latest development in technological innovation, culture and arts, and to provide them with an opportunity to exchange and interact with the local youth. The YDC Youth Ambassadors and the Youth Link Committee members served as the ambassadors of the programme, alongside over 400 Summit participants in exploring Hong Kong. The activities will foster cross-regional interaction and collaboration among young people, showcase the charm and vibrancy of the city, and tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong Youth.

Prior to the opening of the Summit, Mr Chan hosted a welcome dinner yesterday for officials, guests and speakers from the Chinese Mainland and overseas who came to Hong Kong to participate in the event.

For the highlights of the Summit, please visit the thematic webpage, www.youthfest.hk/en/summit.

Government Updates on Pak Shek Kok Station Development, Consultation with Tai Po District Council Scheduled Tomorrow.

Government announces latest progress on Pak Shek Kok Station integrated development project

The Government today (July 9) announced the latest progress on the Pak Shek Kok (PSK) Station integrated development project, and will consult the Tai Po District Council tomorrow (July 10).

The PSK development project encompasses multiple policy objectives. These include building the PSK Station to enhance commuting convenience for residents and the working population at the Science Park, as well as boosting the overall attractiveness of the Science Park; reprovisioning the existing Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) Sports Centre to a site adjacent to EdUHK's main campus to facilitate students' use of it, releasing the development potential of land in the vicinity including the EdUHK Sports Centre site in PSK to be freed up after reprovisioning; and upgrading the infrastructure required for the proposed development in the district.

A Development Bureau (DEVB) spokesman said, "As the project itself involves constructing a station on running tracks, as well as the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre and the upgrading of infrastructure, it faces considerable engineering and financing challenges. Following detailed studies with the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), we have finalised the development proposal that will benefit various sectors of the community. This includes not only the building of PSK Station to facilitate commuting convenience for the working population at the Science Park and nearby residents, but also the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre to enhance students' learning and campus life experience, which also aligns with the Government's policy to promote Hong Kong as an international higher education hub. We will also finance the relevant integrated development by granting the property development rights for private residential development."

The spokesman continued, "At present, the residential and working population in PSK and the Science Park rely primarily on road transport. As the district becomes increasingly mature, there has been a strong local demand for enhancing the external transport infrastructure of PSK. We will adopt a 'station first, residential development later' approach to take forward the project, with a view to enhancing the attractiveness of the Science Park and improving commuting convenience for the residents as soon as possible through strengthened transport infrastructure."

The proposed PSK Station will be located roughly mid-way between the Science Park and the existing EdUHK Sports Centre site. The selection of the station site aims to facilitate the vast majority of the current and future residential and working populations. The proposed works also include the provision of a barrier-free elevated footbridge spanning across the Tolo Highway to connect the station with Chong San Road (near the Science Park), with a view to strengthening the connectivity between the developments on both sides of the highway.

The Chief Executive in Council has approved the Government to invite the MTRCL to proceed with the detailed planning and design for the PSK Station project, and agreed in principle to grant the property development rights of two sites to the MTRCL to finance the construction of PSK Station, the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre, and the construction of relevant infrastructure. The two sites are located at PSK ("Site 1") and Ma On Shan ("Site 2").

The MTRCL will commence the detailed design and relevant assessments for the proposed integrated development, while the Government will continue to scrutinise the technical and financial assessments submitted by the MTRCL to further refine the project arrangements. Among others, the MTRCL will conduct detailed assessments including the traffic impact and will co-ordinate with relevant parties to implement appropriate mitigation measures. According to preliminary estimates by Government departments, the current capacity of the East Rail Line (EAL) is still sufficient to cater for the forecast passenger demand arising from the addition of the PSK Station. The Government and the MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the passenger demand on the EAL, and having regard to community development, population growth in the area, and changes in community planning, review the actual operational situation, as well as passenger distribution patterns and changes in a timely manner. Consideration will be given to the procurement of additional trains to increase train frequencies as necessary to meet the passenger demand and maintain the service levels of the EAL.

Subject to the smooth progress of subsequent works, the construction works for proposed PSK Station are expected to commence in the second half of 2028, with a target for commissioning the station by 2033. Following the resumption and clearance of private land involved at the Tung Tsz site at Ting Kok Road, Tai Po, the reprovisioning works for the EdUHK Sports Centre will commence in the second half of 2028 and is expected to be completed in 2031. To ensure a seamless transition, Site 1 will only be released after the new sports centre is commissioned. The residential developments at Site 1 and Site 2 are expected to commence progressively from 2031 at the earliest.

The paper (Chinese only) to be discussed by the Tai Po District Council tomorrow has been uploaded onto the website of the District Council (www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/doc/2024_2027/tc/committee_meetings_doc/SHDC/32180/SHD_33_2026.pdf), which includes the location plans of the proposed PSK Station and relevant residential sites.

Youth Development Summit in Hong Kong Connects Over 3,000 Participants to Foster Global Perspectives and Collaboration.

HK