CE meets Minister of Education
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Minister of Education, Mr Huai Jinpeng, today (November 2) to exchange views on deepening co-operation and exchanges in education. Also attending the meeting were the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip.
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Huai's visit to Hong Kong. He said that Hong Kong is home to five universities ranked among the world's top 100, with its education competitiveness ranking among the top in the world. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is fully implementing the Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent, and, through the Task Force on Study in Hong Kong, attracting outstanding students from around the world to pursue studies in Hong Kong. The inaugural Study in Hong Kong Week was launched this year, while the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 2026 Conference held as part of the event was the largest ever, underscoring the international influence of Hong Kong's post-secondary education. Hong Kong will continue to leverage its unique advantages of connecting the Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, roll out the international publicity campaign "Hong Kong: Your World-class Campus", and support institutions in conducting student recruitment activities in the Mainland and overseas to further expand the pool of outstanding talent.
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is accelerating the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM). With a university town as the main focus of its development, the NM will bring together five key elements, namely education, technology, industry, talent and urban development, to promote the synergistic development of the Government, industries, academia, research and investment sectors, and develop it into an important strategic platform for high-level post-secondary education, the integration of innovation and technology, and the clustering of high-end talent. The HKSAR Government will further strengthen co-operation with the Ministry of Education to encourage more top-tier Mainland higher education and research institutions to establish a presence in the NM, thereby pooling top academic and research strengths with local institutions, promoting the transformation and realisation of more innovation and technology outcomes, and achieving complementary advantages and mutual benefit.
Mr Lee said that higher education exchanges and co-operation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) are thriving. At present, all eight University Grants Committee-funded universities of Hong Kong have established industry-education-research bases in Shenzhen, while four of them have set up campuses in Mainland cities of the GBA. Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance this year, the HKSAR Government will continue to enhance the collaboration mechanism between higher education institutions in Hong Kong and the Mainland, and deepen co-operation in innovation and technology as well as talent exchanges. He expressed confidence that, with the support of the Ministry of Education, Hong Kong and the Mainland will deepen collaboration in areas including teacher training, digital education and patriotic education, and jointly contribute to the country's endeavour to build a leading country in education.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), meets the Minister of Education, Mr Huai Jinpeng (left), today (November 2). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Latest progress of clearance and rehousing plan for redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate and proposed public housing development at New Wah Fu Estate Phase 1
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (November 2) briefed the Southern District Council on the latest progress of the clearance and rehousing plan for the redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate (WFE) and consulted members on the proposed public housing development at New Wah Fu Estate (NWFE) Phase 1. The proposal has received general support.
Orderly advancement: Latest progress of redevelopment of WFE
Construction works for the proposed public housing developments in the five reception sites in Pok Fu Lam South are proceeding in an orderly manner, with the first reception estate, Wah Fu North Estate (WFNE) on Wah King Street, anticipated to be completed by late this year when residents of Wah On House and Wah Lok House will move in progressively. The entire rehousing process is expected to conclude in the third quarter of 2027, after which demolition works will commence to clear the site for the construction of NWFE Phase 1 to meet the rehousing needs of the residents from Wah Chui House and Wah King House six years earlier (Annex). In addition, to make effective use of public housing resources and provide diversified rehousing arrangements that meet the needs of residents affected by the clearance for the Redevelopment of WFE Phase 1b (those living in Wah Cheong House, Wah Kin House, and Wah Tai House) who wish to transfer early to the newly completed public rental housing, the HA will launch a thinning-out exercise for these residents by offering more than 400 flats in WFNE for eligible residents' selection. Those who successfully select a flat are expected to complete the intake formalities in March next year.
The remaining four reception estates are also scheduled for completion successively between 2028 and 2031. Certain signature public spaces in the existing WFE will be recreated within the reception estates as highlights of the community; those representative artefacts collected during community engagement activities will also be incorporated in the new estate design to preserve the history, culture, and community spirit of WFE.
Community-oriented: Comprehensive redevelopment strategy for NWFE
NWFE adopted a community-oriented approach as its core design concept. Through the "Subjects of Wah Fu" public engagement initiative, the design team has systematically fostered local consensus and identified four key development strategies: "identity + conservation", "social + community making", "sustainability + resilience" and "AI + technology". During the planning and study phase, the team will utilise a digital information management and data analysis platform to conduct scientific simulations, analyses, and comparative evaluations of key engineering and environmental parameters, aiming to achieve an optimised master layout scheme. In addition, the HA will continue to co-ordinate with the Railway Development Office of the Highways Department and the MTR Corporation Limited for the alignment of the South Island Line (West), the location of Wah Fu Station and the overall development planning. The master planning and design proposal for NWFE is expected to be substantially completed by the first half of 2028, and the HA will then submit a comprehensive proposal to the District Council.
Rebuilding Wah Fu: Development plan of NWFE Phase 1
"Rebuilding Wah Fu" is the design concept of NWFE Phase 1. The proposal includes the construction of three residential blocks, which will be used as the rehousing resources for residents from Wah Chui House and Wah King House in Phase 3 of the redevelopment of WFE. It also involves the preservation and revitalisation of the existing Wah Fu (I) Shopping Centre and the "Banyan Tree Area" outside the shopping centre to carry forward the original "Town Centre" planning concept while incorporating social welfare facilities, outdoor courtyards, covered public spaces, and a Wah Fu archive. Additionally, to create a larger parcel of land for the development of NWFE Phase 1, a section of the existing Wah Fu Road will be realigned. The HA will arrange gazettal of the relevant road works in early 2027 and will commence the relevant works in mid-2028. The HA will also seek related planning permission from the Town Planning Board. The overall design creates a more liveable future while elevating the history, culture, and sense of community of WFE, ultimately reshaping the site into the eastern gateway of NWFE.
Traffic assessment: Infrastructure improvements and AI management
The pedestrian facilities and road improvement works being carried out in the Pok Fu Lam South area by the Civil Engineering and Development Department are expected to be completed by 2027. Concurrently, the MTR Corporation is currently conducting detailed planning and design for the South Island Line (West) with the project expected to be completed and in operation by 2034 or earlier.
To address the impact of construction vehicles on regional traffic during the construction period, the HA will proactively maintain close liaison with relevant government departments, including those responsible for public works in the vicinity, to ensure smooth traffic flow, minimise impacts on the surrounding areas, and handle contingencies quickly and effectively; the HA will also jointly explore feasible routes and appropriate temporary traffic arrangements, thereby minimising traffic impacts as much as possible. Furthermore, the HA is collaborating with a research team of the University of Hong Kong to develop an integrated smart monitoring platform. By leveraging AI and real-time traffic data, this platform will enable dynamic route planning for construction vehicles, facilitating route diversion to adapt to real-time conditions flexibly, staggered scheduling, and off-peak operations to ensure the orderly movement of vehicles to and from the sites.
The HA will maintain close communication with residents and local stakeholders and continue the design process in an orderly manner, ensuring that the project fully meets the needs of the community. The HA will announce updates and the latest developments regarding the redevelopment of WFE and the development plan for NWFE in due course.
Source: AI-found images
