World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 Opens in Hong Kong, Focusing on Higher Education's Future Innovations

Top global university leaders gather in Hong Kong as World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 opens

The World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 opened today (November 4) on the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) campus. Under the theme "Higher Education Reimagined: Innovating for the Future", the two-day Forum brings togetherin Hong Kongpresidents and senior leadership figures from around 50 world-leading universities to explore strategic directions for the development of global higher education.

The World Class University Presidents Forum 2026 opened today. Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

As a premier event in the global education community fully supported by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and hosted by the HKUST, the Forum aims to further demonstrate Hong Kong's unique strength and pivotal status as a bridge connecting the Chinese Mainland with the global higher education system. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, who also delivered opening remarks.

Mr Chan said in his speech that higher education has always been a vital pillar of Hong Kong's success. Hong Kong has long served as a hub for global talent and academic exchanges. It is also the only city in the world to host five universities in the global top 100 - a testament to the strength of its higher education, further underscored by the latest QS University Rankings: Asia 2027. The HKSAR Government will continue to align closely with national strategies, accelerate the integrated development of education, technology and talent, and further consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international hub for post-secondary education through the implementation of key initiatives such as the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town.

The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Several heavyweight interuniversity co-operation signing ceremonies were also held at event, witnessing the signing of important strategic co-operation agreements between leading institutions and organisations at home and abroad. These included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on deepening collaboration between Central South University and Monash University; an MOU between Zhejiang University and the HKUST on the establishment of a joint innovation centre; a Trilateral Joint Seed Fund agreement among the University of Warwick, Nanyang Technological University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University; as well as a student exchange agreement between Trinity College Dublin and Nanjing University, marking a new milestone in global higher education and research collaborative innovation.

Bringing together presidents, renowned scholars, and international education leaders from dozens of world-leading universities, the Forum addresses key issues such as talent cultivation in the intelligent age, technology and innovation driving the future economy, and universities' response to major global challenges. Today's topics include "The University and the Century Ahead", "Educating the Human: The Generation Shaping the Intelligent Age", and "From Ideas to Innovation: Universities Driving the Future Economy".

A number of prominent leaders from the political, business, and academic sectors also addressed the Forum either in person or via video message, including the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr Ban Ki-moon; the President of the 43rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, Mr Khondker M Talha; the President of the China Association of Higher Education, Ms Lin Huiqing; the Council Chairman of the HKUST, Professor Harry Shum; and the President of the HKUST, Professor Nancy Ip.

The Forum will continue with panel dialogues and roundtable discussions tomorrow (November 5), covering core areas including global health, sustainable development, open science, and the university in its place and in the world, building consensus and charting actionable pathways for the sustainable future of global higher education.

Hong Kong. Photo source: reference image

Hong Kong Science Museum's "The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" showcases laureates' achievements in scientific research

The Hong Kong Science Museum is presenting "The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" at the museum's main lobby on 1/F to introduce this year's Shaw Laureates and their outstanding contributions. The exhibition features multimedia and interactive panels to explain the underlying scientific concepts in an accessible way, guiding visitors to explore the research journeys of these leading scientists. The exhibition runs until January 6, 2027. Admission is free.

The Shaw Prize is a prestigious international award in the scientific field which consists of three awards: the Prize in Life Science and Medicine, the Prize in Astronomy, and the Prize in Mathematical Sciences. A new prize category in Computer Science will be awarded for the first time in 2027.

The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine this year is awarded in equal shares to three scholars: Anne Dejean, Professor Emerita at the Institut Pasteur, France; Hugues de Thé, Professor and Chair of Cellular and Molecular Oncology at the Collège de France; and Zhu Chen, Professor, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, for the discovery of the molecular and cellular bases of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and the pioneering of a synergistic targeted therapy.

The Shaw Prize in Astronomy is awarded in equal shares to two scholars: Ken'ichi Nomoto, Emeritus Professor and Visiting Senior Scientist of the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, the University of Tokyo, Japan; and Stanford Woosley, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, the United States, for their studies of stellar explosions and the origin of the elements.

The Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences 2026 is awarded in equal shares to two scholars: Emmanuel Candès, the Barnum–Simons Chair in Mathematics and Statistics, Stanford University, the United States; and Camillo De Lellis, the IBM von Neumann Professor, School of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton,the United States, for their breakthrough contributions to the use of deep techniques from mathematical analysis to understand applied problems.

"The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and The Shaw Prize Foundation and is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Education Bureau and Hong Kong Education City. For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/exhibition/shawprize.html.

The Hong Kong Science Museum is presenting "The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" to introduce the Shaw Laureates this year and their outstanding contributions. Interactive panels at the exhibition allow visitors to learn about the related science knowledge in an accessible way. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Science Museum is presenting "The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" to introduce the Shaw Laureates this year and their outstanding contributions, as well as elaborate on related science knowledge. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Science Museum is presenting "The Shaw Prize 2026 Exhibition" to introduce the Shaw Laureates this year and their outstanding contributions, as well as elaborate on related science knowledge. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases