Youth Development Summit Held in Hong Kong with Hong Kong Jockey Club Support to Inspire Young People to Seize New Opportunities

The Youth Development Summit ‧ Hong Kong 2026, supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, was successfully held today (7 November) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. As the flagship event of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the summit brought together government officials, business leaders, academics and distinguished speakers from various sectors to exchange insights on youth development and inspire young people to seize opportunities and shape positive future pathways.

The summit, held under the theme “Pioneering New Horizons, Venturing into the Future”, opened with a video address by the Hon John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR. Officiating at the opening ceremony were the Hon Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Sun Shangwu, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Dr the Hon Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR; the Hon Alice Mak, Secretary for Youth and Home Affairs of the HKSAR Government; Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; the Hon Kenneth Fok, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Legislative Council Member (Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Constituency), Vice President, Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Executive Vice President of the Greater Bay Area Home and Youth Community Foundation; and other guests. Among the keynote speakers were Xu Xiao, President of the All-China Youth Federation; and Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The Club’s Charities Trust approved HK$10 million in funding to support youthfest@HK 2026, of which the summit is one of the highlight events. The Trust has been the principal funder of youthfest@HK since 2023, helping foster collaboration among youth organisations, non-governmental organisations and the business sector to offer diverse opportunities for young people. youthfest@HK attracts about 200,000 participants each year through around 200 activities.

The Club has been actively supporting youth development in Hong Kong by initiating and supporting a wide range of programmes that empower young people to realise their potential and contribute to society as active citizens. Examples include CLAP@JC, which has raised the professional standards and service quality of career and life development education and services; 21C@JC, which has transformed youth services in the digital era; and JC LevelMind, which provides “Always On” mental well-being support services. In addition, last year, the Club announced a HK$1.4 billion donation to support five youth development initiatives. These include the HYAB JC Scheme for Youth Life Planning, launched in partnership with the HYAB, and the enhancement of facilities at Youth Square, including the establishment of the HYAB JC Y Cube.

The Club’s support for youth development is aligned with national priorities for nurturing talent and empowering the younger generation, as outlined in the National 15th Five-Year Plan, as well as the HKSAR Government’s Youth Development Blueprint. Through strategic partnerships and community initiatives, the Club seeks to help young people strengthen their sense of national identity, develop a global outlook and prepare to seize opportunities arising from the country’s and Hong Kong’s development.

This year’s Youth Development Summit brought together young participants from various locations including the Chinese Mainland, Macao and overseas, fostering dialogue, an exchange of perspectives and mutual learning on key youth development issues. Apart from keynote addresses, the summit featured thematic forums covering cultural and creative industries, innovation and technology, national development and international engagement, as well as diversified pathways for young people. The event aimed to equip youth with positive values, a global outlook and an aspiring mindset while fostering a stronger sense of national identity and commitment to Hong Kong's future development.

The Club’s support for Youth Development Summit, like all of its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique value creation model, through which the Club generates sustainable economic and social value for the community through tax contributions, charitable donations and employment opportunities.

This year’s Youth Development Summit attracted young participants from various locations including the Chinese Mainland, Macao and overseas, fostering dialogue, an exchange of perspectives and mutual learning on key youth development issues.

The Hon Kenneth Fok, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Legislative Council Member (Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Constituency), Vice President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Executive Vice President of the Greater Bay Area Home and Youth Community Foundation (1st left), moderates the “Synergising Culture & Tourism ∙ Celebrating Traditions & Creativity” thematic session, joined by Andre Blumberg, Founder and Challenge Director, Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (2nd left), Cai Huaijun, General Manager and Vice President, Hunan Broadcasting System (2nd right), and Andrew Kam, Chief Executive Officer, Kai Tak Sports Park Ltd (1st right). The participants shared their views on the synergies of integrating sports, culture, and tourism, and explored how cross-sector collaboration could sustain cultural and urban resources, drive innovation and unlock iconic cultural IP to foster regenerative cultural tourism.

The Hon Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (centre); Sun Shangwu, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (10th left); Dr the Hon Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (6th left); the Hon Alice Mak, Secretary for Youth and Home Affairs of the HKSAR Government (5th left); the Hon Martin Liao, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the HKSAR (2nd right); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (4th left); the Hon Kenneth Fok, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Legislative Council Member (Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Constituency), Vice President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Executive Vice President of the Greater Bay Area Home and Youth Community Foundation (3rd left) and other guests join the Youth Development Summit 2026.

The Hon Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (front row centre); Sun Shangwu, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (front row, 11th left); Dr the Hon Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, 3rd left); the Hon Alice Mak, Secretary for Youth and Home Affairs of the HKSAR Government (front row, 1st left); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (back row, 10th left); the Hon Kenneth Fok, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Legislative Council Member (Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Constituency), Vice President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, and Executive Vice President of the Greater Bay Area Home and Youth Community Foundation (back row, 8th left) and other guests officiate at the opening session of the Youth Development Summit 2026.

The Hon John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, delivers a video address at the Youth Development Summit 2026.

Speech by SCST at Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra "Welcome Tarmo Reception"

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) "Welcome Tarmo Reception" today (November 7):

David (Chairman of Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, Mr David Cogman), Tarmo (Music Director of the HK Phil, Mr Tarmo Peltokoski), Vincent (Chairman of the Chow Sang Sang Group, Mr Vincent Chow), ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening. I have the greatest pleasure to join you at this reception to officially welcome our new Music Director, Tarmo Peltokoski. I say welcome, but of course, Tarmo is already a familiar and highly respected figure among our musicians and audiences. Tonight's reception is a formal introduction, but really, it should feel even more like a homecoming party.

First, let me propose that once again we give a good round of applause to Tarmo and all the talented instrumentalists, vocalists and choristers, from Hong Kong and overseas for the stunning performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 just now. The performance was a magnificent close to the HK Phil's complete Mahler cycle; but it was also a splendid fanfare for the new era under Maestro Tarmo's baton.

Great artistic synergy takes time to build, yet today it felt entirely natural. Tarmo first sparked this chemistry as the HK Phil's Guest Conductor in 2023, strengthened it as Music Director Designate last season, and he now finally steps into his new role with deep familiarity and well-honed artistry. Tonight's concert is a brilliant showcase of Tarmo's assured stage performance, exceptional conducting prowess, and seamless teamwork with the HK Phil's talented musicians. Just now I told Winnie (Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, Ms Winnie Tam), if I were a choir member, I would also be very, very happy to work with a conductor like Tarmo.

I am fully confident that this strong partnership will elevate the HK Phil to new heights and enrich Hong Kong's vibrant cultural scene. The Hong Kong SAR Government proudly supports the HK Phil in its further effort to solidify its role as a cultural flagship of our city. Together, we will project Hong Kong's artistic brilliance on the global stage, reinforcing our position as an East-meets-West cultural exchange centre.

As a music lover myself, please allow me to express my warmest thanks to Tarmo and all the musicians for an unforgettable orchestral feast. Here is to a new era for the HK Phil - one filled abundantly with breathtaking music, rewarding projects, and exciting milestones ahead. Tonight is just a remarkable beginning, and the best is yet to come.

Let us all enjoy the rest of this delightful evening. Do keep your eyes and ears open. I'm told there will be surprise bonus encore performances during the reception, and I, for one, definitely won't want to miss them. Thank you very much.

Source: AI-found images