CUHK
News Centre

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) welcomes the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan) and 2026 Policy Address delivered by Mr John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Government, today (16 September). In the opening year of the National 15^th Five-Year Plan, the city’s first Five-Year Plan sets out a roadmap for Hong Kong’s future, providing a clear direction for the long-term development of the Northern Metropolis University Town and strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre and an international hub for high-calibre talents.

Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “CUHK welcomes the Government’s comprehensive blueprint outlining the development of the Northern Metropolis, comprising objectives of a university town, I&T, industry and environment suitable for living, work and travel. We also welcome the upgrading of the ‘Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town’ to the ‘Committee on Construction and Development of the University Town’, which will provide high-level steer and strengthen inter-departmental collaboration to support the long-term development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. The Committee’s plan to explore measures to facilitate research translation – including the provision of technology transfer funding, the introduction of accelerators and incubators and channelling capital input – demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to promoting I&T development as well as academia-industry-research collaboration.”

He added: “CUHK fully supports the Government’s vision of consolidating and enhancing the advantages of the ‘four centres and one hub’, as well as advancing the integrated development of education, technology and talent. The Northern Metropolis University Town, the San Tin Technopole and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone will serve as key engines for innovation and technology development and the gathering of high-calibre talents in Hong Kong. CUHK has been actively participating in the biobank project at the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Co-operation Zone. Working closely with the Hospital Authority, CUHK is also promoting cross-institutional and cross-regional collaboration in medical research and clinical translation. These efforts will help accelerate innovation in life and health technologies, strengthen the Greater Bay Area’s biomedical ecosystem and inject new momentum into the development of the region’s healthcare and life sciences sector.”

“One Town, Five Elements” and deepened GBA collaboration

CUHK supports the development of university towns in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling in the Northern Metropolis, based on the concept of “One Town, Five Elements” encompassing the five elements of education, technology, industry, talent and urban development. With a planned area exceeding 1,000 hectares, the Northern Metropolis University Town is expected to drive the region’s overall development and foster interdisciplinary research, international exchange and academia-industry-research collaboration. CUHK will actively support the Government’s plans and contribute to this innovation ecosystem integrating education, research, entrepreneurship and talent development.

Professor Lo is pleased to see the Government’s investment in talent development and attraction, promoting capacity expansion and quality enhancement for post-secondary education. Initiatives include around 30% increase in UGC-funded research postgraduate places, the expansion of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme to 550 places, and the provision of HK$40 million per academic year through the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education to promote the widespread use of AI and emerging technologies in the higher education sector. He noted that these initiatives would further enhance Hong Kong’s attractiveness as an international hub for post-secondary education and an international hub for high-calibre talent. Professor Lo added that CUHK will actively support the Government’s efforts to advance the integrated development of education, technology and talent, thereby nurturing more globally minded and innovative talent for the benefit of Hong Kong and the nation.

In addition, CUHK strongly supports the University Technology Start-up Support Scheme, the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme, and the additional funding of HK$20 million to support knowledge transfer. The University will continue to strengthen collaboration with industry and research partners, accelerate the translation of innovation into real-world applications and contribute to the growth of Hong Kong’s I&T sector.

Supporting deep space exploration and promoting commercial space technology development

Professor Lo said: “The Government has introduced a series of measures to support deep space exploration and the development of the commercial space sector, covering aerospace research and development, commercial space initiatives, as well as space science education and talent cultivation. CUHK has been actively contributing to the national innovation system through initiatives including the launch of the AI satellite ‘CUHK Sat-1’, contributions to China’s Tianwen-3 Mars mission, and participation in national Antarctic scientific expeditions. These efforts have reinforced the University’s presence in critical frontier fields such as aerospace, polar science, artificial intelligence and quantum science, contributing to the advancement of national science and technology.”

The Centre for Perceptual and Interactive Intelligence (CPII), an InnoHK research centre at CUHK, has partnered with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) for the third consecutive year to provide real-time AI-generated captions for the live broadcast of the Policy Address speech. In addition, a team led by Professor Yam Yeung, Research Professor at Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, and Professor Helen Meng Mei-ling, Patrick Huen Wing Ming Professor of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management at CUHK, pioneered the development of Hong Kong’s first pre-tertiary AI curriculum. The curriculum was adopted by the Education Bureau as part of the mainstream secondary school curriculum as early as the 2023/24 academic year, demonstrating CUHK’s commitment to leading AI transformation across the region and advancing responsible AI education for the benefit of society.