The keynote speaker, Ms Nisa Leung, Managing Partner of Qiming Venture Partners, inspired the audience with an account of the astounding growth of the biotech industry in China and lessons that can be learned by all stakeholders. She was confident of mutually beneficial partnerships among industry, academia and government that would transform challenges into opportunities for a healthier world for generations to come. Discussion then turned to the broader international landscape, with panel participants focusing on the role of universities in a world of rapid change and how individual institutions could rise to the challenges. The first panel focused on the age of disruption and whether universities will disrupt or be disrupted. While universities have been among the most stable institutions over time, surviving wars and other upheavals, they now need to change in the face of new technologies. The pandemic was a dry run that demonstrated how quickly universities could alter teaching delivery and adopt new technologies. Panellists agreed insights from that experience should now be applied to AI, which is an even greater disruptor. Caution was noted regarding equity, however, as developing countries may not have easy access to technologies and students learning only online may miss out on the experiential benefits of learning in person.
The second panel focused on balancing innovation and research demands. Society wants researchers to produce products and services, while academia expects scholarly publications. The panellists noted that entrepreneurialism has been on the rise in the agendas of their institutions, most of which have introduced programmes to cultivate and promote innovation and start-ups. On the other hand, the need to emphasise innovation in recruitment and promotion must be balanced with the recognition of scholarship. After all, fundamental research is ultimately the key source of innovation. The third panel considered the “town and gown” relationship and how universities have moved beyond the ivory tower trope, particularly during COVID-19 when communities became very aware of universities’ expertise and contributions in containing the pandemic. There were multiple examples of how universities and local partners were working together to address other local issues, how universities contributed to local economies, and how they in turn benefitted from government and industry support. An important caveat is that industry and community expectations might not align with the timelines required of fundamental innovative research, which can take years to bear fruit. That consideration was explored in depth in the final panel on the pace of innovation and how universities are
evolving. Universities are traditionally governed through deliberation and collaboration, which works well in most circumstances, but is perhaps not sufficiently efficient for innovation. The panellists noted that innovation can be advanced through collaborations and supporting infrastructure, and they provided examples of how they are breaking down disciplinary boundaries, professionalising their innovation processes, investing in centres and facilities, and providing opportunities for staff and students to develop innovations into start-ups. A key consideration in this is the need to encourage people to take risks and work in teams. CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Rocky S Tuan, brought the event to a close by stressing that universities must disrupt but also be prepared to be disrupted by innovations and other changes. They must come up with better and faster ways to enable tech transfer and empower students and staff to think outside the box. He reminded the audience not to underestimate the challenges and complexities that lie ahead in this transformation and encouraged the pursuit of meaningful collaborations to amplify and catalyse impact and to serve local, national and global communities. Lastly, he reminded university leaders not to forget their roots. Ultimately, universities need to strike a fine balance between embracing change and preserving their core values and traditions, in particular the responsibility of nurturing the next generation of global citizens.
Overview
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), the world has faced rapid and highly disruptive changes over the past four years. One of the key places where societies have sought solutions has been universities. Innovation, and the business focus that often underpins it, is increasingly becoming intertwined with education. The CUHK Diamond Jubilee University Presidents’ Forum brought together university presidents and leaders from 18 countries and regions spanning six continents to discuss how higher education can lead the response to the changing landscape. Forum participants were welcomed by Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, who spoke on the development of higher education in Hong Kong and how the government is promoting innovation. The government has invested substantially and strategically in developing Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education and research, building on the existing excellence, global connections and high degree of internationalisation in universities.
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