UNICEF HK Reimagine Education International Forum 2022
2022-12-07
HONG KONG, 6 December 2022. Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) organized UNICEF HK Reimagine Education International Forum 2022 today at the Hong Kong Palace Museum where leaders and educators from Hong Kong and around the globe discussed how the preparedness and resilience of education in post-COVID era could be strengthened for the benefit of every child.
The Forum was kicked off by video speeches of Mr. Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference & Honorary Council Member of UNICEF HK; Ms. Chen Xiurong, Former Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group, Vice-President, Member of Secretariat of All-China Women's Federation and President of China Children and Teenagers’ Fund; Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the 67th United Nations General Assembly and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia.
Mr. Leung Chun-ying mentioned in his speech that the society is slowly entering the post-COVID era and embracing the new normal. We need to have a clear blueprint on education and get ourselves well prepared for our children’s development. He pointed out that the landscape for tomorrow's learning is never solely about absorbing knowledge, going forward, education is more about the organic organization of knowledge across various disciplines in life, and the comprehensive development of the new generation. Ms. Chen Xiurong stated that promoting equitable and high-quality education for children is the key to the development of the next generation and the direction that all parties should strive for, while Mr. Vuk Jeremić urged that we need to take swift action to address the education crisis and save hundreds of millions of children from losing hope.
Mr. Zhang Zhihua, Director of the Youth Department at Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in HKSAR; Mr. Wang Qi, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in HKSAR; Mr. Edward To, Deputy Secretary for Education of HKSAR; Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mr. Ivan Chu, Advocacy Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK and Mrs. Bonnie Li, Fundraising Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK officiated the ceremony today.
Ms. Judy Chen said: “Today’s education challenges are staring at us right in the face. It is our duty to give children and adolescents a fair chance to live up to their full potential. It is our mission to make future generations ready for what lies ahead." She hopes that the Forum can be the springboard for education transformation.
Mr. Wang Qi mentioned that, the prolonged pandemic posed great challenges to the children in regard to the education and lives as a whole. China is willing to work with UNICEF to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the follow-up implementation of the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping.
Mr. John Lee, Chief Executive of HKSAR sent his congratulations through a video. He said that education must move with time amidst technological advancement, and Hong Kong government is strengthening our education system on three fronts: unleashing the potential of students, improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning, and creating strong impetus for growth.
Mr. Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) delivered a Post-COVID Education themed keynote speech that pinpoints educational challenges under the pandemic and opportunities for education transformation. He emphasized education is no longer just about teaching students something, but about helping them develop a reliable compass to navigate through an increasingly complex and uncertain world.
Three panel discussion sessions were held today. Mental Resilience Development session was hosted by Ms. Jessica Ng, Executive Vice Chairman of South China Financial Holdings Limited and South China Media Group; with Prof. Cecilia Lai Wan Chan, Professor Emeritus at University of Hong Kong and Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group as guests. It focused on ways to cultivate and enhance children's resilience to overcome pandemic-induced stress and anxiety.
Beyond Formal Education session was hosted by Prof. Cheng Kai-ming, Professor Emeritus at The University of Hong Kong; with Prof. Nirmala Rao, Professor at the University of Hong Kong and Ms. Anna Hu, Founder/CEO of Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie as guests. They shared their insights on how transferrable skills can be promoted in Hong Kong.
Teach x Tech session focusing on innovative digital solutions enabling education was hosted by The Honorable Duncan Chiu, Legislative Councilor of HKSAR; with Prof. Stephen Cheung Yanleung, President and Chair Professor of Public Policy, The Education University of Hong Kong; Prof. Nancy Law, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong and Author of COPE children’s book series Mrs. Martha Keswick as guests.
Please see the appendices for Forum details and photos.
Appendices
Download photos here: https://cutt.ly/u10DBCX
(From right to left) Mr. Ivan Chu, Advocacy Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mr. Edward To, Deputy Secretary for Education, HKSAR; Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mr. Zhang Zhihua, Director of the Youth Department at Liaison Office of The Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in HKSAR; Mr. Wang Qi, Director-General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The People’s Republic of China in HKSAR; Mrs. Bonnie Li, Fundraising Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK officiated the opening ceremony of UNICEF HK Reimagine Education International Forum 2022.
Group photo featuring Mr. Zhang Zhihua, Director of the Youth Department at Liaison Office of The Central People’s Government (LOCPG) in HKSAR; Mr. Wang Qi, Director-General of the Department of International Organisations and Conferences, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The People’s Republic of China in HKSAR; Mr. Edward To, Deputy Secretary for Education, HKSAR; Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mr. Ivan Chu, Advocacy Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK; Mrs. Bonnie Li, Fundraising Committee Chairman of UNICEF HK; and other guests at UNICEF HK Reimagine Education International Forum 2022.
Ms. Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK emphasized in her speech that: “It is our duty to give children and adolescents a fair chance to live up to their full potential and make future generations ready for what lies ahead."
The first discussion panel: Mental Resilience Development was hosted by Ms. Jessica Ng, Executive Vice Chairman of South China Financial Holdings Limited and South China Media Group (left); with Prof. Cecilia Lai Wan Chan, Professor Emeritus at University of Hong Kong (middle); and Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman of CTF Education Group (right) as guests.
The second panel: Beyond Formal Education was hosted by Prof. Cheng Kai-ming, Professor Emeritus at The University of Hong Kong (left); with Prof. Nirmala Rao, Professor at the University of Hong Kong (middle); and Ms. Anna Hu, Founder/CEO of Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie (right) as guests. They shared their insights on how transferrable skills can be promoted in Hong Kong.
The third panel: Teach x Tech session about digital learning and other innovative education solutions was hosted by The Honorable Duncan Chiu, Legislative Councilor of HKSAR (left); with Prof. Nancy Law, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong (right); Prof. Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President and Chair Professor of Public Policy, The Education University of Hong Kong (video call); and Author of COPE children’s book series Mrs. Martha Keswick (video call) .Media inquiries
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Mr. Youk Huang
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About Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) was founded in 1986 and was established as an independent local non-government organization to raise funds through public donations, corporate partnerships and special events, etc. to support UNICEF’s work. UNICEF HK also promotes and advocates for children’s rights through organizing education and youth programmes in Hong Kong.