The symposium "Future-Ready Universities: Innovation, Talent, and Global Eminence" took place at City University of Hong Kong (Dongguan) (CityUHK (Dongguan)) on November 7. Nearly 500 secondary school principals and teachers, together with guests from government, universities, and industry across the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong SAR, gathered to exchange views on building the university of the future, cultivating talent in the age of artificial intelligence, and strengthening collaboration between secondary schools and universities. 

Professor LU Chun, Executive President of CityUHK (Dongguan), delivered the opening address. He presented the university's collaborative education model, admissions, and the employment outcomes of its first cohort of master's graduates. He also called for closer partnerships among secondary schools, universities, and student families to help students develop workplace-relevant skills through projects, internships, and research experiences. Professor CHIU Chi Yue, Vice-President (Administration) of CityUHK (Dongguan), chaired the morning session.

Mr Patrick CHONG, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, presented Hong Kong's five-year plan for the integrated development of education, technology, and talent. Professor MA Zhaoyuan of SUSTech stressed the importance of human creativity and holistic development in the age of AI, advocating learning environments that encourage exploration and allow students to learn through trial and error.

A roundtable discussion titled "Shaping the Future: How Can Cooperative Education Inspire New Models for World-Class Universities?" featured leaders from cooperative universities and was moderated by WU Xinyue, an undergraduate student from CityUHK (Dongguan)'s 2024 intake.

Joining the discussion were Professor CHEN Zhi, President of Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University; Professor CHIU Chi Yue, Vice-President (Administration) of CityUHK (Dongguan); Dr YI Chuanping, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Development of Guangdong Technion–Israel Institute of Technology; and Dr BI Xiaogang, Party Secretary of Nottingham University Business School (China). Together, they explored the distinctive features of universities operating in an open and integrated environment, the qualities and learning potential students need, how talent-development models should evolve in the age of AI, and how students can best be supported in further study, employment, and long-term development. 

The afternoon sessions were hosted by LIU Zhouyi, an undergraduate student from the 2026 intake. Professor Ray CHEUNG Chak-chung, Associate Vice-President and Director of the Academy for Future Learning of CityUHK, delivered a special report on co-building an artificial intelligence education ecosystem and exploring government-industry-university-research collaboration models. Dr LI Yuan, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Development) of CityUHK (Dongguan), delivered a report entitled "From Learning to Learn to Continuous Growth: Future-Oriented Collaborative Education between Secondary Schools and Universities".

The symposium featured policy briefings, industry insights, discussions on educational practice, and campus experience sharing. It provided a platform for communication and collaboration between secondary schools and universities, and offered fresh perspectives on how universities can prepare students for the future.