University town role seen in readying young for AI age

The university town being planned for the Northern Metropolis can play a role in helping primary and secondary school students come to grips with artificial intelligence learning, Secretary for Education Christine Choi said on Saturday. She was speaking after the government unveiled a blueprint on the implementation of digital education in primary and secondary schools on Wednesday. One of its goals is to enhance student digital literacy so that they can use evolving technologies effectively in a complex and rapidly changing era. Speaking on a television programme, Choi said it is possible for the town, one of the areas of focus in the mega hub, to offer hardware support for students. “For example, upon the establishment of the Northern Metropolis’ university town, if universities have computing centres or AI laboratories, we can open them at an appropriate time so secondary and primary school students can go and visit and listen to talks by experts," she said. "They can then gain an understanding and be inspired when choosing their subjects later or deciding on their life goals.” Following Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office director Xia Baolong’s two-day visit that concluded on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee said the university town could be expanded from the initial 100 hectares to 1,000 hectares or more, so as to cover more uses, including those for technology. Choi said she expects there will be more opportunities for inter-institutional cooperation or interdisciplinary fields’ development at the town. Edited by Azam Khan