Latest Updates - President's Interview on “Beautiful Sunday” to Share Opportunities in Northern Metropolis and Higher Education Development 2026-09-20

Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of SFU, was recently invited to the Commercial Radio programme "Beautiful Sunday" sharing his views on Hong Kong's first five-year plan, the development of the Northern Metropolis, and the future of higher education.

Professor Cheung said that Hong Kong's social development requires long-term planning. The Northern Metropolis, in alignment with the relevant arrangements of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, will help Hong Kong better integrate into the country's overall development. By releasing land, the Northern Metropolis can provide greater room for higher education, scientific research, and industry-academia-research collaboration, becoming an important component of Hong Kong's economic and innovation and technology strategy.

He pointed out that Hong Kong's higher education sector enjoys a strong international reputation, with several publicly funded universities performing outstandingly in world rankings, including five ranked among the world's top 100. The Northern Metropolis University Town can promote the sharing of facilities, talent exchange, and interdisciplinary collaboration among institutions. Together with the presence of enterprises, it can create stronger synergies, facilitate the translation of research outcomes, and generate tangible economic and social impact.

Professor Cheung believes that the Government can draw on the development experience of Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science Park to enhance the planning, supporting facilities, and project implementation of the Northern Metropolis, while supporting university-industry collaboration through research funding. Universities should ensure that research projects are of high quality and have practical application value, while enterprises can leverage their market insight to help translate innovative ideas into products and services.

He said that young people are full of creativity, and society should provide more research, internship, and entrepreneurship opportunities so that students can connect their knowledge with market needs. In terms of talent development, universities should not only emphasise professional knowledge and practical skills, but also cultivate students' character, values, language proficiency, and communication skills, nurturing talent with both ability and integrity.

Professor Cheung also pointed out that Hong Kong can play the role of a "super connector", linking the Mainland, ASEAN, and international markets. Hong Kong can further develop into an international education and professional training hub, attracting more students and scholars from the Mainland, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe for study, exchange, and collaboration. The "Study in Hong Kong" brand can gradually build a clearer international profile, helping Hong Kong attract talent and create new opportunities.

Image source: CRHK News