15 Years of HKAGE: Lighting up the Roads to Reaching for the Stars

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15 Years of HKAGE: Lighting up the Roads to Reaching for the Stars

(Hong Kong, 8 July 2023) The Hong Kong Gifted Education Academy (HKAGE / Academy) held a celebration today at the Hong Kong Science Park to mark its 15^th anniversary.

The HKAGE was honoured to have Dr CHOI Yuk Lin, JP, Secretary for Education of HKSAR; Dr YIP Shing Fai Denis, Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI); and Ir Dr LAM Hiu Fung Alan, JP, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, HKAGE, as its officiating guests. The launch ceremony featured a variety of performances by gifted students, including Nunchaku, Karate, and an AI vs human dance battle. An impressive light-up ceremony followed, starting with the officiating guests illuminating stars on the stage and then joined by the small stars held by the hundreds of audience members. A sea of stars was formed to light up the roads for the gifted youths to reach for the stars.

Dr CHOI Yuk Lin, JP, Secretary for Education of HKSAR, stated that the government has placed great importance on gifted education. This year, the Education Bureau (EDB) will inject another $600 million into the Gifted Education Fund to enhance the support for the work of the HKAGE, so that it would have additional resources to organise more local, cross-border, nation-wide and international training, activities and competitions; offer diverse, high-quality, and challenging STEAM-specific off-school education services; enable gifted students to showcase their talents and broaden their horizons. The HKAGE would also provide training for teachers and parents to strengthen their affective support for gifted students' learning and emotional well-being. Professional support to schools would continue for the promotion and optimisation of school-based gifted education programmes, as well as the establishment of school-based talent pools, with a view to scouting and cultivating talent for society. In the future, the EDB will work together with the HKAGE to promote the sustainable development of gifted education in Hong Kong, enabling gifted students to excel in different fields and become future leaders.

Ir Dr LAM Hiu Fung Alan, JP, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, HKAGE, said, "I am deeply grateful to the Education Bureau for their unwavering support to the Academy over the past 15 years, which has enabled us to nurture tens of thousands of gifted students in Hong Kong. We believe that every child is unique and has valuable potential. As educators, our mission is to carefully identify each student's talents and strengths, teach them according to their abilities, and bring out their full potential. We are delighted to witness our gifted students’ outstanding performances showcased during today's celebration. With the recent increase in resources for gifted education in the government's budget, we hope to make good use of it to fulfil our mission of nurturing gifted students and cultivating more outstanding leaders for the future of Hong Kong."

Dr YIP Shing Fai Denis, Chief Executive Officer, ASTRI, remarked, “ASTRI is honoured to witness the Academy's 15-year journey of nurturing gifted students and helping them unleash their potential. The Academy has always kept pace with the times by using different innovative technologies to create a diversified learning environment and encourage students to learn with innovative thinking and explore the possibilities of future development. ASTRI hopes to optimise the education system through the latest technology, develop various educational technologies to meet different teaching needs, improve teaching tools, and facilitate the development of the education industry. We look forward to working with the Academy to use advanced technology to improve students' learning outcomes, inspire their interests in different fields, and discover more future stars for our society.”

Dr WONG Kam Yiu Jimmy, Executive Director of the HKAGE, expressed his gratitude to the guests for supporting the event. "I have witnessed our staff members’ hard work all these years. By broadening the intake channel, more multi-talented gifted students have been admitted for gifted training, and their talents are showcased through their performances, whereas their outstanding works are exhibited. In addition, a new batch of gifted students has just joined our big family of 8,000 students, including the 100 newcomers who attended today’s ceremony. They are all with leadership potential and got admitted to the HKAGE through the newly established Principal's Nomination. By providing training according to their aptitude, we hope that their full potential can be identified and developed, enabling them to become future leaders of Hong Kong. We look forward to excelling in our work of nurturing gifted students and inspiring them to reach for the stars.”

Following the launch ceremony, two flagship events took place, namely the Annual Hotung Lecture 2023 and the Anniversary Gifted Education Expo. The Lecture featured several education experts, including Professor LO Yuk Ming Dennis, SBS, JP, the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, who shared his insights on nurturing gifted students' innovative spirit and helping individuals realise their dreams. The Expo provided a variety of innovative workshops and games, including the award-winning safe in the international physics tournament held in Israel, the EcoVendor, and other unique exhibits, which enabled students and the public to experience the Academy's gifted education in a creative way and to rediscover the joy of learning and seeking knowledge, which could be turned into passion and motivation to embark on their own journey towards their dreams.

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