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The University of Hong Kong (HKU) held its first-ever Career AIgnition Day at the Rayson Huang Theatre on main campus on February 23. The event, which drew a full house of over 300 HKU students and staff, provided a unique opportunity for attendees to gain valuable insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on career development.

Career AIgnition Day marked the launch of HKU Career AI Initiatives, a suite of pioneering programmes designed to integrate AI proficiency within HKU career education framework.

Professor Ian Holliday, Vice President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at HKU, emphasised in the Opening Remarks the importance of embracing AI advancements and their potential to enhance employability and career growth.

“Career AIgnition Day marks HKU's commitment to preparing our students for the dynamic AI-driven future of work. By fostering awareness and forging the necessary knowledge and practical experience, the University aims to ensure that our students stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing global landscape,” said Professor Holliday.

Mr Albert Wong, CEO of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) delivered the keynote speech. He shared his insights on the latest innovation and technology development and highlighted the transformative role AI is playing in various industries.

Mr Wong encouraged students to equip themselves with skills and knowledge in this cutting-edge field and said: “As the largest innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong, we encourage people to embrace innovations. Generative AI technology is rapidly developing with more evolved tools keep coming to the market. What matter most is how to use the technology to lead a better life and power our future. With AI taking care of repetitive tasks and automation, humans can focus on the creative and strategic aspects while tech professionals can spend more time on innovation and business solutions.” 

During a panel discussion titled "Leveraging AI for Career Success", industry leaders shared their perspectives on how AI-driven technologies are shaping the future of work, as well as strategies for students to capitalize on these advancements.

Mr Kelvin Tse, Head of Global Partner Solutions, Microsoft Hong Kong said: “The paradigm shift to AI as copilot requires a new way of working to free us from digital debt. Our study revealed that 88% of Hong Kong leaders believe their employees will need new skills to adapt to the growth of AI. As part of our commitment to promote AI literacy, we are now expanding AI advancement to education sector to modernize teaching and learning models.”

“When the world is changing rapidly with new technology advancements, LinkedIn, empowered by our visibility of the 1-billion global workforce, is well-positioned to help talents acquire the skills they need to keep up. Our community and industry expert led digital learning platform now hosts 20,000+ learning courses. We are also making available the first professional certificate in Generative AI, for free through 2025, to ensure widespread access to the essential skills and knowledge necessary to be successful at work in the age of AI,” said Ms Mei Mei Ng, General Manager of LinkedIn Hong Kong and Head of Talent Solutions for Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“AI can handle many tasks, but it can't touch your desires and dreams,” said Mr Royce Lee, CEO of New Media Group HK.

Career AIgnition Day also covered interactive workshop led by HR professionals from Ernst & Young and KOS International who are well-versed in the AI hiring process. The hands-on session provided students with practical tips and guidance on navigating the AI-integrated job market.

Other programmes under the Career AI Initiatives include the Industry Report for Early Careers: An in-depth look at AI's role in modern workplaces, as well as the AiPEX@HKU, HKU flagship AI Internship programme, serving the first of its kind in Hong Kong, to offer practical AI sector experience to HKU students. Over 30 multinational companies and start-ups have rendered their support for more than 100 AI-related positions to HKU students starting from this summer.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Communication and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: melwkwan@hku.hk)
Ms Jaymee Ng (Tel: 3910 3612 / Email: ngjaymee@hku.hk)
Mr Kenneth Choi (Tel: 2859 2607 / Email: khkchoi@hku.hk)