The ivory tower is tainted with the stench of money, a truly disheartening sight. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has indicted a University of Hong Kong associate professor, alleging he accepted HK$2.2 million in bribes when approving an information technology education project worth over HK$10 million. While the public clamors for digital education and bureaucrats lavishly spend money, when the original purpose of education is absent, even the most elaborate technological projects are nothing more than easy prey for vested interests. Such carelessness in administrative funding is reflected in the eerily quiet Legislative Council chambers. A review of the recent Legislative Council session records reveals very few oral inquiries specifically addressing youth issues or calling on the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau. Politicians have disregarded the concerns of young people; ultimately, this stems from a mindset of prioritizing material gain over human connection. No matter how grand the blueprint for the future, without providing a stage for young people to shine, it remains nothing but empty rhetoric.
Establishing a Vision for the Times and Ensuring Youth's Responsibility
The world's expectations for youth are far broader. August 12th is the United Nations International Youth Day, and this year's theme is "Different Circumstances, Shared Vision." While the circumstances of young people in different countries vary greatly, their desire to participate in society is strikingly similar. The United Nations explicitly states that young people are key leaders in driving global sustainable development and innovative change, an initiative that resonates with national strategic plans. The World Youth Development Forum held earlier in Wuhan not only released the "Youth Declaration," but the national "Global Youth Development Action Plan" also selects youth-led micro-projects, confidently investing in young people as solvers of social problems.
The true essence of digital education lies in empowering young people to use technology to solve problems. These two cross-disciplinary practices demonstrate that the nation is leveraging private sector resources to dismantle development bottlenecks. In the humanities, a youth technology team, in collaboration with Suzhou and Yungang cultural heritage preservation institutions, used image generation technology to create a high-precision 3D reconstruction of damaged murals. This restoration of a thousand-year-old historical site not only repairs the ruins but also transforms them into interactive teaching tools for primary and secondary schools, giving cultural transmission a human touch. In the field of science and medicine, a youth research team from Macau and the mainland has joined forces to develop generative artificial intelligence, helping grassroots hospitals improve fetal ultrasound imaging and automated diagnosis. This dedicated effort significantly lowers the barriers to prenatal checkups in remote areas, enabling accurate screening for congenital diseases—a testament to how technology benefits the people.
Sin Chew Project incubates community venture capital
Singapore's governance even employs a venture capital mindset, willing to bear the costs of trial and error in youth policies. Sin Chew Daily's "Youth Action Plan" avoids empty talk and directly delegates resources. For example, in the Somerset Belt, the authorities don't work behind closed doors; instead, they consult over 9,000 young people, allowing them to personally outline the community blueprint. The Sin Chew government has also spearheaded the establishment of the Youth CoLab, allocating S$300,000 annually to 15 youth leaders to independently manage this core urban area.
With official funding and mentorship, youth initiatives extend beyond public space planning to encompass cutting-edge technologies. The local "*SCAPE" space features digital studios where young people test generative AI applications in music, dance visuals, and multimedia art creation. The government's role is to provide a safe space for youth to experiment, fail quickly, and bounce back strongly. While young people may make mistakes in their operations, learning to balance commercial and social values helps cultivate their resilience. This youth-trusting funding model treats social resources as public assets benefiting all, attempting to break down barriers of vested interests.
Deep cultivation and bold tolerance for mistakes among the people
Singapore allows its youth to experiment and learn from mistakes, while Hong Kong allows its elite class to continue their greedy "slicing the cake" mentality, clad in high-tech suits. Just like the intricate chain of interests in the University of Hong Kong case, underprivileged youth often only get scraps. Official indifference prevails, but fortunately, grassroots efforts continue. Students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, receiving small grants from Shaw College's "Dream Come True" program and the School of Journalism and Communication, turned their confused and awkward youthful years into a short film, "The University of Gewu." Without extravagance, a few young people shouldered the camera, groping their way through the dimness and dawn of the campus. The work even traveled overseas, winning a gold medal at an international independent film award.
In fact, Hong Kong's tertiary institutions see numerous such spontaneous proposals from young people every year. Unfortunately, once funding ends and the initiative fades, their enthusiasm often comes to a halt. The "Yan Oi Tong Youth Dream Factory," where I serve as a supervisor, recognized this gap and launched the "Youth Proposal" project two years ago, determined to accompany young people further. We allow young people to independently conceive community proposals, undergoing over half a year of street-level experience, letting them personally experience the joys and sorrows of their communities. By abandoning the arrogance of paternalistic governance and allowing frontline staff to shed their bureaucratic jargon and become equal "partners," young people will naturally transform from passive welfare recipients into active community problem solvers.
Trust Youth to Establish Dream Realization Fund
The young people who participated in the proposal frankly admitted that they initially harbored only passionate dreams, but after implementing the ideas in the community, they finally learned to start from the real functions and pain points of the community, rather than just relying on wishful thinking. Furthermore, a group of young people who were initially lost and confused appreciated the equal treatment shown by their frontline colleagues, who were not like aloof organizers but rather like members of a team, providing round-the-clock support. A study by Lingnan University confirmed that participants' sense of belonging to the community increased by over 30%. What we value is not performance figures, but a voiceless generation that, through trust and resource support, has rediscovered its responsibility to build society.
Pursuing dreams is the greatest common denominator among Hong Kong's youth. Since small-scale local grants can unleash tremendous creativity, the authorities should expand this model by establishing the "Hong Kong Youth Dream Realization Fund." This fund would approve approximately 100 individual or team grants annually to support youth participation in high-level international conferences, poverty alleviation study tours to developing regions, or the initiation of original community projects. Financial officials may question the cost of trial and error, but educational resources are meant to nurture potential. Rather than letting millions of public funds become a breeding ground for academic corruption, it's better to channel them into small, vital funds to irrigate the vibrant dreams of young people. Society should not treat youth as a problem to be guarded against, but rather believe that they are the answer to the future.
[Hong Kong 01]: https://www.hk01.com/article/60383781?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral
