Being at the forefront of policy advocacy, I personally lobby officials and stakeholders. Sometimes, I yield a good result. However, I understand that the efforts of one person can only achieve limited success. To bring about long-lasting and sustainable changes in society through collective efforts, it is necessary to bring together more people who are prepared to dedicate themselves to public affairs. In order to nurture a new generation of politicians, civil servants, policymakers, and informed citizens, I thus wish to provide public policy training. They are expected to understand theories and concepts, develop awareness of contemporary issues, analytical skills and the ability to examine social issues from multiple perspectives. The goal is to build up a pool of governing talents for Hong Kong on a long-term basis.
Policy training in Hong Kong is led by universities and political groups. The former focuses on public administration, whereas the latter focuses on electoral engineering. To systematically raise the standards of political participation, discussion and discourse, we established Hong Kong Academy of Politics and Public Policy to developed a diploma course focused on both theory and practice with HKU SPACE. Top leaders in political, business and academic sectors are invited to give lectures.My role is to lead students through their policy projects. Opportunities are created for them to make a public appearance through conferences, exhibitions and publications. We hope that in their various positions, capable and aspiring professionals can shine out.
Students in secondary and higher education are becoming more and more engaged in public affairs. In recent years, this has evolved into a prevailing trend. To help them develop their thinking skills for policy issues, and the ability to apply global experience and find solutions, I organise and deliver civic training, and select winners for district youth scholarships. I also play a teaching role in social innovation research, covering issues such as elderly health and care, educational innovation, land and housing, and social inclusion. Partners include the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education, HSBC, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore, etc. I sincerely believe that today's students will become tomorrow's leaders, and investing in the youth means investing in the future.
