A record-breaking number of global experts and exhibitors converged on Hong Kong to explore technology’s transformative role in learning, highlighting city’s position as edtech hub
The Learning & Teaching Expo 2024, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, was too much of an attraction for anyone to resist.
Opened on Dec 11, the three-day event gathered over 330 global education pundits to engage in some 290 sharing sessions, scattered around a dynamic exhibition floor of some 15,000 square meters where up to 600 booths boasted technology-powered, high-quality education solutions.
This year’s expo saw a new pinnacle of visitor turnout, with over 18,000 attendances logged, marking an impressive 11.8 percent increase from the previous edition.
The expo, themed “Shaping Education for a World of Change”, was particularly timely as the sweeping development of AI technologies has been stirring considerable attention, especially in the education sector.
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Witnessing the all-time expansion, Armstrong Lee Hon-cheung, chairman of Hong Kong Education City, described this year’s upscaling as a confidence vote by the education sector for a more sustainable education ecosystem, which now, arguably more than ever, hinges on the innovative application of leading-edge technologies.
As stated in the Beijing Consensus on AI and Education published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2019, the systematic integration of AI in education has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in education today, innovate teaching and learning practices, and ultimately accelerate the progress towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The drive has gained traction following the launch of such generative AI tools as ChatGPT in late 2022, which can produce, among others, human-like textual, imagery, and video output.
Taking AI application as a shared thread, A-list educationalists, frontline practitioners, and exhibitors at the expo discussed diverse global education trends and presented the latest learning and teaching resources in 11 theaters, highlighting AI-enabled solutions in areas such as language learning, STEAM programs, and early childhood education, as well as nurturing students’ cross-cultural understanding and innate capabilities.
International stellar minds gather
The expo, apart from setting out to weave a vibrant tapestry that reflects the latest advancement in educational technologies, also looked to convene a world-class salon for intellectual discourse.
Luminary contingents from around the world flocked to the expo’s center stages — spanning from the mainland, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, Australia, the United Kingdom, and beyond — all eager to share their expertise and unveil their recent findings and reflections.
The productive space provided by the expo for idea exchange has frequently been cited as one of its major attractions for global academics, with many turning to it regularly after their first visit.
Enthusiasts include Jason Lodge, an educational psychology professor at The University of Queensland, who was a second-time attendee and again taken aback by the conversations he and his fellow scholars had in terms of self-regulated learning in the AI-driven landscape.
For many others, this edition marked their maiden voyage. Leigh Kamolins, the director of analytics and evaluation at Quacquarelli Symonds — a leading provider of analytics and insights for the global higher education sector — described the expo as a spectacle of innovation, signaling a resurgence of energy and creativity in Hong Kong’s education sector.
In a reflective interview with the organizer, Kamolins highlighted the city’s unique education system which is highly conducive to fostering a fertile ground for the breeding of groundbreaking ideas, as well as its ability to bring together world-leading institutions across various disciplines, stretching across STEAM.
“It feels like that spark (of innovation) is back. There’s this inspiring energy in the air, and I am really excited to come back next time and see how it can evolve further,” said Kamolins.
Alongside their global counterparts, the animated discussions were also punctuated by the insightful contributions of a delegation from the mainland.
Among them was Ding Junfeng, a professor from Tongji University in Shanghai, whose fresh perspectives injected much-needed dynamism into the discourse on regional and international collaboration in the AI era.
He spoke highly of Hong Kong’s strong foundation in technical expertise and acknowledged its platform potential for cross-regional collaboration.
As suggested by Ding, for their wealth of real-world case studies, the diverse educational ecologies of numerous cities and institutions can significantly supplement great context for research and foster deeper and more comprehensive exchanges.
Other main stage speakers at the expo included Vincent Chian Kwok Liang from Fairview International School in Malaysia, Jasmine Sim Boon Yee from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Alicia Drummond from The Wellbeing Hub in the UK, Zheng Qinhua from Beijing Normal University, and Hong Kong experts such as Rosanna Wong Yick-ming from Asia International School and Clive Martyn Lee from the University of Hong Kong.
Global exchanges bear fruit
Apart from looking for new developments, Simon Wang Ho, a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, came to the expo in his expert capacity, having been invited to take part in a panel discussion presented by China Daily on Dec 12, about transforming language learning through AI, along with Adam Edmett, head of EdTech Innovation for the British Council, and Wen Yun, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University’s Learning Sciences and Assessment Academic Group at the Singapore National Institute of Education.
“Sharing and communication such as this can at least serve as a starting point for mutual borrowing, referencing, and learning, which can oftentimes be surprisingly fruitful,” said Wang.
Inspired by Wen’s discussion on the Singapore Student Learning Space, an open platform for AI education developed by the Ministry of Education, he began to consider how Hong Kong might benefit from exploring similar initiatives to guide the responsible development of AI education frameworks.
This rising recognition of technologies’ strong presence, and the AI implementation fever within industries and academia, come in tandem with the pursuit of education excellence long aimed for by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.
Speaking at the expo’s opening ceremony, Hong Kong Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin highlighted this year’s theme, “Shaping Education for a World of Change”, and emphasized Hong Kong’s commitment to the advancement of digital education.
Aligned with President Xi Jinping’s vision of invigorating the country through science and education, and the chief executive’s Policy Address, the government is implementing key initiatives such as the establishment of the Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education, the extension of the e-Learning Funding Programme, and the promotion and enhancement of AI-assisted teaching.
Choi also praised Hong Kong students’ outstanding performance in the 2022 PISA assessment, which affirmed the city’s dedication to educational excellence. She encouraged educators worldwide to share the vision of unlocking IT potential to empower students to navigate the rapidly evolving world.
While trumpeting the city as a breeding ground for education technologies, the expo — hailed as one of Hong Kong’s mega events for this year — also capitalized on its global connectivity to siphon a high influx of stakeholders and top-level experts from the mainland and around the world, which was acclaimed by many as a rare yet needed opportunity for pragmatic exchanges.
Jose Teiga, chief executive officer of Brazilian education service provider Rede Apice Education, admitted he was on “a quest to discover how the education sector is going in Asia”, adding he was awed by the expo, which he visited by chance halfway through his visit to China.
“In Brazil, we use more of the old style, with textbooks and instructions to memorize things. Yet we want to adopt technologies in our teaching, and that’s why we came here, to see different things and hopefully find a way,” he said.
Inspired by the “livelier and more inclusive style of schooling”, Teiga said the visit had left him with much to ponder. “I saw a software program that helps teach children with ADHD — a normalized facilitator used in Hong Kong for six years. In Brazil, we don’t have that yet. It’s very different when you see the future.”
Rosy avenue to partnerships
Years of development render the expo not only a pivotal platform for exhibitors to showcase their most current educational innovations but also a productive space for business matching, where schools, companies, and international delegations are united under one roof, exploring new pathways to meaningful collaborations and partnerships that result in the most rewarding synergies.
Ng Ka-shun, curriculum development project manager of Trumptech, a regular participant in the expo since its inception, and now a pioneer in comprehensive STEAM solutions that has spread its footprint in over 650 schools worldwide, bore witness to the expo’s growth in scale and the number of themes covered.
“The expo allows us to connect with multiple schools at once, making it more convenient for target customers to locate us,” said Ng.
“Other companies also visit our booth to explore potential collaboration opportunities, which supports our business expansion.”
The wide turnout also garnered praise from relative newcomers. Henry Wong, a senior sales manager of a second-year exhibitor BetaOne, was particularly impressed by the expo’s readiness to serve as an enabling platform that links service providers with their target clients.
From the education community’s point of view, as it prepares to take a more modern direction, this year’s expo proved highly valuable, with many applauding the experience as “eye-opening.”
“I deeply appreciate how the expo unites all sectors of education. It allows teachers to select the appropriate products and services tailored to their school’s requirements,” said the principal of Kowloon True Light School Lee Yi-ying, after watching a student showcase of tech-facilitated learning achievements.
“The expo was colossal in scale. I would say a true cauldron of high-quality, technology-enabled education solutions,” said Wang, who has been captivated by AI-powered learning gadgets and has been championing their applications.
“One of the key gains from seeing this kind of expo is to be acquainted with the most up-to-date developments in the field, a prerequisite for new ideas to come and be put into practice,” he added.
Brighter future awaits
Having racked up a resounding success, the expo is well poised to climb the next rung up on its expansionary ladder, with the 2025 edition scheduled to take place from July 2 to 4 next year, under the theme “Education: A Shared Future for All”.
“The expo will continue to serve as a professional platform for stakeholders in the education sector to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and strengthen connections,” stated an official from Hong Kong Education City. New initiatives will include an interactive English teaching zone, an immersive future classroom experiencing zone, and a collaboration platform for edtech startups.
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According to Hong Kong Education City, efforts will be devoted to promote future-oriented education, exploring untapped opportunities conjured by technological advancements, and supporting the alignment of Hong Kong’s education community with that of the mainland while extending the expo’s international reach amid the globalization tailwind.
The Learning & Teaching Expo 2024 was presented by Hong Kong Education City and supported by the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR.
