Hong Kong positioned as a bridge for fresh collaboration between Ottawa and Beijing in higher education, engineering, research and innovation
Deans from several of Canada’s top engineering programmes are exploring new academic exchange opportunities in Hong Kong, as relations between Ottawa and Beijing warm, with the organiser of a forum where they spoke describing the city as having a “pivotal role” in rebuilding ties.
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Speaking at the Canadian Engineering Asia-Pacific Conference, academics expressed hope that their students could learn from mainland China’s “impressive” development while also highlighting opportunities arising from major national projects in both jurisdictions.
The event, held on Saturday in Hong Kong, celebrated the centenary of Canada’s Iron Ring tradition, under which engineering graduates commit to upholding the profession’s standards and ethics.
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The conference, which brought together deans from eight Canadian universities and more than 200 engineering professionals from across the region, follows the launch of a new strategic partnership between Ottawa and Beijing after nearly a decade of frosty relations.
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong acknowledged the emerging opportunities that renewed relations could bring, particularly in the innovation and technology (I&T) sector, during his opening remarks at the event.
“Over the years, Hong Kong and Canada share many similarities and a wide range of common interests,” he said.
“As we navigate an era defined by AI, robotics, and rapid technological transformation, the I&T partnership between the two economies will become ever more vital … Let us further strengthen the ties between Hong Kong and Canada, between engineering, innovation and beyond.”
In an interview on the sidelines of the event, University of Waterloo Faculty of Engineering Dean Mary Wells said she was “delighted” by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to the mainland and the two sides’ commitment to future partnerships.
With assurances that Canadians could soon be granted visa-free access to the mainland, she said that easing travel between the two jurisdictions would be particularly helpful.
“It’s all about rebuilding trust, and I think the more human connections we can make … the better we understand each other, and the more we can see how we can work together,” she said.
She also said strengthening academic exchanges between Hong Kong and Canada would broaden the “intellectual opportunities” for students, adding that she was “blown away” by the rapid development she saw on a recent trip to the mainland.
“In terms of the technology, the infrastructure, the safety, the cleanliness, it was really, really impressive,” she said.
“It makes you think bigger [and] be more ambitious.”
Chris Yip, dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering, echoed the sentiment, describing academic exchanges as the “bedrock” of engagement between countries.
He pointed to opportunities for possible engineering collaboration in Canada’s large-scale “nation-building projects” as well as the mainland’s own infrastructure development in regions such as the Greater Bay Area.
The bay area is a central government plan to connect Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in neighbouring Guangdong province into an economic powerhouse, while Canada’s “nation-building” programme seeks to accelerate the development of critical infrastructure in the country.
Fred Kan ka-chong, a Hong Kong lawyer and Canadian engineering graduate who chaired the event’s organising committee, said the city had a “pivotal role” to play as the mainland’s relations with Canada entered a “new chapter”.
He explained that Hong Kong had always been a “significant player” in fostering bilateral relations as it served as a “bridge” between the two sides.
“It’s a great opportunity [with] great possibilities,” he said. “Hong Kong obviously would play a pivotal part in this strategic partnership.”
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