Zhong Dian Lun Zheng | Promoting Digitalization in Education and Fully Connecting with the 14th Five-Year Plan

Author: Dr. Liu Zhongheng The national "14th Five-Year Plan" will be implemented starting this year and will cover until 2030. In the author's view, its core point is "high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement" — the other four key points, namely leading new quality productivity, building a modern industrial system, promoting green economic transformation, and ensuring national security, all depend on this core, and can only be achieved through technological self-reliance and self-improvement, with no other way. It is well known that Hong Kong needs to closely align with the national "14th Five-Year Plan." Fortunately, Hong Kong has significant advantages in the field of scientific research and is fully capable of contributing to the country's path towards "high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement." Firstly, our research advantages lie in solid foundational research capabilities, a top-notch international talent pool, and resources from world-renowned universities. In the recently announced 2025 Global Innovation Index, Hong Kong performed excellently in knowledge and technology output, human capital, and research fields. Under the full push of the SAR government's "talent acquisition" policy, many top international research elites have come to Hong Kong, and the government continues to aim at creating an international talent hub. Additionally, Hong Kong has eight world-class universities that have reached world-class research levels in fields such as biomedicine, information technology, and engineering. The existing research achievements in Hong Kong are hard-won, and maintaining this advantage in the long term requires continuous effort. "Talent acquisition" can address immediate needs, but in the long run, it is essential to cultivate local education and nurture more future research "new blood" to avoid a talent gap and a lack of succession in the future. The SAR government's planning in this regard is quite visionary; the Digital Education Strategy Development Steering Committee, established early last year, is fully promoting digital education in local primary and secondary schools, not only clarifying work priorities and policy directions but also providing valuable advice for implementing strategies. At the same time, the Chief Executive proposed in the "2025 Policy Address" to increase efforts in promoting digital education in primary and secondary schools, making the digital transformation of Hong Kong's education a core goal. Teachers are role models for students, and to promote the digital transformation of education in Hong Kong, it is essential to provide professional continuous training for teachers first. The level of teachers' mastery of technology and artificial intelligence varies, so it is necessary for the government to provide unified professional training, aiming to enable principals and teachers to systematically learn and correctly and fully grasp the development trends of artificial intelligence and the application methods of related technologies in teaching. Undoubtedly, teachers play a core role in the digital transformation of education, and after receiving proper systematic training, they can significantly reduce errors in teaching applications. Of course, objective equipment support is also indispensable. Therefore, the author calls on school principals to prioritize allocating resources to the most suitable aspects of AI teaching reform when formulating school budgets. In other words, introducing cutting-edge innovative technologies, upgrading digital infrastructure, creating intelligent campus environments, and building AI teaching platforms should all be prioritized. Only by spending money wisely can we efficiently promote the digital transformation of education and effectively assist Hong Kong in aligning with the national "14th Five-Year Plan." Author Liu Zhongheng is the founding convener of the Global Professional Youth Initiative in Hong Kong, a specialist in radiology, and an advisor to the Unity Hong Kong Foundation. The article reflects the author's opinions and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01 01 The forum welcomes submissions. Please email to 01view@hk01.com, including the author's real name, a brief self-introduction, and contact information. If not applicable, no further notice will be given. Hong Kong 01 reserves the final editorial rights