Calls to refine talent-search approach

Lawmakers have expressed their backing for the government's initiative to transform Hong Kong into a premier hub for top-tier talent. In the ongoing discussion about the SAR's initial five-year plan and the most recent Policy Address, Brave Chan from the DAB pointed out that overseas students are no longer solely focused on studying in top institutions in Europe and America.

Instead, they are considering moving to Hong Kong due to the city's increased opportunities. Chan proposed that the government's efforts to recruit researchers from the world's top 100 universities through the Top Talent Pass Scheme should not merely involve casting a wide net. He suggested that the focus should be on subjects ranked among the world's top 100 or research areas where a specific institution excels.

Tang Fei, representing the education sector, noted that measures included in the blueprints, such as increasing postgraduate research positions funded by the University Grants Committee and quotas for scholarships offered to international students, demonstrate the government's commitment to attracting top talent. Tang emphasized that Hong Kong's determination to become a high-calibre talent hub is evident through various initiatives, including expanding internationalization in post-secondary education, allocating more resources to build the 'Study in Hong Kong' brand, increasing quotas for the Belt and Road Scholarship, and expanding the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme.

Christine Fong suggested the government explore the creation of a one-stop booking platform for tourism that utilizes artificial intelligence and real-time data management to handle related matters, such as expense charges and crowd flow. Jonathan Leung, from the catering sector, mentioned that 1.4 million mainland visitors arrived in the city during the National Day Golden Week holiday, marking an 8.5 percent increase year on year.

However, he pointed out that most of these visitors flocked to popular tourism hotspots. Leung urged the Tourism Board to leverage key opinion leaders and social-media influencers to redirect tourists to other districts, ensuring that restaurants in those areas can also profit.