随着香港加倍推进大学城计划，将其作为发展新引擎，邀请顶尖教育工作者交流想法、实地考察进展，是推广该计划的最佳方式。全球大学校长及领袖峰会汇聚了来自20多个国家和地区、50多所院校的高层领导，这不仅是一场学术聚会，更是对北部都会区项目中正在建设的大学城进行的一次战略性展示，该宏伟计划正逐步成形。
With Hong Kong doubling down on the university town venture as a new engine for development, there is no better way to promote it than by inviting top educators to exchange ideas and see the progress for themselves. The Global University Presidents and Leaders Summit, bringing together senior leaders from over 50 institutions across more than 20 countries and regions, was more than an academic gathering. It was a strategic showcase of the developing university towns in the Northern Metropolis project as the ambitious plan gradually takes shape.
这场为期两天的峰会是香港发布首个五年规划以来，全球教育领袖的首次大型国际聚会。根据该规划，大学城是新界建设中的都会区的关键组成部分。该规划旨在配合国家目标，在科技、创新和高素质人才的支撑下，将香港建设成为全球教育和人才枢纽。
The two-day summit was the first major international gathering of global education leaders since the release of the city’s first five-year plan, under which the university towns are a key component of the metropolis being built in the New Territories. The plan seeks to align with national goals to develop Hong Kong into a global education and talent hub, supported by science, innovation and high-quality human capital.
多年来，备受宣传的都会区项目在一些人眼中，不过是一个遥远宏大的概念，其效益显得太过遥远。大学城项目如今提供了最清晰的证据，证明该计划不再只是图纸上的构想。校园面积已从最初的80公顷扩大至新田、洪水桥和打鼓岭约300公顷。若加上周边的创新、工业和住宅区，项目总面积超过1000公顷。
For years, the much-touted metropolis project was seen by some as little more than a vast and remote concept whose benefits lay too far in the future. The university town project now offers the clearest evidence that the plan is no longer just ideas on the drawing board. The campus area has grown from an initial 80 hectares to about 300 hectares across San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling. The project covers over 1,000 hectares when surrounding innovation, industrial and residential zones are included.
这不仅仅是为现有大学提供校外扩展空间的机会，实质上是一项雄心勃勃的尝试，旨在建设一个融合生态系统，让大学、研究机构、科技企业、融资机构和人才近距离协作，产生更大协同效应。每座大学城都有明确定位，涵盖医学、生命与健康科技、人工智能、机器人技术、微电子、新兴产业、智能制造应用型大学教育以及全球人才培养等领域。
This is not merely an opportunity for existing universities to acquire more space outside their campuses. It is essentially an ambitious bid to build an integrated ecosystem in which universities, research institutes, tech companies, financing and talent work in proximity for greater synergy. Each town has a clear positioning, covering medicine, life and health technology, AI, robotics, microelectronics, emerging industries, applied university education in smart manufacturing and global talent cultivation.
洪水桥首批校园用地申请已开放，涉地约26公顷，预计院校将于2027至2028年入驻。当局通过与全球教育界人士交流最新进展，切实论证大学城项目是一项严肃且极具前景的事业。
Applications for the first campus sites in Hung Shui Kiu, covering about 26 hectares, have already been opened, with institutions expected to move in during 2027-28. By engaging global educators on the latest progress, the authorities are making a practical case that the university towns project is a serious and promising endeavour.
香港引以为豪的是拥有五所跻身世界百强的大学。同时也在积极推广“留学香港”品牌，生源来自100多个国家和地区，约70%的学术人员来自香港以外。这座城市的国际连通性、法治、金融市场以及与内地的地缘相近，使其在发展成为顶尖全球教育枢纽的过程中拥有独特优势。
Hong Kong is proud to have five universities among the world’s top 100. It is also actively promoting the Study in Hong Kong brand, with students coming from more than 100 countries and regions and about 70 per cent of the academic staff from outside Hong Kong. The city’s international connectivity, rule of law, financial markets and proximity to mainland China give it a distinctive edge as it develops into a top global education hub.
令人鼓舞的是，部分海外院校已对香港的发展方向表达信心，表示看好通过与本地大学合作参与其中的潜力。政府也被敦促利用税务和土地优惠吸引企业，加快大学城建设。然而，本地大学仍需更多努力才能再攀高峰。香港学界传统上较缺乏将科研成果转化为带来更大经济效益应用所需的技能。随着历届政府加大对科研应用的投资，这一差距正在缩小，但仍有改进空间。
It is encouraging that some overseas institutions have expressed confidence in the city’s direction, saying they see potential participation through partnerships with local universities. The government has also been urged to use tax and land incentives to attract companies to expedite the university town’s development. However, local universities will have to put in more effort to scale new heights. Academia in Hong Kong has traditionally been less equipped with the skills needed to translate research outcomes into applications that offer greater economic benefits. This gap is being narrowed as successive administrations invest more in research application. But there is still room for improvement.
行政长官李家超承诺加强学界、业界与研究界的联系，这尤为令人欢迎。政府打算邀请机构设立基础研究院所和共享平台，包括高性能计算中心、联合实验室和跨学科研究中心。政府计划鼓励大学教职员到企业工作，同时让业界专业人士参与教学和研究。“这些大学城的设计也是为了赋能产业，”李家超说，并补充道，政府旨在让产、学、研“互补并相互强化”。
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s pledge to strengthen links between academia, industry and research is especially welcome. The government intends to invite institutions to establish basic research institutes and shared platforms, including high-performance computing centres, joint laboratories and interdisciplinary research centres. It plans to encourage university staff to work in companies, while industry professionals contribute to teaching and research. “The towns are also designed to empower industry,” Lee said, adding that the government aims to enable industry, academia and research “to complement and reinforce one another”.
当前的任务是加快朝这个方向发展。希望大学城不会花费太长时间就能产出更多实实在在的效益，进一步巩固本港作为教育和人才枢纽的地位。
The task ahead is to accelerate development in that direction. Hopefully, it won’t take the university towns long to produce more concrete benefits and further strengthen the city’s credentials as an education and talent hub.