Over 120 Experts Attend EdUHK’s 2nd GRIFE Annual Conference on Educational Innovation and Talent Development
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted the 2nd Global Research Institute for Finnish Education (GRIFE) Annual Conference on 16 and 17 June at the InnoCentre in Kowloon. Under the theme of ‘Education Innovation and Talent Development for a Sustainable Future: Chinese, Finnish, and Global Perspectives’, the landmark event brought together over 120 scholars, educators and policymakers from Australia, Brazil, Finland, Hungary, Germany, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mainland China, Macao and Hong Kong, with hundreds more participating online. The conference was the largest research forum dedicated to comparative and international perspectives on Finnish education research globally, unprecedented in size and scope.
As a key platform for exchanging cutting-edge research and best practices in education innovation, the conference featured insights from several world-class experts. Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK, UNESCO Chair in Regional Education Development and Lifelong Learning, and Director of GRIFE, delivered a keynote speech in which he analysed Hong Kong SAR's current status and progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the area of Education for Sustainable Development. By making reference to Finland—a global leader in this field—he highlighted valuable experiences from which educators from Hong Kong SAR can learn. In addition, EdUHK has been comprehensively advancing the SDGs through university policies, research, and curricula, covering all levels of study from undergraduate to doctoral.
Professor Pasi Sahlberg is currently a Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia, specialising in education policy. He has previously held adjunct professorships at the University of Helsinki and the University of Oulu in Finland. In his keynote speech, Professor Sahlberg analysed global education trends since the early 21st century. He pointed out that despite rapid developments in the global economy, technology, and educational research over the past two decades, education in many major countries has not shown corresponding progress. Looking ahead, fostering students’ well-being, deep learning, curiosity, and a sense of purpose will remain key priorities in shaping the schools of the future.
Other distinguished speakers included Professor Liu Baocun (Beijing Normal University), Professor Marcelo de Carvalho Borba (São Paulo State University), Professor Hannele Niemi (University of Helsinki), Professor Gábor Halász (Eötvös Loránd University), Professor Jari Lavonen (University of Helsinki), Professor Florian Waldow (Humboldt University of Berlin), and Professor Chen Shijian (Zhejiang University).
The two-day agenda was packed, featuring six keynote speeches, two plenary panel discussions and five parallel sessions. Participants delved into four critical topics: Fostering Educational Innovation, Developing Global Talent, Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Education, and Building Supportive Policy Frameworks.
Since its establishment in December 2023, GRIFE has actively promoted research on Finland's innovative education models through strategic partnerships with research groups and scholars from Finnish universities, including Åbo Akademi University, the University of Helsinki, Tampere University, University of Eastern Finland, the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Lapland, the University of Oulu and the University of Turku. Building on the success of the inaugural conference in 2024, this year’s event further expanded GRIFE’s international network to facilitate transformative educational reforms, policymaking and cross-national research collaboration.
EdUHK is dedicated to supporting Hong Kong’s establishment as an international hub for higher education and contributing to educational development in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and beyond. Through its five Special Interest Groups – Media Education and Digital Competence, Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Education, STEM Education, Higher Education and Teacher Education – GRIFE continues to drive collaborative initiatives that shape education policy and practice worldwide. The connections and ideas generated at this conference are poised to bring out lasting transformations across global education systems.
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Over 120 Experts Attend EdUHK’s 2nd GRIFE Annual Conference on Educational Innovation and Talent Development
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