We are preparing our students to enter an unpredictable, ever-changing world, facing the AI revolution and shifting geopolitical dynamics. To be prepared for such dramatic changes, we encourage students to be positive and resilient through our character education programme, as well as adaptable and flexible, with an ability to choose their own learning pathways.
——Philip Sohmen
Executive Deputy Chairman
On Saturday March 14 Pao School’s Songjiang campus hosted an educational fair. For the first time representatives from five prestigious Hong Kong universities appeared on campus together: the University of Hong Kong; the Chinese University of Hong Kong; the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and the Education University of Hong Kong.
More than twenty professors and admissions officers attended and engaged with over 500 families. The event drew attendees from the school community, from across Shanghai, from the neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and from other parts of the country including Beijing, Liaoning, Guangdong, Hebei and Sichuan.
At the start of the event Pao School President, Xu Yongchu, and Zang Na, High School Deputy Principal, welcomed the Hong Kong delegation and thanked the five universities for their support. Ben Leung, High School Director of University and Career Counselling at Pao School, said in his welcome address: “Pao School has deep ties to Hong Kong, from the name of Sir YK Pao to the Hong Kong YK Pao School that is currently under construction. All of this underlines the uniqueness of our connection. Pao School feels a strong responsibility to build this bridge. We aim to invite Hong Kong universities to campus, to enable China Mainland students and parents to visit, and to create opportunities for face-to-face meetings.”
Ben Leung, High School Director of University and Career Counselling, delivered the opening remarks.
The event consisted of four parts: campus tours; university presentations; a university fair; and taster sessions. The taster sessions were the highlight and proved very popular with students. Leading professors from the five institutions brought genuine university lessons into Pao School classrooms. Courses in medicine, artificial intelligence, STEM, business and the humanities let participants sample the international academic atmosphere of Hong Kong universities and their rigorous yet innovative teaching.
The University of Hong Kong
Ka Chung Wai, Abraham, Clinical Associate Professor of Practice, Department of Emergency Medicine
Topic 1: Emergency Evidence Detectives: Using LLMs and PubMed to Test Health Claims.
Topic 2: Teaching Plan: 21st Century Dynamics of Health
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Man-Cho So, Anthony, Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Engineering Faculty
Topic: STEM Education and the Future of Innovative Technologies
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Zijie Zhou, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics
Topic: After the Gold Rush: What Makes You Irreplaceable in the AI Era?
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Juley Xiao, Lecturer, Department of Management and Marketing
Topic: The AI Revolution: Transforming Higher Education and the Future of Business Studies at HK PolyU
The Education University of Hong Kong
Zimu Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Literature and Cultural Studies
Topic: Faculty of Humanities Undergraduate Programme Overview: Introduction and Ecological Film Course Experience
In the auditorium, admissions officers from five universities took to the stage one after another to explain the special features of Hong Kong's higher education and their admission policies to parents.
Student representatives from various universities shared their experiences of living and studying in Hong Kong.
On the day of the event, admissions officers from the five universities took to the stage in turn. They outlined each institution's academic strengths and admissions policies for parents. Student representatives from each university spoke about life and study in Hong Kong. The gymnasium served as the consultation centre for the fair, where families spoke directly with admissions staff and obtained firsthand information on course offerings, entry procedures and campus life. Student volunteers guided visiting families around the campus. Many parents said that consulting five Hong Kong universities at a single event was a very special opportunity, both efficient and rare, which exceeded their expectations.
Pao School teachers, students and the administrative team supported the event. More than thirty student volunteers provided on site guidance, campus tours and reception. Teachers and the administrative team worked together closely on preparation and delivery. Each element of the programme ran smoothly. Their success was an impressive demonstration of the school community's unity and common purpose.
Pao School's Hong Kong Universities Fair was the first on the Chinese Mainland in recent years to bring together all five major Hong Kong universities. It has strengthened Pao School's role as a bridge between the mainland and global educational resources, marking clear progress in the integration of educational cultures between Shanghai and Hong Kong.
