HKUST hosts women engineers forum on AI education
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology hosted a three-day seminar that brought together nearly 50 emerging women scholars in engineering from 14 universities across four continents. The programme examined the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on engineering education and research through keynote speeches, panel discussions and mentoring exchanges. University leaders and government officials also used the event to stress that AI adoption must be matched by ethics, governance, cybersecurity and human oversight.
Key Points
- The annual forum, titled the Asia Deans Forum 2026 – Women in Engineering in Higher Education Rising Stars Workshop, was held on the HKUST campus from Sunday to Tuesday, 13 to 15 September.
- Nearly 50 participants from 14 universities across four continents joined talks, group discussions and interactive mentoring sessions aimed at collaboration, career development and stronger inter-university networks.
- HKUST President Nancy Ip Yuk-yu said her path from neuroscientist to university leader, and becoming the first woman to head a publicly funded university in Hong Kong, showed the value of passion, persistence and support.
- Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said technology planning must extend beyond capability to ethics, governance and trust, adding that responsibility cannot simply be shifted to machines.
- This year’s programme centred on AI in higher education and research, with HKUST Provost Guo Yike and engineering education innovation centre director Wang Youxing speaking on educational transformation and human-AI collaborative intelligence.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the seminar points to how local universities are positioning themselves in the global race to shape AI-era engineering training and research links. It also underlines a second policy message: expanding AI use in education and innovation will require trusted governance, secure systems and stronger pathways for women entering academic leadership.