Speech by SITI at Opening Ceremony of 2nd Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and Xiangjiang Nobel Forum 2025 (with photo)
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Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Opening Ceremony of 2nd Hong Kong World Youth Science Conference and Xiangjiang Nobel Forum 2025 today (April 13):
尊敬的劉光源副主任（中央人民政府駐香港特別行政區聯絡辦公室副主任）、徐曉蘭常委（第十四屆全國政協常務委員會委員）、 林建岳主席（香港貿易發展局主席）、李然會長（香港北京高校校友聯盟會長）、各位嘉賓、女士們、先生們：
大家下午好！我很高興出席第二屆「香港世界青年科學大會」開幕式，再次與一眾世界頂尖科學家、青年學者和企業家們匯聚香江。接下來，我先以英語歡迎現場來自海外的嘉賓、朋友們。
First of all, a very warm welcome to our distinguished guests and friends from aboard, including the Nobel Laureates and Academicians, for joining us at today’s event, which is one of the highlights of the BIT Week (Business of Innovation and Technology Week) 2025.
Science is more than just discovery. In particular in a world of uncertainties and rapid technological shifts, the role of scientists and scholars has become even more critical in providing clarity, unravelling mysteries and fostering global collaboration. Hong Kong, as an international hub for highly skilled professionals and higher education, is blessed with five world’s top 100 universities and many renowned scholars and scientists, providing a solid foundation for our outstanding R&D (research and development) achievements and our ambition to be an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre.
I&T talents and enterprises are the core elements for Hong Kong’s I&T development. Hong Kong has spared no effort to promote international I&T exchanges by fully leveraging its two-way platform role as an important bridge connecting the Mainland and the rest of the world. Today’s World Youth Science Congress best demonstrates Hong Kong’s unique advantages in attracting global talents and enterprises. We will continue to support world-class science and technology exchange events in Hong Kong, such as the WIC (World Internet Conference) Asia Pacific Summit, which our Chief Executive mentioned earlier, and the International Science, Technology and Innovation Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Hong Kong. Thank you again for coming and I wish you all a wonderful experience here in Hong Kong. Now allow me to switch back to Chinese.
今天在場的除了一眾科學界的佼佼者，還有超過60家來自京津冀的優秀科創企業代表。我非常高興見證他們落戶香港科學園、數碼港等，展現了這些企業選擇香港作為「出海」平台的認同和重視。我還記得我在上一屆的活動中提出要促進政、產、學、研、投的高效協作以推動香港的創科發展。在當今風雲變幻的國際政經環境中，跨領域、跨地域的多邊合作尤為重要。香港憑藉高度國際化環境和自由港地位，在「一國兩制」下更突顯香港作為「出海」平台的重要價值。未來，我相信會有越來越多的國內的企業選擇香港作為他們國際化部署的重要據點，香港也將會協助更多國內企業揚帆出海，做大做強。
最後，我感謝主辦方香港北京高校校友聯盟再次籌辦這場匯聚了世界頂尖科學家和青年學者的科學盛宴，強化了香港作為國際創科交流中心和國際高端人才集聚高地的角色。我祝願第二屆「香港世界青年科學大會」暨「香江諾貝論壇」活動圓滿成功，在座各位身體健康，謝謝大家。