The event opened with welcome remarks from Professor Lin Shangli, President of RUC, and Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK. Professor Lin added that bringing the lecture hall to Hong Kong represented a cultural and intellectual offering to the city and a deepening of institutional cooperation. He underlined the importance of youth as agents in spreading Chinese culture and driving development in the Greater Bay Area, calling for a platform that bridges theory and practice, history and future.

There followed a keynote lecture on ‘Financial Empowerment for Hong Kong’s New Industrialisation: From International Financial Centre to Global Innovation Capital Hub’, was delivered by Professor Wu Xiaoqiu, National First-Class Professor, former Vice President of RUC, and Director of the National Academy of Financial Research. He argued that Hong Kong must evolve from a traditional international financing platform into a global hub that empowers technological innovation. This transformation, he suggested, should focus on “Tech + Capital + Services,” integrating industrialisation with Hong Kong’s strengths to build a high-end, internationalised innovation ecosystem.

A roundtable discussion followed, moderated by Dr Tam Wai-keung of EdUHK’s Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies. The forum explored ‘Green and Transition Finance: Strategic Opportunities for Hong Kong to Lead Sustainable Finance in Asia’. Panellists included Professor Wang Wen, Professor Lan Hong, and Professor Tsang Po-keung, who shared research and policy insights on sustainable finance and environmental innovation.

The event also featured cultural highlights. The RUC Affiliated Primary School Peking Opera Troupe performed excerpts from classic operas, captivating the audience with elegant vocals and dramatic staging. Over 100 students from EdUHK Jockey Club Primary School attended, joined by peers from Po Leung Kuk institutions and Shenzhen Hong Kong Pui Kiu College Longhua Xinyi School. After the performance, RUC students toured the primary school, joining English and visual arts activities and engaging in peer exchanges.

The Shan Gong Lecture series, founded by RUC in 2023, is named after the wartime-era Shanbei Public School. It aims to uphold the “Shan Gong spirit,” preserve revolutionary heritage, and serve regional development. As of September 2025, the series has held 241 sessions across eight seasons, offering accessible academic dialogue on major theoretical and practical issues.