On 11 November 2019, leading scholars from Peking University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Oxford and Lingnan University and graduate students from China Mainland and Hong Kong got together at Lingnan-Peking-Wisconsin Education Forum to discuss the higher education, talent training, and employment in the global bay areas. This Forum was co-organized by Lingnan University, Peking University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with support of the Asia Pacific Higher Education Research Partnership (APHERP). The Education Forum aimed to promote research and foster academic exchange in higher education, critically reflecting upon the role of higher education in bay area development from comparative perspectives.

The Education Forum started with the opening remarks of Prof. Ka Ho Mok (Vice President, Lingnan University), Prof. Fengqiao Yan (Dean of Graduate School of Education, Peking University), and Prof. Adam Nelson (University of Wisconsin-Madison) as the representatives of three co-organizers. In the keynote speeches of Prof. Yan, Prof. Nelson, and Prof. Deane Neubauer (East-West Center, USA), three renowned professors shared their research on the modernization of Chinese education, higher education human capital in the New York Bay Area, and the impact of emerging information and knowledge transformation on higher education with a particular focus on the US bay areas. Prof. Wenqin Shen from Peking University and Prof. Simon Marginson from the University of Oxford also attended the Forum and led insightful discussions with presenters and audiences.

In three panels, presenters including faculty members, researchers, and graduate students from Lingnan University, Peking University, the University of Hong Kong, and Southern University of Science and Technology, China shared their research on three broad topics, including “the role of universities in the development of bay areas,” “higher education, knowledge sharing, employment, and social justice,” and “rethinking higher education and talent cultivation.” Across the presentations, various research topics regarding higher education and talents in bay areas, and different perspectives and research methods were shared and discussed.

In closing remarks, after presenting a research study regarding Hong Kong university students’ perceptions of the development opportunities in the Greater Bay Area in Southern China, Prof. Mok appreciated all participants’ contributions to this Forum. Keynote speakers, Prof. Shen, and Prof. Marginson also expressed their deep impression with all high-quality presentations and indicated the significance of this Forum in nurturing young scholars and fostering research collaborations.

Next Lingnan-Peking-Wisconsin Education Forum will take place at Peking University in October 2020.