The Research Grants Council (RGC) Forum 2025, officiated by Acting Secretary for Education Sze Chun-fai, was held today with an aim of fostering mutual understanding and exchanges between the council and local scholars.

The forum was well-received with participation from senior management of the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities and more than 400 local and overseas scholars.

Speaking at the forum's opening session, Mr Sze said that the Government attaches great importance to investing in education and developing strategies and initiatives to establish a comprehensive research and development policy framework to ensure Hong Kong remains technologically and economically equipped for future challenges.

Through strengthening support for researchers and cultivating a research-centric environment, Hong Kong's long-term competitiveness will be elevated by strong research competence, thereby upholding Hong Kong's status as a world-class city and an international hub for higher education.

“We firmly support funding research projects and activities across the eight UGC-funded universities as well as the self-financing degree sector. With the backing of the RGC, numerous research initiatives are in progress, aiming at nurturing research capabilities, fostering a conducive research atmosphere and delving into uncharted realms of knowledge,” he added.

Mr Sze highlighted that to attract more exceptional students to study and conduct research in Hong Kong, the quota of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will increase to 400 places in the 2025-26 academic year.

The forum featured engaging presentations by the RGC Panel Chairs and their representatives, who shared observations on research funding applications in the latest round of the exercise, pointers for crafting competitive research proposals as well as the latest trends and developments in their respective research fields.