An Expert’s Voice: Professor Kai Ming Cheng on the Future of Education

Quincy Leung and Yee Xin Cher sat down with advisor Professor Kai-Ming Cheng to talk about Hong Kong’s ever-evolving job landscape and how the current education system needs to change to better prepare youth for their future careers.

A proper schooling education is most valued for the training it provides students for the next stages in their life: middle school prepares you for high school, high school for college, and college for professional careers. But as job and career norms continue to change, the education system lags behind in keeping up with the new trends. Young adults and companies alike are increasingly valuing variability and don’t stick to the same jobs or employees for too long. Requiring new emphasis on skill sets such as adaptability and creativity, we cannot rely on a narrow exam-oriented culture to prepare youth for a volatile job landscape. Professor Cheng explains this issue in depth, offering a unique perspective into the purpose of education and job seeking.

Timestamps

0:00 Can you briefly introduce yourself?
3:10 Why did you choose to pursue education?
4:25 Why do you think this exam-oriented culture persisted?
12:20 What are the biggest challenges you see Hong Kong youth facing?
15:30 How has the job search landscape changed over the years?
36:40 Do you have any advice for youth struggling to choose a career path?