Three-pronged initiatives to propel the digital readiness of Hong Kong’s next generation
January 26, 2022, Hong Kong – Microsoft Hong Kong officially launches a holistic program which supports the city’s K-12 educators in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their teaching curriculum, as well as offering consultation in transforming traditional classrooms to best match the needs of teaching new technologies.
“Hong Kong students continue to shine at global platforms from Team Hollo winning the Imagine Cup in 2020 to Ying Wa College being one of the top 10 global winners recognized in the Imagine Cup Junior in 2021. It shows that with the right guidance and education, Hong Kong students have tremendous potential to become the innovators of tomorrow. We are committed to working with Hong Kong’s educators to reimagine education, inspire students to pursue their passion to ideate and develop solutions, to tackle global problems through the power of technology,” said Fred Sheu, National Technology Officer of Microsoft Hong Kong.
Microsoft Hong Kong’s AI Education program consists of three key initiatives, namely Microsoft #AI4Good Schools, Microsoft AI Pilot Schools and Microsoft AI Innovation Lab, each of which is designed to provide different resources and supports to K-12 schools in Hong Kong to enhance AI teaching and learning experiences.
Microsoft #AI4Good Schools
Together with the Association of I.T. Leaders in Education (AiTLE), Microsoft Hong Kong launched the “#AI4Good Schools” initiative to inspire schools with best practices on how to integrate AI education into social good topics, and thus to empower student’s learning of new technologies with a meaningful cause. The initiative has identified a number of “Hero Schools”, from which the teachers would leverage Microsoft AI teaching resources, including but not limited to Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) curriculum on Microsoft Learn, to help students master the concept of AI, and guide them through the design thinking process to develop AI applications or prototypes by applying Microsoft platforms and solutions like Azure Cognitive Services, Power Apps and Minecraft: Education Edition to solve specific social problems:
In the coming 6 months, Students from these hero schools will create projects and stage their learning outcomes in local or international AI competitions such as Imagine Cup Junior. Meanwhile, their teaching and learning experience will also be shared among Hong Kong schools community, to provide lighthouse effect to other schools who are planning to integrate AI education in their campus.
“Practice is always the best way to learn. It is crucial to provide students with an ideal learning environment. The initiative of #AI4Good does not only allows students to know more about AI but also helps to motivate them to understand how to improve quality of life through the adoption of technology. The program can replicate to different schools including primary schools, which helps students accelerate their full potentials and learn meaningfully.” Said Mr. Albert Wong, Chairman of AiTLE Association of I.T. Leaders in Education.
Photo 1: United Christian College (Kowloon East)’s representatives (Left)
and Fred Sheu (Right), National Technology Officer Microsoft Hong Kong at Learning and Training Expo 2021
Microsoft AI Pilot Schools
Microsoft has also partnered with the Hong Kong Association for Computer Science (HKACE) to support educators from secondary schools to get on board with AI education. By providing educators comprehensive and integrated teaching resources for the AI-900 curriculum and recognizing them with corresponding Microsoft’s industry certification, the AI Pilot Schools initiative aims to equip schools and teachers to be AI-ready with necessary skills and resources, and thus are confident to implement AI education in the campus to empower students with the knowledge of AI, one of the most in-demand technological skills nowadays. With the second leg launching in November 2021, the initiative has recruited a total of 70 schools and will empower more than 400 teachers’ upskilling on AI education.
Mr. Stanley Kam, Vice Chairman of The Hong Kong Association for Computer Education, Principal of HKSKH Bishop Hall Secondary School said, “HKACE strives to promote technology education in Hong Kong and join hands with Microsoft Hong Kong to launch the “Microsoft AI Pilot Schools” program, which successfully attracted numerous applications from different schools. In addition to helping teachers to integrate the AI education in the school curriculum, the initiative also aims to enrich students’ technology knowledge, to equip them to embrace the ever-changing future.”
Microsoft AI Innovation Lab
Designed for primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, Microsoft AI Innovation Lab initiative provides all-rounded resources and consultation services to help schools transform traditional classrooms and computer labs into innovative and immersive learning spaces adopting the Microsoft AI Education Framework. With the dedicated support from Microsoft Education team and Microsoft Education Global Training Partners (GTP), schools will be guided through the transformation process to reimagine how their learning spaces could be best leveraged, by incorporating Microsoft cloud platforms, devices and learning and certification resources, to enrich students’ AI learning experience.
“We are pleased to be the second school to launch Microsoft AI Inno Lab in Hong Kong and glad to witness the new era of AI education in the city. ‘AI for Good’ can truly demonstrate how AI applications bring positive impacts to tackle global challenges like climate change, aging population, and public health. Apart from STEM subjects, Microsoft AI Inno Lab also includes AI learning in non-STEM subjects, including Service Learning and Civic Education, Citizenship and Social Development, Liberal Studies and Values Education.” Said Mr. Yau Chi Leung, Principal and Ms. Wong Fung Ming, Assistant Principal of Yuen Long Merchants Association Secondary School.
Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Junior 2022
Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Junior Artificial Intelligence for Good Challenge is a global challenge to empower students who are starting to learn about technology and how it can be used to positively change the world. It is an opportunity for students aged 13 to18 to engage with AI and Microsoft’s AI for Good Initiatives so they can come up with ideas to solve social, cultural and environmental issues. “Ying Wa Crazy” from Ying Wa College in Hong Kong, was one of the top 10 global winners last year. The team won recognition for its digital Chinese medicine platform, embracing the major principles of Chinese medicine and building those into an app to increase the speed of diagnosis.
With the local AI Education program in place, Microsoft Hong Kong will also provide trainings and supports to local schools to prepare their students for this global competition to complete their AI learning journeys. The registration will open on February 3 2022. Team Leaders must submit projects on behalf of their student teams before the submission deadline, May 12 2022. For more information, please visit https://imaginecup.microsoft.com/en-us/junior.
Any schools or educational institutions with inquiries are welcome to contact the Microsoft Education team via email at [email protected].
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