Hong Kong Baptist University to host QS APPLE 2021 Conference to explore emerging trends in higher education in the Asia Pacific

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 26 October 2021 - Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) will host the QS Asia-Pacific Professional Leaders in Education (QS APPLE) 2021 Conference with the theme "Future Rebalance: Emerging trends and workforce in the Asia Pacific" from 1 to 3 November.

HKBU will host the QS APPLE 2021 Conference with the theme "Future Rebalance: Emerging trends and workforce in the Asia Pacific" from 1 to 3 November.

Organised by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), an international higher education network specialising in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world, and with the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand as the co-host, the conference will gather renowned leaders and experts from the higher education sector, and they will exchange their thoughts and shed light on the upcoming development trends for higher education and the strategies for nurturing talent in the region.

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said that it is an important time for higher education in the region, as the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the importance of transdisciplinary collaboration to address many of the world's grand challenges.

"HKBU is proud to host the QS APPLE 2021 Conference, as the theme and topics resonate strongly with our focus on the importance of cultivating transdisciplinary education and research to meet the needs of tomorrow," he said.

Mr Anton John Crace, Editor & Programme Designer of QS, commented: "As we continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that we champion the crucial role which higher education institutions play in enabling the knowledge exchange which is needed to enact change on a global scale. In the Asia Pacific region, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, there is already a huge momentum for growth and development in higher education. We have already seen rapid change in research output, collaboration and impact over the past decade."

"QS are proud partners to the higher education sector - working together with world-class universities and employers to understand and navigate future trends and what they mean for individual institutions. I look forward to hearing the range of experiences and perspectives from the incredible panel of experts who we are proud to have brought together for this year's QS APPLE Conference," he said.

The three-day virtual conference will feature keynotes, debates, panel discussions, and case studies spread across five tracks: (1) Crossing disciplinary divides (research innovation), (2) Thriving through collaborations (partnerships), (3) Cultivating great minds (innovation in pedagogy), (4) Finding the next big thing (strategic planning) and (5) Student flows during a pandemic (student insights).

A Presidents Panel on the theme "Building resilient universities for tomorrow: An Asian perspective" will be held on 1 November, with Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Professor Lily Kong, President of the Singapore Management University; Professor Joonki Paik, Provost and Executive Vice President of Research of the Chung-Ang University in Korea; Professor Yang Bin, Vice President and Provost of Tsinghua University in mainland China; and Professor T.G. Sitharam, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, as the panellists; and Mr Anton John Crace as the moderator.

The conference will also present roundtable and panel discussions on specific topics including art-tech, wellness, as well as artificial intelligence and ethics, university partnerships, and innovative pedagogies.

Please visit the official website of the conference (https://qsapple.org/) for the full agenda and other information about the event.

Media representatives who would like to join the virtual conference can register free of charge via QS APPLE 2021's designated webpage (https://qsapple.org/registration?promo=PRESS). The quota for free media registrations is limited and applications will be entertained on a first-come-first-served basis.