Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) held its first “Talk of the Metropolis” of the year today (17 March), and was honoured to have Mr Franklin Lam Fan-keung, Founder of “HKGolden50”, as the guest speaker. Mr Lam shared his views on the future development of Hong Kong under the topic “2023: From Annus Horribilis to the Best Years of Hong Kong”.

During the talk, Mr Lam gave an insightful analysis of the challenges and opportunities facing Hong Kong. He said the unique combination of geopolitical and economic circumstances has greatly boosted Hong Kong's “SuperConnector” role, and that it should not be difficult for Hong Kong to experience a second period of high growth in the 21st century. But Hong Kong has to fully leverage its advantages of being strongly supported by the motherland while connected to the world, under “One Country, Two Systems”; and expand its social and economic “software” and “hardware” to maximise its potential. This will, in turn, create sustainable resources to support our ageing society, and make Hong Kong a prosperous and caring cosmopolitan city envied by the world, he added.

HKMU Council Chairman Ir Dr Conrad Wong Tin-cheung and President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing expressed their gratitude to Mr Lam for his inspiring talk. In his welcome speech, Dr Wong praised Mr Lam for his devotion to his homeland and dedication to the development of Hong Kong and China over the years. The participants found the talk insightful and enlightening, raised thought-provoking questions, and exchanged views with the speaker on the future development of Hong Kong during the Q&A session.

Mr Franklin Lam is the Founder of “HKGolden50”, an independent, non-profit policy research organisation that conducts research and publishes reports on the future development of Hong Kong. Mr Lam has extensive experience in the finance and executive management sector. He is a Member of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, where he chairs both its Task Group on Sustainability and its Audit and Risk Committee. He is also a member of Research Council of Our Hong Kong Foundation. He previously served as a Member of the Executive Council and the Central Policy Unit of the HKSAR Government.

The “Talk of the Metropolis” series aims to provide a platform for people from all walks of life to be inspired by the views from experts and scholars, thereby having a positive impact on social development. All talks in the series will be broadcast on the University's “Knowledge for All” programme every Sunday morning on TVB Pearl. To learn more about the public lecture series or watch past videos, please visit https://www.hkmu.edu.hk/pao/talk-of-the-metropolis/.