Life at HKU SPACE Our Stories

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global economy and daily life with unprecedented power, driving a profound transformation across the education sector. As a pioneer of lifelong learning in Hong Kong, HKU SPACE is embracing this wave of change. On 27 May 2026, the School signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global technology giant Google Cloud Hong Kong, establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. This is more than just a technical collaboration; it represents a revolution in educational philosophy, marking a new chapter in the School’s AI-driven digital transformation. 

Embracing technology, empowering future talent  

At the ceremony, Professor William K.M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE, stated, “‘Embracing Technology’ is a key direction of our Strategic Plan. Our collaboration with Google Cloud HK marks a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey, enabling us to leverage world-class AI technology to enhance teaching and learning (T&L), streamline operations, and empower data analytics for quality enhancement.” 

Ricky Kwok, Head of Google Cloud Hong Kong, also expressed high hopes for the partnership: “Our shared goal is to empower the current and next generation of talent with the AI-fluency they need to thrive in a digital-first world, whilst fulfilling our commitment to ‘Advance Hong Kong Together’. We are helping to cultivate an innovation-ready workforce.” 

Four strategic pillars to build an AI learning ecosystem 

The two parties will engage in in-depth collaboration across four strategic pillars: 

1. Deployment of Google’s leading AI tools: The School will roll out the Gemini Enterprise for Education platform to all staff and students, enhancing T&L efficiency and personalised learning environment. 

2. Comprehensive digital transformation in AI education: Establishing a Google Cloud AI lab to support student-led innovation projects, and creating the HKU SPACE x Google AI Prompt Library to provide systematic AI learning resources. 

3. Programme and curriculum development: The School currently offers over 70 AI-related courses. Moving forward, both parties will collaborate on AI-centric courses and curriculum integration to stay current with industry trends. 

4. Talent development: Google experts will deliver professional training and certification courses for students. Both parties will also launch joint promotional initiatives, including the School’s participation in Google’s flagship event. Furthermore, Mr Michael Yung, Strategic Advisor of Google Cloud, served as a keynote speaker at the School’s Open SPACE, marking the knowledge exchange between the two parties. 

AI is a partner, not a replacement 

On the MoU signing day, Professor Lee was featured as a guest speaker at the Fireside Chat of Google Cloud Leaders Connect 2026. He shared how the School fosters an innovative culture and cultivates AI talent, demonstrating its leadership in AI education. 

Professor Lee emphasised that the School believes AI is a partner in enhancing the learning experience, rather than a substitute for humans. The School envisions integrating AI with human intelligence: with AI handling data analytical tasks, whilst humans take the lead in solving complex problems and making ethical judgements. 

Professor Lee revealed that the School is exploring the use of AI agents to drive “decentralisation of academic expertise”. The School will leverage its vast knowledge base—more than 1,000 courses—to create a dedicated AI agent for each course, rooted in unique teaching content and industry insights. This “institutional legacy”, representing more than half a century of accumulated professional wisdom, will provide students with an interactive, intelligent learning experience 24 hours a day. 

To mark this historic moment, Goggle Cloud has invited the School to participate in a film production by its Transform Studio, sharing the School’s success story in educational innovation. 

As Professor Lee stated in the video’s closing remarks: “The School is creating a new way of empowering learners in the age of AI.” This represents not only our vision for the future of education, but also our unwavering commitment to lifelong learners.