HONG KONG-- May 24, 2021 -- Given the prevailing situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress of global and local vaccinations, as well as the global position on safe travel, the Board of the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum Limited (the HKLF) has decided after careful consideration that the inaugural Hong Kong Laureate Forum (the Forum), originally scheduled to be held on 15-20 November 2021, would be deferred for one year to November 2022.

Importance of going face-to-face

The Board of the HKLF came to the view that the Forum should be conducted in face-to-face mode given that the main aim of the Forum is to inspire young scientists by providing a platform of direct exchange amongst participating Shaw Laureates and young scientists. Conducting the event in a hybrid mode where direct dialogues and conversations could not take place would greatly diminish the impact and benefit of the Forum. However, with the current situation of the pandemic, it is uncertain that safe and unrestricted international travel could be resumed in time for in-person meeting.

Professor Timothy W. TONG, BBS, JP, Chairman of the HKLF, is confident about delivering a successful inaugural Forum next year. He says, “As much as we would have liked to hold this world-class academic exchange event to connect the current and next generations of leaders in scientific pursuit in November this year, it is not a suitable time to do so due to the pandemic. Our Forum aims to inspire young scientists from around the world and provide ample opportunities for exchanges between them and participating Shaw Laureates. We want to ensure that the inaugural Forum fulfils our objective of “Meeting of Inspirational Minds” and I am confident that the inaugural Forum in 2022 will be a great success.”

What happens next

The Secretariat of the HKLF will contact all participating Shaw Laureates and applicants individually as well as their working partners on the deferment. Upon fixing the date of the inaugural Forum next year, all stakeholders will then be notified.

Meanwhile, the Secretariat is planning a series of pre-Forum events targeting different segments of our audience. They would be held over a period of time, starting at end of Q3 this year. These include talk series by renowned scientists and exhibitions on scientific research, etc. Stay tuned to the HKLF website and announcement for details.

Background

The Forum is an annual scientific exchange event organised by the HKLF. It aspires to be a world-class academic exchange event to connect the current and next generations of leaders in scientific pursuit. The Forum also promotes understanding and interests of the young generation in Hong Kong and around the world in various disciplines in science and technology. The HKLF was launched in May 2019 and is fully sponsored by the Lee Shau Kee Foundation. The major partner of the HKLF is The Shaw Prize Foundation which organises the annual international award, The Shaw Prize.