HKUST(GZ) President calls for embracing AI revolution with responsible governance at international forum
Professor Lionel NI, President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), was invited to attend and address the 2025 Imperial Spring International Forum, which was held in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, from Dec 1 to 3.
Co-organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Australia-China Friendship and Exchange Association, the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and the World Leadership Alliance - Club de Madrid, the event gathered over 200 participants, including 28 former state leaders, heads of government, and leaders of international organizations from 23 countries, as well as representatives from political, business, and academic circles worldwide.
Discussions focused on key themes: addressing global security challenges in an era of uncertainty, reforming global governance to improve stability, embracing diversity through understanding and cooperation, exploring the balance between innovation, security, and governance in artificial intelligence, providing global public goods, and implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Prof. NI spoke at the parallel forum titled "Artificial Intelligence: Balancing Innovation, Security and Governance", moderated by former Bolivian President Jorge Fernando Quiroga. The session featured notable speakers such as former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Professor Xue Lan from Tsinghua University, former Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme, former Finnish Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi, former Romanian Prime Minister Petre Roman, former Bosnian Prime Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija, Princeps Strategy co-founder Nathalie de Gaulle, and Professor Tao TANG of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In his speech, Prof. NI emphasized the importance of embracing technological revolutions while ensuring that AI innovation is deeply integrated with ethical governance. He advocated for a strong regulatory framework to reduce the risks of technological misuse, stating that "responsible innovation" is essential for maintaining social trust. He argued that while pushing the boundaries of technology to foster development, public interest must always come first. Moreover, he called for global collaboration, especially to ensure that nations in the Global South are included in and benefit from this technological revolution.
Higher education institutions should act as hubs connecting research, policy, and industry, reshaping future talent development models in the context of AI, he said. HKUST(GZ) is dedicated to supporting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's goal of becoming a technological innovation hub, continuously deepening collaboration among government, industry, academia, research, finance, and application sectors, aiming to be a model of responsible innovation, Prof. NI stated.
During the forum, Prof. NI gave interviews to several leading media outlets, including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Media Group, China Daily, and Global Times. He also had friendly exchanges with Prof. Romano Prodi, former president of the European Commission, and Prof. Rafael Dezcallar, former Spanish Ambassador to China, among other distinguished guests.
