The Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute (SHI) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) hosted its 10th Young Scholars International Conference from 5 to 8 August 2025. Themed “Observing the Humanities: New Perspectives on the Study of Classical Chinese Literature”, the event brought together 60 outstanding young scholars from the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and beyond, marking the largest gathering in the conference’s history.

The opening ceremony was graced by Dr. Simon Suen, BBS, JP, Honorary Permanent President of the HKBU Foundation and Honorary Director of SHI; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of the Graduate School of HKBU; Professor Zhang Hongsheng, Director of SHI; and Mrs. Lily Chan, Director of University Advancement and Secretary-General of the HKBU Foundation.

In his speech, Dr. Simon Suen reiterated the founding vision of SHI, which he established with his wife Mrs. Mary Suen, MH, to promote Sinological research, nurture humanities talent, and pass on Chinese cultural heritage. Citing his late mentor, Professor Jao Tsung-i, GBM, who envisioned the 21st century as a new era of Chinese cultural renaissance, Dr. Suen encouraged young scholars to embody Professor Jao’s ethos of “seeking the truth, the authenticity, and the justness”, while harnessing new textual discoveries and technologies to explore traditional cultural treasures. He also affirmed HKBU’s commitment to Whole Person Education, highlighting the Simon Suen Foundation’s additional donation in 2021 to establish a dedicated programme in support of SHI’s nurturing of emerging scholars.

Professor Lyu Aiping acknowledged the generous support of Dr. Suen and Mrs. Suen, and commended SHI’s contributions to talent development, cultural publications, academic exchange, and civilisational dialogue. He underscored that the academic activities and high-level platforms initiated by SHI aligned with the national 14th Five-Year Plan’s strategic vision to position Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. He was delighted to find that the conference provided young scholars worldwide with a platform to foster meaningful convergence of Chinese civilisation with global intellectual currents, enabling traditional wisdom and modern development to co-evolve synergistically.

Established in 2011, SHI has organised the Young Scholars International Conference annually since 2015, providing a premier platform for academic exchange among young humanities scholars. Over the past decade, this signature event has attracted nearly 200 young scholars from more than 70 leading universities and research institutions around the world.

The conference draws a record 60 outstanding young scholars from around the world