Hong Kong has been actively advancing links with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries in trade, finance and professional services. Similarly, the city’s local universities have been developing innovative programmes and exchanges to strengthen ties, share knowledge and promote long-term cross-border collaboration between academia and industry.A prime example is the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy. This year’s cohort of 45 professionals from countries including Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia and South Africa focused on the ways that AI technologies are enabling new power systems.In the past eight years, PolyU’s programmes have attracted professionals from 44 BRI countries. Photo: Shutterstock“Running the programme takes persistence and belief,” says Professor HC Man, dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He notes that over 900 professionals from 44 BRI countries have taken part since 2018. “What we have done,” continues Man, “creates impact by introducing participants to the latest technology and learning, which they then take back home.”This ripple effect is tangible. For instance, last year three attendees from Chile were so impressed that they subsequently sent a team of professors to PolyU to initiate ongoing collaboration. Furthermore, the workshops and visits have provided industry partners with valuable exposure and opportunities to forge new business connections in BRI markets. By leveraging both consular and academic networks, PolyU has also established new contacts with overseas universities renowned for their strong power and energy departments.At the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), a key initiative is the one-year, full-time MA in Belt and Road Business Communication and Administration, launching in the 2026-27 academic year. The programme has already attracted thousands of applications. It is taught in Putonghua, a strategic choice that has drawn significant interest from candidates in mainland China and positions it to serve the needs of enterprises expanding along the Belt and Road.EdUHK regularly invites industry experts for guest lectures and to explore collaborative possibilities. Photo: EdUHK“The aim is to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a ‘superconnector’ in both higher education and international business,” says programme leader Dr Leo Liu Jindong.