Results from the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) were released on July 16. There were 16 top scorers from 14 different schools, the highest number recorded since 2012. We have top scorers Calvin Wong Ka-yeung and Caron Fung Yuet-kiu on Straight Talk today.

They share with us their plan and tips for others, and help us answer the question "Can our education system deliver Hong Kong’s future leaders?"

Check out the full transcript of TVB’s Straight Talk host Dr Eugene Chan’s interview with two DSE graduates:

Chan: Good evening! I’m Eugene Chan, and welcome to Straight Talk. Just last week, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examination results were released. And this year, 38.5 percent of all candidates, or nearly 16,400 students, met the minimum entrance requirements for Hong Kong’s eight public universities. Among them, there were 16 top scorers from 14 different schools, the highest number recorded since 2012. Tonight, we begin a special two-part series featuring some of these graduates and exploring the question: can our education system deliver Hong Kong’s future leaders? We will hear their personal stories, their challenges, and their insights into the system that has shaped them. We have Calvin Wong and Caron Fung in the studio with us. Welcome to both of you!

So, Calvin, so maybe we'll start with you first. So, which school are you from, and how did you do in this year's DSE?

Calvin: Thank you, Dr Chan. I'm Calvin Wong, and I took the DSE this year and graduated from St. Paul's Co-Educational College. So, I did the electives: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, as well as Math Module 2, and I got five Level Five and two Stars in all subjects, including my electives, and that is seven subjects in total.

Chan: Right. And Caron?

Caron:  I'm from the True Light School of Hong Kong, and this year, I took Geography, Economics, Biology, and Mathematics External Part Module 1. So, I got five stars in all subjects except Maths Module 1.

Chan: Right. So, were the results sort of a surprise to you, or you kind of expected these good results?

Caron: Definitely surprised me.

Chan: Right.

Caron: I was literally over the moon when I was told that I became one of the top scorers this year, and I think Chinese and Biology are the two subjects that surprised me the most.

Chan: Right. So, Calvin, I know both of you have been having a few interviews. So, how do you feel so far as the champion or the top scorer?

Calvin: Well, I mean, I'm a bit overwhelmed because, personally, I really didn't expect myself to become a top scorer as well, because I feel like this year's papers were particularly challenging, like amongst all the cohorts of the DSE curriculum. So, I was really excited to be one of the top scorers, and, yeah, I'm also very grateful to become one of the best performers in DSE this year.

Chan: Right, actually, I met one of the DSE sort of graduates this year during my professional practice yesterday. And they said to me, the questions are actually quite difficult compared to previous years. And interestingly, you have the highest number of sort of champions of this. So, why do you think this happened?

Calvin: I would say it's probably because the syllabus is now changing from a changing LS (Liberal Studies) curriculum to the Citizenship and Social Development curriculum. Probably students have more time that they can allocate to the electives, so that they have more time to revise, and so we see more top scores this year. I think this is the highest number of top scores that we're having amongst all the DSE cohorts that we've had in the previous decade.

Chan: Right, Caron, how about your schoolmates? How did everybody do?

Caron: I think this year, because every form has a different culture, I mean atmosphere, in learning, so this year, for my form, I think my peers actually performed pretty well in DSE.

Chan: Really?

Caron: Yes, especially in economics and geography, because this year we really like to share our notes and learning tips with each other.

Chan: Right, I think we will ask you more about the tips later.

Caron: Yes.

Chan: I know that both of you have participated in a lot of competitions, and especially like Ka-yeung or Calvin, you were a bronze medalist in the Chinese Physics Olympiad. What exactly is that competition?

Calvin: Well, I've been a member of the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad team for the past two or three years, and basically, they would select team members every year to participate in local and also regional competitions, including the Asian Physics Olympiad or the Chinese Physics Olympiad that I went to, and it's basically a national competition that gathers students from all over the country. And this year, we went to Shanghai together to take part in the Physics competition, and then the top scores in that competition will be selected further into the National Physics Olympiad team.

Chan: How much time do you have to allocate to sort of prepare for competition?

Calvin: I would say, because I have to deal with my DSE and also my university applications at the same time. So, when I was preparing for the Chinese Physics Olympiad, I didn't have that much time, basically only every weekend, I would go to the HKUST to attend training sessions and also lectures from the trainers of the Physics Olympiad Team, yeah.

Chan: Right, so would you say that it has helped your DSE results?

Calvin: I would say, maybe it's not about my DSE results, because the DSE physics curriculum and also what we study for the Physics Olympiad curriculum, they may be quite different, like the content covered. But I would say that by joining these competitions, they've actually trained my critical thinking skills and also my problem-solving skills that, I would say, have equipped me and well, for my university studies in the future, probably.

Chan: Right, Caron, you also participated in innovation and technology competitions as well. So, how do you find those?

Caron: So, I've actually participated in the Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition and I think these competitions, it's very inspiring because you get to see what other teams from other schools, what they have done, and how they presented their project to you. And I think through these projects, not only can we train our skills in, for example, STEAM projects, and making science-related research topics, but also it trains our soft skills like communication and presentation skills.

Chan: Right, I know both of you are students of the Hong Kong Academy of Gifted Education, and I must declare my interests. I'm the chairman of the Advisory Committee. This program, this school is actually hoping to release the potential of our students. So, how have you found the training at the Hong Kong Academy of Gifted Education so far?

Calvin: I would say that the Academy has helped me a lot in terms of joining extracurricular programs and activities, because the academy actually collaborates with a lot of local institutions, including local universities, to conduct training programs and also in general, extracurricular activities for secondary school students. And it also offers opportunities like research projects or students' own research initiatives, etc. So, these would actually really expand my horizons and offer me the opportunity to explore my interests outside of the school curriculum, yeah.

Chan: So, Caron, I'm going to ask you that question that you brought up earlier. How do you think that having such a good results, if you're going to share with the viewers, what kind of tips would you say or factors that you think has helped you to achieve this result or even amongst your classmates? I mean, and also, I think it's very stressful as well, at DSE.

Caron: Yes.

Chan: How do you manage that and the stress?

Caron: So, I think, as what I've previously mentioned, I think that sharing tips and discussing academic topics with your friends, maybe just having a little debate about an interesting and difficult DSE question really helps train our thinking and analytical skills. And besides, I think, in order to manage stress and also maybe revision, I think watching animation or maybe drawing, it’s some kind of ways for me to relieve my stress and also to manage to have motivation for myself to continue with my studies.

Chan: Alright. Calvin, any tips?

Calvin: Well, I would say that the DSE, that preparing for DSE is certainly very stressful as well. So, for me, I actually have been practicing fencing for more than 10 years.

Chan: You told me about that earlier.

Calvin: Yes, well, so, even during my study break, I would probably go to fencing like once a week or like once every two weeks so that I can relieve my stress and see my buddies at the fencing club that I was going to. And sometimes I listen to music as well just to, you know, free my mind from all the DSE, from all the subjects that I'm studying, and obviously from all the stress that I've been under since Form 6, I would say, yeah.

Chan: So, how has a recent success with Cheung Ka-long in fencing … has it motivated you more?

Calvin: Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's great to see the popularization of fencing in recent years because of Cheung Ka-long and probably Vivian Kong as well.

Chan: Yes.

Calvin: So, the fact that Hong Kong after athletes have attained such good results at the Olympics and also other fencing tournaments and competitions. What I observed is that lots of kids or people have been going into fencing these years, and, yeah, I'm really excited about that.

Chan: Okay, alright. Let's look at and talk about your future plans. To start with Caron, what is your life plan? And what … I know that you'll be going to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and tell us what you are going to do there? And why do you want to go to LSE in London?

Caron: So, I would like to study environment and sustainable development with economics in LSE. And the reason why I would like to study in the UK, it's because I think, I will … first of all, I'm passionate in studying topics related to sustainable development, and I also plan to pursue work in this field, and also the reason why I would like to go to the UK, it's because I think it's going to provide me with a really great opportunity to have case studies of what the European countries or maybe the UK have been implementing about, like what environmental policies they have been implementing.

Chan: Right. Have you considered Hong Kong at all?

Caron: I do have considered having master degrees in Hong Kong University, but I'm still exploring, and I'm still looking up online like which one is better. So, I do think that studying my undergraduate degree in the UK does help me to, you know, explore more about the differences in different cities, like how it was like.

Chan: Right, you could plan coming back to Hong Kong after that?

Caron: Yeah, definitely. So, I do plan to have my career in Hong Kong and to live in Hong Kong after I finish my studies in the UK.

Chan: Right, Calvin, I assumed you'd be doing something related to physics since you have done very well. Am I correct?

Calvin: Yeah, that's true.

Chan: And you'll be going to?

Calvin: Cambridge for Natural Sciences, yeah.

Chan: And what is your plan? Are you just going to be a scientist or you want to commercialize anything with physics and be an entrepreneur? What is your plan?

Calvin: Well, that's the field that I'm going to explore in university, probably, because I'm mostly interested in physics, as well as climate science, and really climate science is really like a hot topic nowadays because of all the attention that it has drawn from the public. So, I would say that at university, I'll try to explore what I can do in the fields of research, as well as education and also awareness raising … that is facing more of like the public, for example. So, I would say that after university, I do have plans to probably conduct research on my own, as well as to foster the local STEM community here in Hong Kong. But that's maybe I'll consider that later, yeah.

Chan: Right, maybe we will take a short break now and viewers, stay with us, we will be right back.

Chan: Thank you for staying with us. We have been exploring the question, “Can HK’s education system deliver our future leaders?” We have Calvin Wong and Caron Fung, two DSE champions, with us this evening.

So, in the first half of the program, we discussed the work that you have done, the results that you have achieved, and your personal plans. But one question I am sure the viewers will want me to ask you is that a lot of people believe that when you make education choices, they always link that with the future livelihoods, and that is the reason why many top scorers in the past have opted for more professional fields, like medicine. There used to be a lot of doctors. I am not saying they are not good, but I am saying all the top scorers will want to do medicine or dentistry, as a matter of fact. So, what are your thoughts on that? I mean, because you will be doing more or less like economics and all that, it is not as lucrative as those subjects. Have you considered livelihood at all?

Caron: Yes, indeed. But whether or not I am concerned about my future career path, I would say I am not so concerned because I believe that right nows the importance and significance of SDGs, like sustainable development goals and environment, social, governance, these topics are rising in Hong Kong. And I do believe that after I finish my studies in the UK, when I come back to Hong Kong, I do think that there is a lot of opportunities for me to engage in these industries.

Chan: Right. Calvin, I mean, more so you are in physics, you will be a scientist.

Calvin: Yeah.

Chan: Is that what you are after in your career?

Calvin: Yeah, well, I do agree with Caron on the point that nowadays sustainable development is being brought up more often. So, I feel like nowadays in the age of information, the societal demands that we are having are really shifting very rapidly. So, in the past, when we talked about prestigious jobs, like doctors, as you have mentioned, or lawyers, they would probably be associated with some of the very urgent societal needs. But nowadays, with stuff like AI or like quantum computing on the rise, probably we also need more investments into basic research. So, yeah, I would say I am optimistic about my own career prospects.

Chan: I must say that personally, I think if you have the opportunity to study abroad, especially at such prestige institutions, I think it is a wonderful opportunity that you should engage in because Hong Kong is always home. And we have a lot of leaders in Hong Kong who are receiving training from overseas as well. So, I see that it is a good move personally. But of course, everyone's situation is different. But having said that, a lot of people are saying Hong Kong's education system doesn't really develop leaders. Obviously, if they have listened to our interviews today, I am sure they would disagree, that we have very good leaders here. So, how would you criticize Hong Kong’s education system if I want you to, Calvin?

Calvin: Well, I would say it is commonly perceived that the Hong Kong education system in general, or maybe the DSE, puts less emphasis on allowing students to express their, say, creativity, because as I said, like in the DSE curriculum, we don't have that big of a component that consists of projects or students’ own thoughts, like it is mostly paperwork. But I would say that from my own observation in recent years, when I was doing the past papers to prepare for the DSE, obviously, the examination board has been incorporating more elements of critical thinking, as well as higher-order thinking into the papers. They don't require students to just regurgitate their knowledge, but also to employ analytical skills when they are answering the papers. So, I would say that, of course, the education system has probably some of its weaknesses, but I would say that it has been evolving, and I foresee that it is going to continue to evolve in the upcoming years.

Chan: Right. Caron, what will be Hong Kong education’s strength?

Caron: I think the Hong Kong education system does have a lot of strengths. One of them I can think of is the bilingual and trilingualism settings and design of curriculum, because it really equips students with the necessary language ability for them to thrive and succeed in Hong Kong, or maybe in the Chinese mainland, or in Western countries. So, I think language skills, it is really one of the strengths that Hong Kong students have.

Chan: Right. So, Calvin, in the last few years, Hong Kong has gone through quite significant changes. Unfortunately, we had a riot in 2019, and we had a stretch of COVID, and a lot of people saying that Hong Kong's young people are behaving in a different manner than what society was expecting. I mean, you going through exactly that same system, if I am going to ask you today what your views are of Hong Kong's future, how will you answer me?

Calvin: Well, in general, first of all, I would say that I am optimistic about it because if you look at the global community nowadays, there are increasing geopolitical tensions, as well as other social issues and political issues that have been going on in the global community. But Hong Kong, because of our strengthened ties with the country and also the international community at the same time, we are able to retain our unique position in the global community. So, obviously, there are challenges ahead, but if we can convert these challenges into opportunities, and I would say as a young person myself, I would say that I also have the responsibility of entering society and contributing as a member of society. So, I would say that it relies on collaborative efforts to make Hong Kong continue to improve in the future.

Chan: Right. Caron, what do you think of Hong Kong, I mean, maybe in 10 years’ time from now? I mean, because you will be studying for at least three to four years.

Caron: Yes.

Chan: You could be doing a master's, but you are doing in sustainable work. How do you see Hong Kong as a city, from your view?

Caron: So, I think in the coming 10 years, definitely there will be more and more collaboration between Hong Kong and the mainland, or maybe other countries. And I think these kind of opportunities that these collaboration provide Hong Kong is definitely going to make me feel confident about Hong Kong's future because I think in the coming 10 years, Hong Kong will become more and more important for sure, as the global financial center, because it actually serves as a super connector between mainland and the world.

Chan: Right. Since you mentioned the mainland, Calvin, I want to ask you that, as top students, I mean you guys are, you don't have to be too … yeah, the point I want to ask is, we talked about the mainland integration and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Do you see yourself or your friends working, living, or having a career in the GBA? Or do you think Hong Kong will be the base?

Calvin: Well, I would say that connections between Hong Kong and the other cities in the GBA, as well as the whole country, is definitely inevitable in the upcoming years because now that we are developing the Northern Metropolis, I would say that as a science and tech student myself, I do foresee lots of opportunities, employment opportunities, research opportunities, in the Northern Metropolis and closer ties with Shenzhen obviously. So, I do have an optimistic view about Hong Kong developing more connections with the mainland in general.

Chan: Right. Caron, you just mentioned that it is good to have debates amongst your friends.

Caron: Yes.

Chan: Has the topic of the Greater Bay Area ever come into discussion so far?

Caron: So, I think my peers and I do have some of my friends would also like to engage in, like have studies in sustainable development or maybe environmental protection-related degrees. And we have, sometimes we may discuss, maybe sometimes the Greater Bay Area can collaborate with Hong Kong to have some policies together and maybe to build some infrastructures that are related to environmental protection.

Chan: Right. Do both of you go off to Shenzhen for a weekend or for a meal at all?

Calvin: Yes.

Caron: Yeah, sometimes we do, yeah.

Calvin: During holidays.

Chan: How do you find that so far?

Calvin: I would say it is kind of similar, but also different from Hong Kong, because there are new experiences. For example, I sometimes go to Shenzhen with my friends to play like Room Escape in Shenzhen. So, yeah, it is kind of like a different experience from what you see in Hong Kong.

Chan: Okay. Maybe let's look further beyond what we have discussed so far. We have talked about your career, we have talked about your thoughts of coming back tothe  mainland and everything. Because this program does have a lot of government leaders, even the chief executive does watch the program sometimes to get perspectives. If I am going to ask you what you would suggest to the government, in terms of education, let’s start with education. What can we do to make it even better to equip more students? What would you say to that?

Calvin: In my opinion, nowadays, given how popular the internet is, I mean, basically every student in Hong Kong has a chance of using the internet to study. So, it would be great if the government or, say, like the EDB, could allocate more resources to promote learning resources on the internet, like official ones issued by the EDB, so that they can kind of break information barriers between students from different schools, because the resources they have at different schools may be vastly different. But as long as the government provides support for these students on the internet, I would say that the accessibility and the coverage would be improved significantly.

Chan: Right. Caron, anything beyond education that you can think of?

Caron: I think beyond education, if it is possible, the government can provide young adults, for example, fresh graduates with some internship programs or maybe mentorship programs, and provide them with the opportunity to connect with experienced people from the field that they are going to study.

Chan: Right. Since you guys have been able to answer all my questions, I am going to ask you even more difficult ones. What would you say will be Hong Kong's most, should be having the most priority on, in terms of social issues? What problem do you see now? I mean it looks like the housing seems to be under control now. What else do you see as a main problem?

Caron: I think because I am interested in environmental protection and sustainable development-related topics, so I think I myself is pretty concerned about the air pollution issue. So, maybe the government can prioritize in carbon emission reduction or maybe improvement of air quality.

Chan: Right. So, we know that the chief executive is having his Policy Address in September. As a young person, top scorer, what will you say to the chief executive today?

Calvin: Well, that is a really big question. But since I am most interested in science and also climate science in particular, I would say that one of Hong Kong's biggest challenges in the upcoming years is definitely going to be its long-term plan to combat climate-related risks, because obviously we are seeing more and more extreme weather events that are happening to our city recently. So, I would say that if the government could formulate a more comprehensive plan to combat climate change and also other associated risks in the upcoming years, maybe even up till 2050, and that would be great because that ensures sustainable development for Hong Kong in the future.

Chan: Right. Caron, what would you say to the CE?

Caron: So, I think if it is possible, I would hope that and I wish that the government can expand on the opportunities for youngsters, young people to thrive and to succeed because sometimes they may find it difficult to climb the social ladder. So, if it is possible, I really wish that the government can provide more support for them to enhance their social mobility.

Chan: Right. I am afraid that is all the time we have, and I wish I could speak more with you. So, thank you very much, Caron and Calvin, for sharing your experiences with us. Both our DSE students are great examples of how Hong Kong's education system can deliver our future leaders. Until next time, I am Eugene Chan, and thank you for watching Straight Talk.