Hong Kong’s rise to fourth place globally — and top spot in Asia — in the 2025 World Talent Ranking marks a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing transformation into a global center of innovation and human capital. This achievement is not accidental but the result of deliberate, multifaceted efforts to nurture talent, bolster education, and attract the best minds worldwide. Among these, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s new initiative to expand foreign-language learning in secondary schools stands out as both timely and strategic, aligning with the city’s wider ambitions.
The city’s strength lies not only in its stellar record in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), in which five universities rank among the world’s top 100, but also in recognizing the undervalued power of language skills. The pilot program introducing languages such as Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Urdu — and potentially Arabic and Russian — is a recognition that proficiency in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, vital though that is, forms only part of the picture. Multilingual capability equips students with cognitive agility, cultural insight and communication skills essential for Hong Kong’s role as an international business, education, and tourism hub.
It is important to reject the notion that the advent of artificial-intelligence-powered translation tools renders language learning obsolete. Rather, these technologies complement rather than replace human linguistic skills. AI can facilitate comprehension and accessibility, but it cannot replicate the nuances, empathy, and cultural understanding that underpin effective communication. Mastering languages enriches creativity and adaptability — qualities that machines cannot imitate. The synergy of technology and language proficiency defines the new norm for the knowledge economy.
Hong Kong’s designation as a global mediation center further underscores the necessity of multilingual capabilities. The success of the city, as a neutral ground for international dispute resolution, depends on professionals proficient in multiple languages and attuned to diverse cultural contexts — skills cultivated through solid language education.
Parallel to these efforts, Hong Kong is intensifying its drive to attract outstanding students from around the world through the promotion of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. By hosting international education forums, expanding scholarships, and fostering partnerships with global institutions, the city is actively creating a vibrant, diverse academic ecosystem that enriches its talent pool and supports its ambitions.
As a new academic year commences, a clear imperative emerges: Hong Kong must nurture its multilingual talent with as much care and commitment as it does its STEM achievers. This balanced approach will lay the foundation for continued ascendancy in the global talent arena, ensuring that Hong Kong remains a competitive, cosmopolitan city for generations to come
When considering language learning’s global landscape, Hong Kong’s initiative echoes best practices in several leading nations. Japan, for example, has made English-language education compulsory from an early age and combines it with immersive cultural exchange programs, recognizing the role of communication skills in economic competitiveness. South Korea boasts high English proficiency among its youth, ranking fifth in Asia in the EF English Proficiency Index 2024, thanks to intensive language curriculums and private tutoring industries. Singapore, a fellow Asian city, exemplifies multilingual education success by implementing a bilingual policy, combining English with a mother tongue, promoting linguistic dexterity alongside cultural rootedness.
Statistics underscore the impact of these approaches. The European Union reports that 75 percent of its citizens can communicate in at least one foreign language, attributed to compulsory language education and mobility programs like Erasmus+. In comparison, Hong Kong’s current foreign-language acquisition rates lag behind these benchmarks, but the new pilot program is designed to close this gap swiftly.
The SAR government’s subsidy enabling 170 secondary schools to offer these languages promises meaningful progress, provided that quality instruction and sustained motivation accompany it. Introducing students to a second or third language should be inspiring rather than daunting, with well-structured pathways to deeper proficiency and immersive learning opportunities. Encouraging interactions with native speakers, utilizing digital platforms, and facilitating overseas exchanges could emulate the success of countries noted for their language education.
Learning additional languages sharpens memory, problem-solving, and creativity — skills cited by experts as essential in tomorrow’s workforce. Moreover, multilingualism cultivates intercultural awareness, preparing young people to thrive as global citizens engaging across borders and cultures. In this way, language learning directly supports Hong Kong’s talent readiness, appeal, and investment in human capital reflected in recent talent rankings.
Hong Kong’s ascent as Asia’s talent capital is the result of integrated policies that marry educational innovation, global talent recruitment and now an expanded linguistic agenda. This holistic approach promises a future in which the city’s youth are not only scientifically proficient but also culturally fluent and internationally connected — an indispensable combination for sustaining economic vitality and global relevance.
As a new academic year commences, a clear imperative emerges: Hong Kong must nurture its multilingual talent with as much care and commitment as it does its STEM achievers. This balanced approach will lay the foundation for continued ascendancy in the global talent arena, ensuring that Hong Kong remains a competitive, cosmopolitan city for generations to come.
The author is a Hong Kong-based writer, public advocate, public affairs commentator, and a secondary school teacher.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
