2023 Global Talents Summit Successfully Held in Macau
May 11 , 2023
On May 11, 2023, the Global Talent Summit 2023 opened in Macau, organized by the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO), the CCGM China-ASEAN GBA Cooperation Center (CAGCC), and co-organized by Hong Kong Institution for International Finance (HKIIF) with support from CCG and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).
Senior policymakers specializing in education, technology, and talent development, representatives of international organizations, diplomats based in China, education experts, and industry leaders gathered to engage in high-level dialogues. Discussions focused on topics such as knowledge sharing and talent cultivation for modern financial and insurance professionals in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; the impact of ChatGPT/Open AI on talent development and planning in 2023; the role of talent in supporting e-commerce supply chains to combat counterfeit goods and provide electronic certification for the quality of natural ingredient products; and strategies for cultivating interdisciplinary talent capable of addressing challenges in digital encrypted assets across jurisdictions.
Mr. Vong Iat Hang Rio, Adviser to the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, extended heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture to the convening of the 2023 Global Talent Summit. In his opening speech, he emphasized that Macau serves as an important gateway for fostering trade and cultural exchanges between Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, and EU member states.
H.E. Arthayudh Srisamoot, Ambassador of Thailand to China, introduced Thailand’s foreign talent recruitment policies and their implementation strategies. He noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 48 years ago, China, as Thailand’s largest investor and source of tourists, has placed great importance on its diplomatic relations with Thailand.
H.E. Paulo Nascimento, Ambassador of Portugal to China, remarked that Macau’s return to China is a commemorative event that has had a profound and positive impact on both China and Portugal. Addressing the widely discussed concept of a shared future for humanity, he emphasized that dialogue is the foundation of mutual understanding. Whether between individuals or nations, it is essential to maintain an attitude of honesty and equality. By engaging with the world with an open mind, he noted, we can collectively address global challenges.
Ms. Zhao Baige, Chair of the Advisory Committee Research & Development International (RDI), emphasized that talent lies at the core of national, ethnic, and regional development. She highlighted the urgent need for strategic talent, referring to individuals equipped with critical knowledge and strategic foresight to meet national development needs. She also underscored the importance of interdisciplinary and versatile talent, who possess cross-disciplinary abilities and strong learning capacity.
Mr. Amir Lati, Consul General of Israel in Hong Kong, focused his speech on methods for cultivating young talent. He highlighted the critical role of government support in fostering innovation. The Israeli government established the Israel Innovation Authority and provides financial backing to create a safety net for young, innovative talent, exploring ways to nurture talent from the ground up. He emphasized the importance of building a comprehensive ecosystem for talent development, which not only prioritizes the education of young talent but also relies heavily on government support, such as ensuring fairness in employment opportunities.
Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang, Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and Director-General of the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO), stated that in the short term, international talent mobility is expected to experience rapid growth, while in the long term, talent mobility within developed countries will increase. China will also become an important destination for talent flow. To maintain and enhance attraction for international talent, he emphasized the need for collaboration among governments, businesses, and society to create an environment that supports the settlement, work, and life of international talent. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area holds unique advantages in this regard, and he expressed his hope that the region will attract more international talent and lead the country in further opening up.
Mr. Lin Difu, Executive President of the Council for the Promotion of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation, pointed out that in recent years, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau have placed great importance on talent resources. The Greater Bay Area has gradually formed a positive talent atmosphere and continues to advance a three-in-one mechanism for talent mobility and collaborative innovation that promotes the recruitment, retention, and nurturing of talent. He hopes that this summit, with Macau as a window, will help promote the Greater Bay Area as a center for international talent cooperation and development in the future, continuously enhancing the region’s attractiveness to talent and contributing to the creation of a high ground for talent aggregation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Mr. Lei Chi Wai, Director of the Economic Development Bureau of Hengqin, emphasized that Hengqin and Macau are separated by only a river and a bridge, giving Hengqin a natural advantage in Guangdong-Macau cooperation. Recently, Hengqin announced the temporary measures for managing the list of high-end and scarce talent eligible for preferential personal income tax policies in the Hengqin Guangdong-Macau Deep Cooperation Zone. Looking ahead, Hengqin will continue to promote the collaborative development of talent between Hengqin and Macau, innovate talent systems, and build platforms for talent innovation, providing crucial talent support for Macau’s development.
Dr. Khwanchai Visithanon, Deputy Director-General Dept Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (D***) , stated that Thailand’s healthcare industry is a cornerstone of the country’s economic development. It is well-known that many Thai medicines are popular worldwide, and the growth of the pharmaceutical industry is closely tied to innovative talent. He expressed hope that through this summit, Thailand would strengthen its exchanges and cooperation with China and other Asian countries, contributing to talent development.
Dr. Tariq Ahmed Nizami, Founder and CEO of CEO Clubs Network Worldwide is committed to supporting multilateral economic and trade cooperation in sectors such as healthcare, high technology, and manufacturing, while promoting communication and collaboration and providing necessary support. The UAE boasts a diverse, cross-cultural talent pool. In the context of the UAE’s rapid development, businesses focus on nurturing leadership, innovation, and sustainability in talent, helping individuals enhance their ability to quickly adapt to new circumstances, take risks, and propose new ideas.
In the keynote speech, Mr. Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, Advisor to Chief Executive of HKSAR for quality economic & sustainable development, Chief Consultant with China Banking & Insurance Regulatory Commission, Former Chairman of Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission emphasized that the key to talent development is recognizing and discovering talent. As a populous nation, China has cultivated a large pool of talent over the course of more than 40 years of reform and opening up. Today, the world faces many challenges, and technology and talent are key to solving these problems. The essence of international competition today is talent competition. To attract more talent and unlock the potential of individuals, society, and the nation, we need a diverse and open environment. In the era of globalization, how to utilize international talent to serve local development will be a major challenge.
Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and former President of the United Nations Security Council, stated that Singapore’s talent development process could serve as a model for many countries. He pointed out that talent manifests in various forms: some individuals possess hard skills such as research capabilities, while others have soft skills. It is essential to bring together people with different types of skills to collaborate effectively. The Greater Bay Area should embrace a diverse range of talents from different ethnic backgrounds and with varied abilities to bring vitality and dynamism to future development.
Mr. Joseph Hun-wei Lee, President and Chair Professor of the Macau University of Science and Technology, emphasized that talent is a key driving force for innovative economic development. He pointed out that last year, the Governor of Hong Kong introduced a new talent recruitment policy, and prestigious universities in mainland China are also making concerted efforts to attract talent. Drawing from his own experience in talent development over the years, he believes that talent cultivation should involve close cooperation between universities and the government to jointly build a system for fostering innovative talent. His first point is that a specific environment and career development prospects should be provided for the cultivation of innovative talents, and adequate preparation must be made to invest long-term time and effort into talent development.
Mr. William CHAO, Secretary-General of the Talent Development Committee of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, believes that today’s Macau has developed into an inclusive, diverse, and vibrant international city. Education is a key element in the development of talent in Macau. At the same time, the education sector in Macau is fully utilizing the resources offered by the Greater Bay Area to establish research centers and training bases, promoting research and scientific technology development. Macau will open its arms to welcome global talents and leaders to join the new talent team shaping Macau’s future, ensuring that Macau shines brightly in the 21st century in Asia.
Mr. Zhu Yougang, Chairman of Ping An Health Insurance Co., Ltd., shared his views on talent development in enterprises, particularly in the insurance industry. He emphasized that for the Greater Bay Area, achieving one-stop services and standardized interconnectivity is crucial, and talent plays a key role in this process. He hopes to explore mechanisms such as job rotation and secondments in the Bay Area, maintain long-term exchanges between industry associations or insurance companies, and establish a reference and exchange mechanism for medical and health service talents.
Mr. Jiaming ZHU, Chairman of the Academic and Technical Committee of the Digital Chain and Digital Finance Research Institute of the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, shared his views on the key development of the Greater Bay Area— the demand and supply of digital and AI talents. He pointed out that the current era is not only an information age and a knowledge age but also a digital and intelligent age. In such an era, there is a need for three types of talent: first, interdisciplinary talent; second, cross-field talent; and third, talent that is ahead of the times. He emphasized that all types of talent must possess deep learning abilities and be able to integrate with machine learning.
Mr. Arhor Yuen, Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, focused on the perspectives of value, capabilities, and the construction challenges in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He stated that meeting the requirements for capacity building, sustainable finance, and related business in the Greater Bay Area will face significant challenges. To meet the local talent demand, he highlighted two approaches: first, attracting young talent to join relevant industries; and second, enhancing the skills of existing professionals in the field.
Mr. Chen Zhaofeng, President of the Greater China Region at Korn Ferry, delivered a speech titled “How to Wait for Talent.” He pointed out that in order for companies to attract and retain talent, three key issues need to be addressed. First, companies must think from the perspective of talent, considering their growth needs. Second, they should focus on the alignment of values between the company and talent. Third, training and development are essential. Whether retaining internal talent or attracting external talent, companies need to approach these areas with careful consideration.
The “Report on Talent Development in Asia under Technology Transformation” jointly launched by the International Alliance of Global Talent Organizations (AGTO), the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), and Morgan Philips Group (MPG), was released at the summit. This report, the first talent report published by AGTO, combines relevant literature and research to summarize the impact of technological transformation on talent development and the human resources market. It provides recommendations on how to respond to the effects of technological changes on talent development from the perspectives of talent, enterprises, talent education and training systems, and policy-making bodies. The report was released by Dr. Mable Lu MIAO, Secretary-General of AGTO.
The first roundtable discussion focused on the theme “Modern Financial and Insurance Talent in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area: Knowledge Sharing and Talent Cultivation.” The discussion featured prominent figures such as Winnie Wong, Chairman of the AIA Insurance Industry Association and CEO of AIA Asia, Alger Fung, CEO of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, Edward Moncreiffe, CEO of HSBC Life Insurance (International) Ltd., and Lawrence Lam, CEO of Prudential Hong Kong. They explored topics related to insurance talent development and talent mobility within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The session was moderated by Jiang Zhongyuan, Director of the CCGM China-ASEAN Greater Bay Area Cooperation Center, and Chen Junyi, Director of the Insurance Supervision Department at the Macau Financial Management Bureau.
The second roundtable discussion was themed “The Impact of ChatGPT/OpenAI on Talent Development and Planning in 2023.” The session featured insights from Zhang Wei, Deputy Secretary-General and Senior Research Fellow at the CCG, Huang Zhenfu, Managing Director for Asia at MPG Recruitment Consulting Group, Wang Mengyan, President of ETS China, Guo Xiaoyan, General Manager of the China National High-Level Talent Recruitment Center, Huang Xiaoping, Founder and Chairman of Ruishifanda Group, and Li Siyan, Executive Director of Stirling Education Development Group in the U.S. The panel explored the influence of artificial intelligence on talent development and evaluation, as well as the new challenges and opportunities in education. The dialogue was moderated by Zhong Xiaoping, Executive Dean of the CCG New Economy Research Institute.
The third roundtable discussion focused on the theme “What Type of Talent is Needed to Participate in the E-Commerce Supply System to Help Solve the Problem of Fake Products and Provide Electronic Certificates for Natural Ingredient Products’ Quality? Can Traditional Natural Ingredient Medicine and Food Products, as well as Medical Promotion, Become Application and Development Targets, and What Challenges Do They Face?”
The panel featured Dr. Vivian WONG TAAM, Honorary Professor at the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, former public health expert at the World Bank, and former Chair of Friends of the Earth Hong Kong; Dr. Khwanchai Visithanon, Director of the Thai Traditional Medicine Bureau at the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand; Cheng Mingyu, Associate Director of the Institute for Learning and Training at Malaysia’s Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman; and Chen Xiang, Executive Director of the Shennong Digital Technology R&D Center at Tsinghua University’s Pearl River Delta Research Institute. They discussed the development of the health supplement industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, electronic traceability of health products, and quality assurance.
The session was moderated by Professor Mr. Zhang-Jin ZHANG, Associate Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, and Dr. Jiang Zhongyuan, Director of the China-ASEAN Greater Bay Area Cooperation Center at CCGM.
The fourth roundtable discussion centered on the theme “As the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Places Increasing Emphasis on Digital and Cryptographic Assets, How Can We Meet the Development and Training Needs of Talent in This Field, Involving Cross-Jurisdictional and Multidisciplinary Expertise?”
The panel featured Mr. Peter KUNG, Vice President of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Promotion Association and President of the Hong Kong Taxation Institute; Zheng Fang, Director of the Hearing Intelligence Center at the Tsinghua University Institute of Artificial Intelligence; Xiang Shaohua, Professor and Founding Partner at Zero One Academy in Shenzhen; and Zhang Chunxin, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Fudan University Fanhai International School of Finance. They discussed various challenges, such as the cross-jurisdictional issues of digital assets, regulatory frameworks for emerging financial systems, and the cultivation of talent for foreign investment and risk management.
The session was moderated by Song Min, Director of the Central China Development Research Institute at Wuhan University and former Executive Director of the HSBC Business School at Peking University, along with Chen Yonghua, former Director of Information Technology at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
This summit is a key component of the 2023 BEYOND International Technology Innovation Expo in Macau. The 2023 BEYOND Expo took place from May 10 to 12 at the Venetian Macao-Parisian Convention and Exhibition Center (Halls A-E). The expo focused on cutting-edge technologies and revolved around three main themes: life and health, sustainable development, and consumer technology. Its goal was to become one of the most influential global tech events of the year.
