1. Introduction: Transformation of the New Education Bureau in Hong Kong

As the global economy and technology continue to change, cultivating talents with interdisciplinary knowledge and problem-solving skills has become the key to national and social development. In recent years, Hong Kong has continuously promoted STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in its education policy, aiming to cultivate students' core abilities for the future through innovation and practice. This article will deeply analyze the development status, existing challenges and future trends of STEM education in Hong Kong in 2025, aiming to provide reference and inspiration for the education sector, parents and policy makers.

2. Background of the development of STEM education in Hong Kong

Since STEM was first listed as a key promotion project in the 2015 Policy Address, the Hong Kong Government has continuously invested funds, improved educational resources, and promoted the development of school-based STEM courses. For example, City University of Hong Kong held its first STEM Career Expo to build a platform for industry-university cooperation and inspire students’ innovative thinking to connect with the industry (see source). In addition, the Education Bureau also strives to integrate STEM education into daily curriculum by funding primary and secondary schools to set up innovation laboratories and promote related subsidy programs (see).

With the advancement of science and technology and the need for industrial upgrading, the academic community in Hong Kong has gradually realized that traditional single-discipline education alone can no longer meet the future labor market's demand for innovative talents. This has also prompted STEM education to further emphasize interdisciplinary integration and practical applications (see).

3. Current situation and challenges

Although the government and academia have taken a number of measures to promote STEM education, there are still many challenges at this stage:

• Insufficient subject integration and the need to improve the diversity of teaching models: STEM education in many schools in Hong Kong is still presented in the form of extracurricular activities or elective courses. There is a lack of a unified and standardized curriculum framework, which leads to uneven teaching resources and difficulty in quantifying student learning outcomes (see).
• Difficulties in teacher training and interdisciplinary collaboration: The tradition of subject-based education is deeply rooted in Hong Kong's education system. Many teachers have narrow professional fields and find it difficult to master multidisciplinary knowledge at the same time to design cross-disciplinary STEM projects. How to improve teachers' professional capabilities and interdisciplinary collaboration remains an important bottleneck (see).
• The assessment system does not match the pressure of academic advancement: Some parents and schools are worried that STEM activities will affect academic performance, leading to students’ lack of competitiveness in exams. How to ensure academic performance while also taking into account the cultivation of students’ innovative and practical abilities is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently (see ).

4. Innovative practice and interdisciplinary application

Facing the above challenges, many schools and educational institutions in Hong Kong are exploring diversified STEM teaching models and interdisciplinary applications:

• Experimental and project-driven teaching: Through the engineering design process, special studies and other methods, students learn how to integrate science, technology and engineering knowledge in actual operations to solve real problems. For example, some schools have used STEM classrooms to design small maker spaces to encourage students to engage in model construction and programming (see ).
• Integrate art and reading to promote STEAM/STREAM education: To promote students' creativity, some institutions integrate art into STEM courses to form a STEAM or even STREAM model, so that students can apply diverse knowledge across disciplines while cultivating their aesthetic sense (see).
• Utilizing online learning platforms and blended teaching: With the popularization of digital technology, many schools in Hong Kong have cooperated with the Education Bureau to launch online STEM courses and distance learning platforms to achieve cross-regional, cross-time and cross-space teaching and enhance resource sharing and interactive effects (see ).

5. Policy support and market demand

The Hong Kong government continues to invest funds and policies to support STEM education, such as allocating funds to establish innovation laboratories, providing teacher training subsidies, and encouraging schools to collaborate with businesses to promote STEM-related activities (see). At the same time, with the implementation of the Greater Bay Area and international science and technology innovation competitions (such as the Greater Bay Area STEAM Excellence Award), the market demand for STEM talents is increasing. Enterprises are actively participating in school science and technology innovation cooperation to provide students with internship and employment opportunities (see).

These measures will not only help students develop innovative thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age, but will also promote Hong Kong's position in the global science and technology innovation landscape and provide sustained impetus for future economic development.

6. Conclusion and Future Outlook

In summary, Hong Kong's STEM education in 2025 is in a transition period from basic teaching to interdisciplinary practice. Faced with the pressure of global digital transformation and innovation competition, Hong Kong must continue to optimize curriculum design, strengthen teacher training and cross-sector collaboration, and make full use of support resources from the government and enterprises. As the STEM (and STEAM/STREAM) education model becomes increasingly mature, Hong Kong is expected to cultivate more innovative talents with global competitiveness and become an important part of the international innovation and technology center.

The development of STEM education in Hong Kong not only concerns the personal future of students, but is also the core driving force for promoting urban innovation and economic transformation. Looking into the future, we hope that more schools and educational institutions will work together to create a STEM education path that combines popularization with excellence, innovation and practice, so as to cultivate an endless source of innovative power for Hong Kong and the world.