The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has positioned its Master of Public Management programme to prioritise human judgment over technical skills amid the rise of artificial intelligence.
Prof. Donald Low, the programme director, said leadership in the AI age requires weighing competing interests and keeping citizens’ welfare central. The programme targets mid-career professionals with five to six years of experience from civil service, NGOs and regulated industries. It embeds AI literacy across the curriculum rather than treating it as a niche topic. Low noted that Hong Kong’s legal and data frameworks under “One Country, Two Systems” provide a useful setting for discussing regulation and privacy. Alumnus Lo Tim Man Him, who graduated in 2024 and now heads system development at BEAM Society Limited, said the course improved his ability to analyse socio-economic challenges. Five cohorts have now completed the programme.
