Vice-Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday urged the University of Hong Kong to nurture talents not just for Hong Kong, but also for the nation.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the elite university’s centenary, he said the world-famous institution has played an increasingly important role in China’s development and its integration with the world at large.

Li praised the university as one of the best in the world, having the advantage of connecting East and West, “which is not only Hong Kong’s glory, but also the nation’s pride.’’

The State leader spoke of the need for increased cross-border cooperation to ensure prosperity on both sides, saying prosperity requires the participation of thousands of talented people familiar with the nation’s conditions and able to master modern technology.

To facilitate such cooperation, the vice-premier brought a special birthday gift from the central government to the 100-year-old university — a dedicated fund will be set up to encourage cross-border exchanges and cooperation on education.

The fund is intended to help 1,000 teachers and students from the university to visit, study and conduct research on the mainland annually, starting next year.

Other universities in Hong Kong will also be encouraged to cooperate with mainland institutions of higher learning. This will help teachers and students in Hong Kong better understand the mainland’s past, present and future, and also allow educational and technological sectors on both sides to grow together, Li said.

The vice-premier arrived at the campus under sunny skies on the final day of his three-day official visit to the SAR.

Immediately upon arrival, Li called on renowned contemporary sinologist, 94-year-old Professor Jao Tsung-i, who has made remarkable achievements in Chinese education and various fields of the humanities.

After the meeting, Li proceeded to Loke Yew Hall for the centenary ceremony and was greeted by the vice-chancellor and university president, Professor Tsui Lap-chee. 

In his address, Li noted that Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen was also nurtured at the university, and was among its more than 130,000 alumni.

He expressed confidence in the young people of Hong Kong, saying they are “aspiring, capable, responsible, and very promising”.

Tsui, in his opening address at the ceremony, summed up the university’s future goals — to support and fulfill the nation’s economic and social needs as China moves forward.

“HKU must see and establish itself as a key institution in China,” he said.

The vice-premier unveiled plaques for the establishment of two cross-border research organizations — the Hong Kong-Guangdong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, and the State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infections Diseases’ Partner Laboratory at HKU-Shenzhen Branch.

He also gave copies of more than 9,000 ancient, rare Chinese books to the university as a separate gift.

Li was later briefed on the history of the university in the exhibition room by a group of students in fluent putonghua, and spoke to outstanding scholars from Hong Kong’s universities as well as several overseas universities to learn about their academic achievements.

From the university, Li went to the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong, where he met senior representatives of the offices set up by the central authorities in Hong Kong, Chinese enterprises and the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

Later in the afternoon, the vice-premier officiated at a ceremony marking the completion of the new SAR Government Headquarters at Tamar, before leaving for the airport, where he spoke to the media briefly.