On the morning of August 10, the opening ceremony of the 2026 “Pursuing Dreams in the Deep Blue” Hong Kong Youth Student Internship Program Aboard the Training Vessel Yu Kun and the opening session of the First Dalian‑Hong Kong Symposium on Maritime Education and Teaching were held at the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Student and Faculty Activity Center of the university. Zeng Qingcheng, Vice President of Dalian Maritime University (DMU); Sun Quan, Second‑Level Inspector of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Dalian Municipal People’s Government; Fung Pak‑ho, Director of the Liaison Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in Liaoning; Ji Jun, Deputy Director of Liaoning Maritime Bureau; Xiang Datian, Senior Ship Surveyor of the Marine Department of the HKSAR Government; Yang Kaiqiang, Vice‑Chairman of the Hong Kong Seamen’s Union; Chan To Pui, Principal of the Hong Kong Sea School, together with other leading officials and distinguished guests, as well as more than 30 teachers and students from institutions including the Maritime Services Training Institute, Hong Kong Sea School, PolyU SPEED of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the City University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong and the Lee Wai Lee Campus of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, attended the ceremony jointly.

In his address, Zeng Qingcheng extended a warm welcome to Hong‑Kong guests, teachers and students. He stated that DMU and the shipping community of Hong Kong as well as various sister higher‑education institutions have always stood by and advanced alongside one another. This internship program marks the 6th event co‑organized by the university and the Hong Kong Seamen’s Union. Thanks to the continuous in‑depth efforts of both sides, the event has become an elite program for exchanges among shipping‑related youth of Dalian and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the university and the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the HKSAR Government last November. The First Dalian‑Hong Kong Symposium on Maritime Education and Teaching held on this occasion serves as an important implementation measure of the memorandum. Taking this opportunity, DMU is ready to inject brand‑new impetus into the joint cultivation of intelligent maritime talents who possess both national commitment and a global vision, and are ready to shoulder the mission of the era.

Miss Amy Chan, Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the HKSAR Government, delivered a speech via video. She stated that the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the HKSAR Government has always attached great importance to the development of the shipping industry. This collaboration has expanded from the student level to the faculty level, and she expressed the hope that, building on this cooperation, a maritime collaborative exchange platform between the two regions would be further established to promote coordinated progress in the maritime sector between Dalian and Hong Kong.

Sun Quan stated in his speech that the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Dalian Municipal People’s Government will continue to serve as a bridge for exchanges between Dalian and Hong Kong, fully supporting DMU in deepening cooperation with various sectors in Hong Kong in the fields of shipping, education, and youth development. He also emphasized the continued expansion of the connotation of the “Pursuing Dreams in the Deep Blue” internship program and the education and teaching seminar, so as to foster more fruitful outcomes in maritime cooperation between the two regions.

Fung Pak-ho expressed in his speech that he was delighted to see the expansion of bilateral cooperation from the student level to the faculty level. He looked forward to the “Pursing Dreams in the Deep Blue” internship program and the education and teaching seminar injecting new momentum into deepening exchanges and cooperation and achieving coordinated development between teachers and students of Dalian and Hong Kong.

Ji Jun stated in his speech that he hoped this event would serve as a new starting point for all parties to further establish a long-term cooperation mechanism, build a community for the collaborative cultivation of maritime talent between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and pool efforts in talent development, so as to accumulate youthful energy for the construction of a strong maritime nation and a strong transportation nation.

Yang Kaiqiang stated in his speech that he hoped all students would cherish the valuable practical training opportunities aboard the ship. He encouraged them to broaden their horizons through this experience, enhance mutual understanding by learning from each other, and make progress together through collaboration. He expressed his hope that these efforts would lay a solid foundation for their future dedication to the country’s shipping industry.

Mr. Zhang Zhihao, the lead instructor accompanying the students aboard the training vessel from the Maritime Services Training Institute, stated in his speech that this internship program has provided Hong Kong youth with a valuable real-ship practical training platform. He encouraged all participating students to cherish this practical opportunity, diligently hone their professional skills, and transform what they have learned and perceived during the internship into lasting momentum for their future studies, careers, and continued growth. Ms. Wen Beirao, a student from the Maritime Services Training Institute, spoke as a student representative. She expressed that she would take this internship as an opportunity to comprehensively improve her professional competence and consolidate her overall qualities, actively integrating her personal growth and development into the broader context of Hong Kong’s shipping development and the national maritime industry. She aspired to contribute her youthful vigor to the industry’s advancement by taking on the responsibilities of the younger generation.

Toward the end of the ceremony, all the guests, together with the teachers and students from Hong Kong, participated in the opening session of the internship program and posed for a group photo. Relevant officials from the University’s Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office, the Academic Affairs Office, and other departments attended the opening ceremony.

Following the ceremony, Mr. Xiang Datian delivered a keynote presentation covering six major aspects: Hong Kong’s status as an international shipping center, the green transformation of Hong Kong’s shipping industry, the framework of the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund (MATF), the certification of training courses under the Memorandum of Cooperation, the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework, and the diverse talent recruitment and career development opportunities in the shipping sector. His presentation provided valuable practical experience and useful references for the cultivation of young maritime talents.

Professor Wu Guitao from the College of Marine Engineering of DMU delivered a keynote report titled “Talent Cultivation for the Development of Intelligent Ships.” He systematically analyzed the rapid development of intelligent ships and smart shipping from two perspectives: explorations in cultivating intelligent navigation talents and reflections on such cultivation. His report offered professional, comprehensive theoretical support and practical references for precisely nurturing high-caliber maritime talents that meet the needs of the intelligent shipping industry.

On the morning of August 11, the First Dalian-Hong Kong Symposium on Maritime Education and Teaching was held at the Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Student and Faculty Activity Center. The symposium brought together faculty representatives from Hong Kong Sea School, the Maritime Services Training Institute, the Hong Kong Seamen’s Union and other institutions, as well as key faculty members from DMU’s navigation-related programs and experts from Dalian Maritime Bureau. During the symposium, experts from Dalian and Hong Kong shared their insights into education and teaching on cutting-edge industry topics, including maritime education practices, industry-education integration, maritime talent development amid the rise of intelligent shipping and the drive to reduce carbon emissions from ships, and revisions to the MASS Code and the STCW Convention.

On the afternoon of August 11, DMU organized fire safety drills and other activities aboard the training vessel Yu Kun for the Hong Kong teachers and students, laying a solid foundation for their week-long onboard internship and practical training. During the internship, participants will systematically study maritime theories, familiarize themselves with the operation of navigational instruments, the ship safety management system, and the use of engine-room emergency equipment, and complete a range of practical training tasks.

During the program, DMU also arranged a series of study visits. The visiting teachers and students toured several of the university’s distinctive teaching and research facilities, including the Honeywell LNG Laboratory, the Maritime Education Museum, and the Shore-Based Smart Operation & Control Center of Intelligent Ships. They also visited the Rao Gunjin Workshop of Liaoning Maritime Bureau, the Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration Command Center, and the Dalian Urban Planning Exhibition Center. These activities further promoted educational exchanges and cooperation between Dalian and Hong Kong.