The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) successfully convened the 2025 AUA Asia Pacific Public Policy Network (AP-PPN) Conference on Public Policy from May 21 to 23, 2025. The event brought together 200 participants from 50 institutions across 17 countries, including 65 participants from 9 AUA member universities. This milestone conference featured three days of intensive discussions on innovative governance models, technological advancements, and policy challenges shaping the Asia-Pacific region.
The conference commenced on May 21 with an orientation tour of HKUST’s advanced public policy and AI research facilities. This was followed by a well-received “Meet the Editors” workshop, where academics refined their research publication strategies with journal editors. On Day 2, the conference opened with a keynote speech by Professor Benjamin Cashore from the National University of Singapore, who explored AI’s transformative potential in climate policy. This set the stage for parallel sessions focusing on AI-driven healthcare solutions and smart city development. In the afternoon, a groundbreaking roundtable on data-driven urban futures was held. On the final day, Professor Wilson Wong from the Chinese University of Hong Kong addressed the regulatory challenges in AI-powered urban transformation, while Professor Kira Matus from HKUST led critical discussions on AI ethics and data privacy. The conference concluded with a wrap-up session that identified key policy recommendations and future research directions.
The AUA AP-PPN Conference underscored the significance of AI and data science in governance and inspired future research on technology-driven policy solutions. It yielded significant policy outcomes, including frameworks for ethical AI in healthcare and sustainable urban models.
