Everyday Mediation: Turning Conflict into Connection

Conflict is inevitable in our daily lives—at home, school, in the workplace, and within the communities we share. This lecture invites you to rethink conflict not as something to avoid, but as an opportunity to listen, foster understanding and rebuild connection. Drawing on the core principles of mediation, we will explore practical skills that help turn tension into constructive dialogue, resolve disputes and strengthen relationships.

Using real-life examples—from water leakage disputes and property management issues to compulsory sale cases—this lecture will show how mediation can be applied beyond the courtroom, becoming a tool for daily communication and community harmony.

Understanding the Psychology Behind Online Scams

The digital world shapes how we live, connect and communicate, yet it also creates new spaces and traps for deception. Behind the convenience and constant connectivity lie often invisible risks, none more difficult to guard against than the ever-evolving tactics of online scams.

Drawing on insights from psychology, this lecture explores how scammers exploit human vulnerabilities and emotional responses, traces the psychological journey of victims, and unpacks the behavioural patterns and manipulation techniques commonly used by fraudsters. Through real-world case studies, we examine how manipulation unfolds step by step, gradually eroding one’s judgement. Understanding online scams is not just about managing risk, but about building essential self-protection — staying alert, making informed decisions, and navigating the virtual world with greater awareness and confidence.

The Craft of Storytelling: How to Tell Stories That Move and Inspire

In an age of constant information and fleeting attention, stories remain one of the most powerful ways we make sense of the world. Whether shaping public opinion, building trust, inspiring action or forging human connection, the ability to tell a meaningful story has become an essential skill across professional and social contexts.

This lecture invites participants into the heart of compelling storytelling. Through an exploration of preparation techniques, narrative structure and the craft of storytelling, it reveals how stories can move, resonate and endure—transforming everyday conversations into a captivating, memorable experience. Whether in sales, public relations, media communications or leadership roles that inspire through words, storytelling becomes a powerful language that sets you apart.

Stories of the Streets: The Exploration of Hong Kong’s Cultural Memory

In the course of Hong Kong’s rapid development and constant transformation, many of the city’s historical memories are quietly embedded in street names and everyday spaces. These names serve as windows into the city’s collective memory, preserving traces of social life, cultural exchange and historical change, allowing stories that might otherwise fade with time to be seen and remembered.

This lecture guides participants to explore the hidden stories behind Hong Kong’s neighborhoods. By tracing the historical, cultural and social narratives embedded in street names, the lecture uncovers the deeper meanings within familiar urban landscapes, inviting participants to rediscover Hong Kong’s rich cultural heritage, deepen their appreciation of local history and culture, and strengthen their emotional connection with the community.

When Chinese Learning Meets AI: Opportunities, Pitfalls, and Future Considerations

When AI can write poetry, translate texts and answer questions instantly, we are compelled to ask: is AI a “dream teammate” for learners, or a quiet substitute for critical thinking? As generative AI sweeps across disciplines, many disciplines, including Chinese language learning, have entered a moment of both unprecedented opportunity and growing uncertainty. On the one hand, AI functions like a knowledgeable teacher, resolving questions on demand. On the other hand, its convenience is a double-edged sword, raising concerns about accuracy, authenticity and academic integrity.

Beginning with science fiction’s visions of AI, and drawing on real teaching and research experience, this lecture explores how we can make thoughtful use of technology, while retaining ownership of our thinking. More than a discussion about tools, it is a reflection on how we learn in the age of AI.

Young Mediators in Practice: Building Dialogue, Resolving Conflict

Designed to introduce mediation as a practical life skill, this workshop—jointly organised by HKSYU’s Department of Law and Business and the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre— invites young people and the wider community to experience how dialogue and understanding can help resolve conflict. Convening teams from ten secondary schools, the workshop offers participants a hands-on introduction to the core concepts and skills of mediation.

Students will step into the role of mediators, practising how to listen, communicate, and guide conversations towards constructive outcomes through simulated roleplay and interactive learning. Awards will also be presented for outstanding mediation performance. More than a competition, the workshop aims to inspire the next generation to see mediation as a meaningful tool for everyday life that fosters harmony within the community.

Supporting the Holistic Development of Children with ADHD

This community service project integrates brain stimulation techniques with physical activity interventions to provide science-based support for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Through structured physical activities and cognitive training, the project helps children gradually enhance their concentration and self-regulation abilities, hence promoting balanced physical and mental well-being. Through addressing the practical needs of children with ADHD in their learning and development, the project also demonstrates how academic research can be translated into accessible, community-based support, accompanying children as they build a more stable and positive foundation for growth.

Empathy, Ethics and Social Responsibility in Digital Storytelling

This workshop invites secondary school students onto the HKSYU campus, using an immersive virtual reality experience that combines journalism education with simulated disaster-scene reporting to place young people within complex, real-world information environments. Through hands-on, experiential learning, students move beyond simply “consuming the news” to developing critical perspectives on media literacy and online ethics, reflecting on responsibility and choice in the digital age. The workshop also encourages students to create positive, socially responsible digital content, such as short documentaries, empowering the younger generation to respond to community needs through storytelling and visual narratives, and to contribute meaningfully to social progress.

Exploring Hong Kong’s Fisherman’s Wharf: Stories from the Lives of Fishermen

Beginning at Hong Kong’s Fisherman’s Wharf, this workshop invites participants into a waterborne world that moves to a different rhythm from the city. Participants will first take a ferry to tour the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, observing the harbour landscape up close and gaining deeper insight into Hong Kong’s fishing history from a maritime perspective. Participants will then board the ferry of Tai Pak Floating Restaurant（太白海鮮舫）for an exchange of open dialogue, where they will listen to fishermen recount their life stories, and explore how academic research and local knowledge intersect to preserve, pass on and reimagine fishing culture in everyday life.

When Writing Meets AI: Rethinking Chinese and English Learning

As AI reshapes how we read, write and learn, language education is being reimagined. This session will explore how AI can support and sharpen the teaching of Chinese and English writing.

In January 2025, with support from Hong Kong’s Quality Enhancement Support Scheme, HKSYU’s Language Centre established the AI-assisted Language Laboratory, integrating AI tools into everyday language learning. Drawing on this experience, the session introduces how AI can assist with writing practice, language analysis and personalised learning, while enabling educators to focus on what matters most: expression, critical thinking and humanistic values.

The session also reflects on the ethical boundaries of AI in education, encouraging students to use technology thoughtfully and responsibly. Designed for Hong Kong primary and secondary school teachers and students, it invites participants to rethink how language learning can evolve — with technology as a partner, not a substitute.