Interview with John Tsang: Esperanza's Reimagining Education for the Future

As technology evolves swiftly and global connections deepen, discussions around the future of education and community become increasingly important. Jessica Ng, founder of JESSICA, and John Tsang, founder of Esperanza, met to candidly discuss these themes. Known for their shared commitment to empowering individuals and fostering inclusive growth, they exchanged insights on how to build a future-ready Hong Kong.

"To prepare for a fast-changing world, we need to empower individuals with the skills and mindset to lead, not just adapt."

Written by: Jeremy Chapnick

Photos by: Raymond Chan, AWS, and Esperanza

Venue by: AWS

Dress (Jessica Ng) by: Shanghai Tang

Through this conversation, they examined the pressing need to modernize education, emphasizing adaptable skills and lifelong learning to help individuals thrive in a digital economy. They also explored how meaningful partnerships—like those championed by Esperanza—can bridge global innovations with local solutions, addressing the unique challenges facing Hong Kong today.

This vision of educational transformation did not emerge overnight. For John, Esperanza represents a lifelong commitment to community building and educational transformation. Drawing from decades of public service experience, including a ten-year tenure as Hong Kong's Financial Secretary, John launched Esperanza in 2018 as a nonprofit platform to advocate for new ways to live, learn, and work, starting with the need to reimagine education. "Quality education is the key that unlocks the doors of opportunity and inspires hope that one can create their own destiny."

New Educational Models

As the conversation started, John and Jessica focused on a critical issue for Hong Kong's youth: the need to revamp an educational system that relies on rigid structures and a one-size-fits-all approach. The call for educational transformation in Hong Kong represents more than just theoretical reform—it is a critical response to the evolving demands of the global economy and workplace.

John began: "Education must evolve to prepare young people for a world that increasingly values adaptability over rote learning… Our current educational model does not prepare students for the rapidly changing world. It is time to prioritize creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration." John believes these skills are essential to preparing students to excel and thrive in a globalized, technology-driven environment.

"Education should be about giving students not just knowledge but the lifelong skills to thrive."

Jessica shared her concerns as both a mother and a professional, reflecting on how these changes are critical to equipping young people with tools for success. Echoing John's vision, Jessica highlighted the importance of cultivating a growth mindset in children from an early age that encourages curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to embrace change. "We must cultivate a growth mindset early on that encourages curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to embrace change… Education should inspire young people to pursue new opportunities and confidently shape their futures."

The emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability that both John and Jessica advocate for aligns with research showing that successful professionals in the 2020s must reimagine their roles and skills multiple times throughout their careers. Their vision for education challenges Hong Kong to move beyond its traditional strength in academic excellence to embrace a more holistic approach that balances academic rigor with emotional intelligence and innovative thinking. For Hong Kong to maintain its position as a global hub of talent and opportunity, this shift from memorization to meaningful learning is not just desirable—it is essential. The future of Hong Kong's youth, and by extension, the city's continued prosperity, may well depend on how successfully its educational system can make this crucial transition.

Technology and AI's Role in Education

Integrating AI into Hong Kong's education system represents a pivotal moment beyond merely digitizing classrooms. As technology advances staggeringly, John and Jessica explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in education. John views AI as an invaluable asset for reshaping learning experiences, making them more engaging, personalized, and effective. "AI has the potential to make learning more engaging and effective, but we must approach it responsibly, aligning with the values of our community."

In the last few years, Esperanza has introduced AI-driven tools that support students and teachers through adaptive learning platforms, enable ongoing assessments, and make learning fun and engaging. These tools enable students to learn independently, providing individualized feedback tailored to their unique needs, which traditional classroom settings often cannot offer. "Our goal is to prepare educators and students alike to use AI thoughtfully—making it a tool for empowerment, not replacement."

Jessica emphasized the value of such innovations in preparing Hong Kong's youth to be technologically literate and adaptable. From her perspective, incorporating AI into education is not just about enhancing learning outcomes and fostering a culture where students become comfortable working alongside technology as a tool.

"Technology should foster independent thinking, where students become informed, discerning users rather than passive consumers… As AI evolves, it is crucial to teach students to interpret, analyze, and question what they are presented with."

What appears from John and Jessica's insights is a nuanced vision where AI serves as a bridge between traditional educational values and future workforce demands. Their approach strikes a careful balance: leveraging AI's personalized learning capabilities while teaching students to maintain a critical distance from the technology they use. This dual focus—being both technically proficient and thoughtfully skeptical—is of utmost importance in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Challenges and Opportunities with AI Integration

The nuanced approach to AI integration outlined by John and Jessica illuminates a crucial truth about educational technology: its success depends not on the sophistication of the tools but on how thoughtfully they are implemented within existing social and cultural frameworks.

John and Jessica recognized the complexities of integrating AI into education despite the potential benefits. One primary concern is ensuring that AI technology aligns with Hong Kong's community values and needs while safeguarding privacy and ethical standards. John pointed out that this can be challenging, where schools and teachers may hesitate to adopt new technologies due to a lack of understanding or fear of job displacement. To address these concerns, Esperanza is advocating the need for experimentation and pilots, collaborating with educational institutions and policymakers to optimize the benefits of AI and alleviate the risks and concerns. "AI will change fundamentally how we live, learn, and work. It is not a matter of whether but when. We need more visionary people and organizations to invest in this brave new world," said John.

Jessica added that ethical AI usage is just one part of the equation. Educators and students alike must learn to analyze, interpret, and challenge the information provided by AI systems. As AI continues to evolve, she stressed the importance of teaching young people to approach technology critically and cautiously, ensuring they become informed, discerning users rather than passive consumers of digital tools. By embedding ethical considerations and critical thinking into the curriculum, Jessica and John envision a future where AI enhances education without compromising human judgment.

John believed that integration can be on another level. Hong Kong commands a unique position as a special administrative region of China. It can play a very strategic and valuable role in facilitating discussions, engagement, and cooperation on issues related to AI safety, regulation, and innovation among businesses, academics, and NGOs from around the world.

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

"Hong Kong is a cultural bridge between East and West—a unique position that allows us to blend global insights with local solutions."

The vision of Hong Kong as a laboratory for educational innovation, where global best practices meet local wisdom, offers a compelling blueprint for other international cities grappling with similar challenges. A shared belief between Jessica and John is that Hong Kong's strength lies in its unique position as a cultural and economic bridge between East and West. Both view this as an opportunity to blend global insights with local action, creating innovative solutions that address the region's specific challenges.

John adds: "Esperanza seeks to bring the best global innovation to Hong Kong, tailored to meet our community's needs with the support of curriculum development experts and funders." There is no need to reinvent the wheel. In addition to encouraging local R&D and startup developments, we should also allocate more resources to developing Hong Kong as an East-meets-West innovation lab. This will also create new business opportunities for Hong Kong as it strives to expand its footprint into the ASEAN market. It will require an ecosystem-building approach, with efforts from both public and private sectors and third-sector intermediaries like Esperanza. This community-driven model reflects the same values that Esperanza promotes: collaboration, inclusivity, and the belief that meaningful change can only occur when people come together with a shared purpose. John and Jessica agreed that this spirit of empowerment is essential to address the pressing issues facing Hong Kong's youth and broader society. By promoting initiatives that blend local engagement with global innovation, they envision a future for Hong Kong that is resilient, adaptable, and inclusive.

This hybridity—the ability to synthesize Eastern and Western approaches to education—may be Hong Kong's most valuable export in the years ahead. As other Asian cities seek to modernize their educational systems while preserving their cultural foundations, Hong Kong's experience building community-driven, globally-informed educational initiatives could serve as a valuable case study in balanced transformation. This approach's success suggests that education's future lies not in choosing between local traditions and global trends but in thoughtfully weaving them together.

Esperanza's Role in Taking Hong Kong Companies Global

Esperanza has continuously championed initiatives that facilitate exchanges and sharing of progressive education models. A prime example is its recent collaboration with the Global EdTech Startups Awards (GESAward) to organize the Hong Kong final of this global competition at AWS. John explained, "Esperanza is pleased to connect local edtech startups with peers and investors from around the world and to provide them with the opportunity to shine on the international stage."

This global competition, recognized as one of the largest EdTech gatherings, brought together startups to present their educational solutions and provided learning and business opportunities. By co-hosting the event at the new AWS Experience Space in Hong Kong, Esperanza provided local educators, policymakers, and technology advocates firsthand exposure to transformative AI tools and EdTech solutions, such as generative AI applications. "These partnerships open doors for local educators and innovators to bridge the gap between education and technology, and explore partnership opportunities among various parties."

Beyond facilitating access to new technology, Esperanza emphasizes the importance of collaboration with partners like AWS in building the learning innovation ecosystem. By bridging connections between international tech leaders and local stakeholders, Esperanza ensures that these innovations resonate with the community's educational ecosystem, preparing students and teachers alike for a rapidly advancing digital landscape.

Successful educational transformation requires a delicate balance: using global partnerships while supporting deep roots in local communities. Hong Kong's educational future lies not in the wholesale adoption of foreign models but in its ability to act as a sophisticated curator and adapter of global best practices. Through Esperanza's work, Hong Kong is positioning itself not just as a consumer of educational technology but as an active participant in shaping how EdTech evolves to meet the distinct needs of Asian educational systems.

Building a Community of Global Collaboration

John finished the conversation with an inspiring message: "Real transformation starts with community. Sharing stories and supporting each other create a foundation for a stronger future."

Hong Kong's path toward educational transformation, as illustrated through Esperanza's initiatives and the insights shared by Jessica and John, is a bold reimagining of what 21st-century learning can achieve. Their vision goes beyond traditional metrics of academic success to embrace a more holistic model where technology, community values, and global perspectives converge. What makes their approach particularly significant is how it positions Hong Kong not just as an adopter of global best practices but as an innovator in its own right—creating a unique synthesis of Eastern educational traditions and Western technological innovation. As Hong Kong continues to evolve its educational landscape, the emphasis on building strong community partnerships while supporting global connections suggests a sustainable path forward—one that honors local values while embracing the opportunities of an interconnected world.