On 12 June, the "2026 Most Happy City" survey and selection event, and the Happy City Governance Forum, were grandly held in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. The event, themed "Serving the People through Practical Actions and Revitalising Cities", brought together over 150 city administrators, experts, scholars, and industry entrepreneurs from across China to engage in in-depth discussions on "Governance Empowering Cities; Renewal Forging Happiness".

As an authoritative city-level event held continuously for twenty years, the "Most Happy City" survey is organised by Oriental Outlook magazine of the Xinhua News Agency. Backed by a rigorous and impartial selection system, it has become one of the most influential city brand in China.

Dr Esther Chan, Deputy Chief Executive officer (K-12 Education) of the YCYW Education Network (YCYW), was invited to attend the forum, where she delivered a keynote speech titled "Reflections and Practices on the Development of Future Education Development".

Drawing on YCYW’s nearly century-long heritage in education, Dr Chan discussed how education can promote urban development and provide a solid foundation for urban happiness in the AI era through international exchanges, the cultivation of talent , and holistic education. Her speech resonated deeply with the audience.

Dr Chan also shared key insights about "The Concepts and Practices of Holistic Education in the AI Era", interpreting the directions of education in the new era from three dimensions. She emphasised that in the age of this new technology, we must clarify the relationship between humans and AI. Students must become the masters of artificial intelligence rather than being swept along by the technology; safeguarding the mental health of adolescents is the baseline of education.

Second, education must go beyond merely imparting knowledge. It should empower students to transition from passive recipients of knowledge. Students must become active creators of thoughts, values, and knowledge, with a strong focus on shaping sound personalities, positive values, and comprehensive abilities to collaborate with others and solving real-world problems.

Third, education in the new era must place particular emphasis on nurturing the students’ "ability to create happiness". While material life has become increasingly affluent, the inner sense of fulfilment and happiness is becoming rarer. Guiding young people to pursue happiness, to serve society, and to realise that their lives have value is the deeper meaning of education in empowering individuals and reciprocating cities.

"Traditional rote-learning education can no longer adapt to the pace of current economic transformations, urban upgrades, and industrial change," Dr Chan stated frankly, highlighting the necessity of educational transformation. She explained that YCYW is actively embracing AI technology to create personalised teaching plans for every student, thereby respecting individual interests and tapping into their innate talents to help young people develop their life aspirations at an early stage. Technology is a tool, while educating people is the foundation. Leveraging AI to empower personalised teaching while upholding the core of holistic education is exactly how YCYW is responding to the changes of our era.

The future of a city lies in its youth; the development of its young people determines the glory of the city. Dr Chan remarked that the new generation of youth are not only the driving force for international exchanges and the vanguard of the Belt and Road Initiative, but also the masters of the community with a shared future for humanity. Future urban development no longer requires "tool-like talents" who mechanically follow instructions. Instead, modern cities require a new generation with broad horizons, comprehensive literacy, and abundant creativity. The mission of education is to help young people complete their transformation of identity, evolving from those who are "shaped" by urban development into "co-creators" who build cities and pioneer innovation.

Dr Chan expressed her heartfelt expectations, hoping that through high-quality education, cities across China can develop more world-class, cutting-edge technology enterprises like DeepSeek, Unitree Robotics, and LimX Dynamics. She envisions that the youthful power of scientific and technological innovation will serve as a robust engine for the high-quality development of cities and the continuous enhancement of urban happiness.