Turing Award winner John Edward Hopcroft stated at the first Hong Kong International AI Arts Festival that China has invested significantly in higher education and has ample reserves of technological talents, which are advantages for accelerating the development of artificial intelligence in China. Chinese students are fortunate to be born in a country that places great emphasis on artificial intelligence education. ”Hopcroft told reporters that China has invested a lot of resources in talent cultivation, which is very rare in the world. This shows that China truly regards education as the top priority of national development. Hopcroft has been engaged in international education cooperation in computer science for many years, teaching at multiple universities in China. He said that he had taught in 15 countries, but his work was mostly limited to teaching. Chinese universities strongly supported him in practicing his educational philosophy and gave him enough freedom to help universities recruit excellent teachers. Hopcroft is one of the proposers of the "101 Plan", which is a pilot work plan for undergraduate education and teaching reform implemented by the Ministry of Education. It was first launched in the field of computer science in 2021, and later expanded to eight basic disciplines such as mathematics and chemistry. In 2024, it was extended to the field of artificial intelligence. Hopcroft said that this plan fills the gap in high-level artificial intelligence Chinese textbooks, popularizes knowledge of artificial intelligence subjects, and benefits teachers, students, and anyone interested in artificial intelligence. Hopcroft believes that Chinese universities have gathered a large number of top talents, and students have the "hard ability" to solve practical problems. However, he hopes that Chinese universities can focus more on cultivating students' "soft abilities", including creativity and foresight. For young people aspiring to pursue a career in artificial intelligence, Hopcroft's message is that the most important condition for success in any field is a genuine passion from the heart. He encourages parents to give their children enough time and freedom to realize their life value in careers they are interested in. (New Society)