'I have been teaching in Hong Kong for 28 years, 27 of them at the University of Hong Kong. Technology education here has both pluses and minuses,' Professor Cheung said.

On the plus side, the science stream at local secondary schools continues to attract a large number of bright students. 'It is the same thing across Asia - Japan, the mainland, Taiwan, [South] Korea and India.

'This is not the case in western countries such as the United States and Britain, where technology and science are not favoured subjects in schools. An increasingly smaller number of students are taking up science subjects in those countries. The [saving grace for] the United States is that it takes in a lot of immigrants from Asia - China, India and Korea - and students from those countries tend to be good at science and technology.'

On the minus side, Hong Kong is starting to see a growing number of students abandoning science and technology for business and commerce.

'They see science and technology as hard work, whereas it is easier to make money in disciplines such as business and commerce. In my opinion, this is wrong. They have an incorrect perception of what technology education is all about. Engineering is not just about a particular discipline. It is about how you approach, understand and solve a problem systematically. That is why if you go to Wall Street you will find financial institutions and banks hiring engineering graduates,' Professor Cheung said.

It is not uncommon for engineering graduates to return to the classroom after several years to pursue an MBA. Professor Cheung sees nothing wrong with this.

'A lot of accountants didn't start with a degree in accounting. As with many business or management subjects, accounting is something that can best be studied when you are older. It makes perfect sense to get a first degree in engineering and then do an MBA later.'

Professor Cheung believes education can play a role in turning Hong Kong into a technology hub for the region, but it can only do so much.

'Education is necessary, but it is not sufficient to turn Hong Kong into a successful leader in technology. What we lack is substantive investment from government and the private sector in innovation and technology research. Hong Kong can become a technology leader if we work closely with China and act as a catalyst.'

Training and job creation should be seen as a result of - not the primary reason for - education.

'This is especially true for first degree university education, which should put the emphasis on the preparation of the person and training of the mind, as opposed to training in a particular trade or discipline.'