The HERDSA Hong Kong Branch continued its long-standing Dinner Dialogue tradition on 29 May 2026, welcoming colleagues from seven higher education institutions across Hong Kong for an evening of thoughtful conversation and warm collegial exchange.

This session featured Dr Katrina Tour, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, who shared her current research at the intersection of AI literacy, bias, and digital multimodal composing. Her work examines how learners and educators critically engage with generative AI in classroom and everyday contexts, with particular attention to culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Katrina highlighted how students navigate, resist, and creatively reimagine AI tools as part of their literacy practices, while also addressing the urgent need to interrogate the values, assumptions, and biases embedded in large language models. The discussion that followed was lively and wide-ranging. Participants explored AI literacy models for both research and practice, the slow pace of school responses to generative AI, and the persistent grey areas in government policies. The dialogue underscored the importance of equity-oriented approaches that support diverse learners while fostering critical engagement with AI.

Attendees particularly enjoyed the casual and relaxed atmosphere, which stood out as a refreshing change from typical professional development events. Many highlighted the friendly, low-pressure setting that encouraged open, extended conversations and meaningful exchanges with colleagues from different universities, describing it as cozy, welcoming, and conducive to genuine connection. Feedback once again highlighted the value of this discussion-driven format and suggested continuing to explore timely topics such as AI in higher education. Overall, the evening was warmly received, with many expressing appreciation for the opportunity to connect in such an inclusive and engaging format.