Dr. Benedict Hung is a Senior IB World Schools Manager with the International Baccalaureate (IB), based at the IB Global Centre in Singapore. In his current role within the IB World Schools department, he works closely with IB World Schools to support quality assurance, school development, and the ongoing strengthening of IB programmes across the continuum.

Dr. Hung brings over two decades of experience in education, having worked in IB continuum schools in both Asia and North America. His professional experience spans a range of roles, including mathematics teacher, school administrator, mathematics textbook author, and contributor in multiple capacities within the IB Educator Network.

He holds a master’s degree in educational technology, and his doctoral research focuses on service-learning and global citizenship. His professional interests centre on supporting IB World Schools to enrich and sustain high-quality educational programmes, with particular emphasis on pedagogy, curriculum development, and alignment with IB philosophy and standards.

Chau Mat Mat is a writer, screenwriter, and member of the China Writers Association. She currently serves as Chair of the Hong Kong Women Writers Association, Vice President of The Federation of Hong Kong Writers, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Hong Kong Writers Publishing House, and President of the Hong Kong Children’s Literature Federation. She also serves as a programme adviser to Radio Television Hong Kong and as an adviser and adjudicator for the Literature Committee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

She has long been engaged in literary creation and the promotion of children’s literature. Her works have received numerous literary honours, including the China Outstanding Fiction Award, the Zhang Tianyi Fairy Tale Award, and the Bing Xin Children’s Literature Award. Some of her works have been translated into English, Japanese, Korean, German, and Persian and published overseas. Most recently, her full-length children’s novel 《星星的約定》 (The Promise of the Stars) received the Special Outstanding Book Award in the “Shanghai Good Children’s Books” selection at the Shanghai Book Fair.

Many years ago, in her full-length children’s novel 《星星的約定》 (The Promise of the Stars), Chau Mat Mat portrayed a group of Hong Kong secondary school students who formed the “Beyond the Sky” Space Research Study Group. From studying astronomy and designing rockets to simulating space experiments, they pursued their own stars and dreams through repeated exploration and practice. After the novel was published, imagination on the page gradually began to resonate in the real world: some students began exploring astronomy and physics after reading it, some schools formed aerospace research clubs, and aerospace and technology education has flourished across Hong Kong schools in recent years. Stars once written on paper are now moving step by step toward the real sky.

Beginning with the creative journey behind 《星星的約定》, this keynote will explore how a literary work can grow from imagination and create ripples among readers, in schools, and in the wider world. It will further examine the connections among literature, reading, creative writing, education, and young people’s dreams. When literature opens the door to an imaginative world for children, education can provide fertile ground for curiosity and a spirit of exploration. What ultimately enables dreams to move from the page into reality is sustained learning, action, collaboration, and perseverance.

As reality begins to catch up with—and even surpass—the writer’s imagination, we are invited to reconsider the meaning of literature and education. Can reading become a seed that changes a life? How can creative writing help young people see possibilities that have yet to emerge? How can education protect children’s curiosity and accompany them as they transform imagination into action?

From stars on the page to stars in the sky, this is not only a story about literature and space exploration, but also a conversation about how dreams are seen, believed in, and ultimately realised. The true value of education lies not only in giving children answers, but also in encouraging them to look up at the stars, explore the unknown, and believe in their ability to journey farther.