HONG KONG -- International Education Forum and Expo opened Thursday in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, the first of its kind organized by the local government.

Themed "Learning Journey for the Globalized World", the three- day event comprises a Ministerial Roundtable, an International Conference and an Education Expo.

The Ministerial Roundtable on Thursday will focus on how different nations bring forth the desired quality of human resources for sustainable development, and new competencies in facing the ever-changing challenges of today's globalized world.

It has drawn the participation of education ministerial officials from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Macao.

Internationally renowned scholars and local and international speakers will get together to discuss how global trends and reform in school and higher education contribute to human resource development.

More than 60 parallel sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday for parents and schools, expounding on Hong Kong's New Academic Structure implemented since September 2009, under which students will receive six years of secondary education instead of seven.