On 12 July, James J. Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics in 2000 and Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago, was invited to give a lecture on ‘how AI can assist in developing effective policies for Chinese skill formation’ at CUHK(SZ). After explaining ways to protect privacy and boost social progress in the age of big data, Professor Heckman encouraged students to embrace the changes brought by the social advance and always be ready to solve new challenges.