Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 to be staged next week in tandem with TV mini-drama series "Maritime Mission"
The annual highlight of the Hong Kong maritime and port industry, Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 (HKMW 2024), will be held from next Sunday for seven consecutive days (November 17 to 23). Riding on the theme "Navigating to a Greener Future" and featuring the tagline "Propel Hong Kong", HKMW 2024 will showcase the strong commitment of Hong Kong's maritime industry to sailing towards sustainable shipping and reinforce Hong Kong's status as an international maritime centre.
HKMW 2024 has received strong support from local, Mainland and international maritime organisations, bringing together government officials around the globe and prominent leaders from the international maritime sector. Over 50 industry and public events will be hosted by more than 80 marine organisations, focusing on Belt and Road development, building up of maritime talent pool, education and career, Greater Bay Area development, green shipping, Hong Kong's preferential tax regime, marine insurance, maritime law and arbitration, maritime technology, port and logistics, ship finance, ship management, shipping and maritime. Notably, Belt and Road development is a new theme added this year.
Major events worth highlighting are the Opening Ceremony of HKMW 2024 cum World Maritime Merchants Forum 2024; the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference; and the inaugural Global Maritime Trade Summit in Hong Kong. Dalian Maritime University's "Xin Hong Zhuan", the world's first intelligent research and training dual-purpose ship, will also make its debut visit to Hong Kong. Members of the public can make online reservations (p.nmg.com.hk/egnx15) for a free tour to gain a better understanding of the development of intelligent shipping and the nurturing of maritime talent.
With a view to stepping up publicity for HKMW 2024 and promoting Hong Kong's maritime industry, the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) have jointly produced a TV mini-drama series titled "Maritime Mission", comprising five episodes in total, each lasting two minutes. The programme will feature interviews with industry leaders, professionals and scholars, showcasing the solid strengths and advantages of Hong Kong's maritime industry while promoting how the Government and the trade are facilitating the long-term development of the industry through relevant initiatives and training programmes. Members of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB), such as Mr Wellington Koo, Mr Angad Banga, Mr Timothy Lee, Mr Edward Liu, and Captain Lothair Lam, and lecturer of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Dr Judy Tong also took starring roles in the drama.
The drama series will be shown from next Monday (November 18) for five consecutive days on the following TVB channels and time slots. Programme replays are also available on the Facebook pages of the TLB and the HKMPB.
81 Jade - 9am and 2.30pm
82 TVB Plus - 2.15pm and 7pm (November 18, 19, 21 and 22) and 6.25pm (November 20)
83 TVB News Channel - 12.40pm, 4.45pm and 10.20pm
For more information on the HKMW and Hong Kong's maritime industry, please visit the websites of HKMW 2024 (www.hkmw.hk/tc/index.html) and the HKMPB (www.hkmpb.gov.hk/tc/index.html).
Results of Primary One discretionary places to be released November 18
The results of Primary One discretionary places for September 2025 will be released next Monday (November 18) by all government and aided primary schools.
A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said today (November 15), "There are 41 781 children applying for discretionary places in government and aided primary schools this year, of whom 20 644 will be offered a place in these schools. Among them a total of 10 644children are applicants with sibling(s) studying or with parent(s) working in the schools that they have applied to, whereas the remaining 10 000 are selected according to the Points System."
Parents who have already activated their Primary One Admission e-platform (ePOA) account are reminded to check the results via the ePOA from 10am next Monday. Parents can also bring the parent's copy of the paper Application Form for POA and check the results of their discretionary place application between 9am and 5pm on that day at the school to which they have applied.
Parents whose children have been offered a discretionary place are advised to note carefully the registration arrangements of the schools concernedand the documents required for registration, such as the parent's copy of the paper Application Form for POA or the electronic application record in the ePOA, as well as the specified number of photographs of their children. They should register their children next Wednesday (November 20) or Thursday (November 21) at the school to which they have applied during school hours.
"Parents who cannot register within the specified period should notify the person-in-charge of the school in advance to make alternative arrangements. Otherwise, they will be deemed to have given up their discretionary place," the spokesman said.
Under the POA System, each government or aided primary school may make use of about 50 per cent of its total Primary One places as discretionary places. Theapproximate 50 per cent ofplaces remaining will be reserved for Central Allocation at a later stage.
"Parents of applicant children who have failed to secure a discretionary place or who have opted for Central Allocation only will be invited by the EDB via letter in early January 2025 to submit the Choice of Schools Form via ePOA from January 13 to 19 or to make choices of schools for Central Allocation at a designated Central Allocation Centre on January 18 or 19. We encourage parents to register with 'iAM Smart+' (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible and activate their ePOA account using 'iAM Smart+' for more convenient and faster electronic services.
"For applications for participation in POA 2025 made after January 19, parents are required to approach the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB to complete the necessary procedures. The EDB will separately arrange a Primary One place for the applicant children in June 2025," the spokesman said.
"Parents should note that once their children have been allocated a Primary One place, they cannot take part in the POA System again in the future," he added.
