Speech by DCS at Opening Ceremony of Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2024
Following is the speech by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at theOpening Ceremony of the Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2024today (November 28):
Elsie (former Secretary for Justice Miss Elsie Leung),Kin-por (Executive Councilmember Mr Chan Kin-por),Allan (Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, Dr Allan Zeman),Kevin(Founding Convenor of the Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy, Dr Kevin Lau), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning to you. It is my great pleasure to join you at the inaugural Global Youth Powerhouse Summit. First of all, I would like to thank the Hong Kong Youth Professional Global Advocacy for hosting this remarkable event, which brings together over 300 young professionals, policymakers and industry leaders from Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Today's event provides an invaluable platform for embracing the voices and ideas of our future leaders.
As we gather here at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, we are blessed with the magnificent view of the Victoria Harbour. In the same way that these waters have connected cultures and commerce for decades, today we forge new friendships and create opportunities by connecting minds and ideas, symbolising perfectly Hong Kong's position as a global nexus for young professional talent.
The theme of today's summit, "Empowering Professionals for a Global Initiative: A Voice from Hong Kong", could not be more relevant and opportune. First, Hong Kong has always been a city where East meets West, where tradition meets innovation, and where opportunities meet talent, so we are the ideal place to conduct this dialogue. Second, the world has changed immensely in geopolitics, economic development, technological transformation, trade protection and global stability. As future leaders of the world, it is timely for young professionals to reflect on and examine how they should respond to the challenge.
Insofar as Hong Kong is concerned, our unique position under "one country, two systems" has given us unsurpassed advantages in connecting easily with both the Mainland and the global community, particularly in high-impact sectors such as healthcare, finance, technology and creative industries, which distinguished speakers of the Summit will explore in depth in later sessions.
It is often said that young people are the leaders of tomorrow. But for the young professionals in this room and those watching online, let me tell you that you are the leaders of today; the future is already in your hands. As young professionals, you have an awful lot to offer in shaping the future of your place in your respective professional domains as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, computer specialists, financial analysts, accountants and so on.
Young men and women, to rise to the challenges ahead, I think it is essential to have the right mindset. The advancement and popularisation of telecommunications have considerably shortened the distance that set people apart by physical space and national boundaries. We are truly living in a global village. What we do would impact on other members of the village and vice versa. As responsible members of the village, we should look beyond our immediate local surroundings and cultivate a broad, national and global perspective that cherishes the building of a global community of a shared future. In practice, in addition to going about our lines of business professionally, we should set our vision wider on national and global issues such as AI development, climate change and public health, and where appropriate actively participate in the community's search for improvements and solutions. In the course of our business and visits, we can also promote mutual understanding and respect by interfacing more with our interlocutors, telling them our stories and listening to theirs.
For Hong Kong young professionals in particular, the national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have brought enormous development opportunities. The seizing of these opportunities is further aided by the recent enhancement of CEPA, which introduces new liberalisation measures in different forms across service sectors where Hong Kong enjoys competitive advantages, such as financial services, construction and related engineering services, testing and certification, and so on. I urge you to make the most of the opportunities to realise your own goals and contribute to the building of a global community of a shared future.
Dear young professionals, the future is literally in your own hands. Think wide. Think big. Reach for the sky and the sky is within your reach.Thank you very much.
Speech by DCS at Opening Ceremony of Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by DCS at Opening Ceremony of Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Task Group on New Medical School announces invitation for proposals from universities to establish third medical school
The Task Group on New Medical School, co-chaired by the Secretary for Health and the Secretary for Education, convened its second meeting today (November 28), setting out 10 key parameters for consideration of proposals on the establishment of a third medical school. The Task Group decided to issue a letter of invitation on December 2 to all universities funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC) to invite universities interested in establishing a new medical school to submit proposals by March 17 next year.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, "Hong Kong is facing challenges posed by an ageing population and a growing demand for healthcare services. The establishment of the third medical school is crucial to the future development of healthcare services in the city. Thanks to the advice from various expert advisors, the Task Group has already formulated the strategic direction and targeted position for establishing a new medical school over the past month or so since its formation. The Task Group considered that the new medical school should shoulder the mission of nurturing more talented doctors for practice in Hong Kong, thereby supporting the local healthcare system with a view to enhancing both the quality and quantity of healthcare services. Furthermore, the Task Group envisioned that the new medical school will adopt an innovative strategic positioning in pursuit of complementary development with the two existing medical schools to promote the excellence of medical education and research in Hong Kong, and to attract more local, Mainland and overseas medical talent to engage in teaching and research work, dovetailing with the city's development into an international medical training, research and innovation hub."
The Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, said "The establishment of the new medical school can nurture more medical talent and enhance the academic and research excellence of the medical sector, which is conducive to developing Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub. The Education Bureau expects the new medical school to contribute to the overall development of the relevant university, with detailed planning on interdisciplinary or intersectoral collaborations, teaching resources, quality assurance, research strategy, sources of staff and students, and institutional governance etc. The new medical school should also interface with the applicable frameworks of the UGC. Moreover, as part of the Northern Metropolis University Town, the new medical school can introduce more research collaborations and exchange projects with neighbouring post-secondary institutions or industries in a flexible and innovative manner, which will help enhance the overall synergy."
The Task Group considered that UGC-funded universities are in a better position to establish a new medical school. To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the following 10 key parameters for consideration were set out by the Task Group for the universities' submission of proposals regarding the establishment of the third medical school:
1. Innovative strategic positioning: Complement the development of the two existing medical schools in Hong Kong to promote diversification and internationalisation;
2. Staffing: Recruit high-calibre international and local teaching professionals to establish a professional medical teaching and research team;
3. Campus and teaching facilities: Plan a modernised campus equipped with state-of-the-art teaching facilities to support innovative medical learning models;
4. Clinical exposure and learning resources: Illustrate the plan for a teaching hospital, and collaborate with healthcare institutions in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to provide diverse clinical training opportunities;
5. Curriculum structure and assessment methodologies: Adopt an accredited medical curriculum framework, incorporating competency-based assessments and innovative teaching methods, such as provision of early clinical exposure;
6. Student admission arrangements: Offer a graduate-entry programme to attract both local and non-local students, achieving diversification and internationalisation of the medical curriculum;
7. Funding arrangements: Develop a diversified funding plan, combined with viable financial management, to ensure the long-term and sustainable development of the medical school;
8. Implementation plan: Formulate a comprehensive roadmap for the medical school's implementation, with phased progression in infrastructure construction, curriculum design, and faculty recruitment;
9. Teaching and learning quality: Ensure that the quality of medical curriculum meets international high standards, and leverage on innovative teaching and assessment methods to nurture high-quality medical professionals and enrich whole-person development; and
10. Research excellence: Promote medical innovation and scientific research development, and foster global partnerships to position the school as a leader in regional and international medical research.
The Task Group will issue invitations for proposals to all UGC-funded universities on December 2. The Government will hold a briefing session on December 10 to introduce to interested universities the arrangements for the submission of proposals on the establishment of a new medical school. The Secretariat of the Task Group will send out invitations for attendance to university representatives in due course. Universities interested in establishing a new medical school are required to submit their proposals by March 17 next year. At the next step, the Task Group will formulate concrete criteria for assessing proposals to ensure that a qualified and eligible university will be selected in a transparent and fair manner for the establishment of the new medical school. It is anticipated that the Task Group will complete its assessments and make recommendations to the Government within next year.
The Task Group on New Medical School was established in October this yearto take up the responsibilities of devising the direction and parameters for establishing the new medical school, endeavouring to nurture more local medical talent and enhance Hong Kong's healthcare system, as well as promoting various measures for Hong Kong to become an international medical training, research and innovation hub. The Task Group comprises seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics for medical teaching and university management, professionals, the Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong, the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, as well as representatives from relevant government bureaux and departments.
Task Group on New Medical School announces invitation for proposals from universities to establish third medical school Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
