Obituary

In memory of Ir HO Siu Kwong

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers expresses our deepest sorrow over the passing away of Ir Ho Siu Kwong on 9 February 2022.

Much of our fond memories about Ir Ho is his great knowledge in engineering, his selfless devotion to the profession, his patience and great heart for inspiring the young generation.

Ir Ho served the HKIE as the Chairman of Electrical Division for Session 2014/2015 and on many professional and technical boards. During his tenure as the Chairman and his long service in the Division, amid the effort to support the development of professional engineers, Ir Ho paid particular attention to build collaboration with schools and led his team to launch engaging activities for science students on innovation projects, the first out-reach campaign of its kind of the Division in encouraging young people to find engineering fun in study and to pursue engineering as a career.

Ir Ho was further appointed to the Council in 2016 and served as a member in the Executive for Session 2017/2018. Well recognised by his own profession, he was appointed to the Discipline Advisory Panel to steer qualification standard for training and admission of electrical engineers since 2016 until his passing.

All these accomplishments were propelled by Ir Ho’s tireless efforts to help others. He always put others’ wants and needs before his own. The knowledge and compassion he shared will be passed on and treasured by hearts.

Ir Ho is survived by his wife and his precious twins. He will be deeply missed by his fellow engineers who had the privilege of knowing him.

May his soul rest in peace.

To protect the environment by minimising paper use and support the Institution in pursuant of digitalisation, members are encouraged to choose the electronic version of the two publications which are available on the Institution’s website.

For those who prefer to own a print copy, please place your order online.

Report of Activities for Session 2021/2022
The Report of Activities contains President’s report, Chief Executive and Secretary’s report, and reports from various boards, committees, discipline advisory panels and divisions.

If you prefer a printed copy of the Report, please indicate at the Member Login Area of the HKIE website by Friday, 29 April 2022. Late orders will not be accommodated.

HKIE Diary 2023
The HKIE Diary is a pocket-sized planner featuring information about the Institution and useful telephone numbers. Members may place an order for a complimentary copy of the HKIE Diary 2023 at the Member Login Area of the HKIE website by Wednesday, 31 August 2022.

Upon successful order, members will receive an acknowledgement email in September 2022, and the HKIE Diary will be sent out in December 2022. Late orders will only be accommodated while stock lasts and an administrative charge of HK$40 will apply.

HKIE Member Login Area

https://www.hkie.org.hk/memberarea/

For enquiries on the access of the HKIE Member Login Area, please contact mlssuport@hkie.org.hk.

Remarks:
• Members are encouraged to update your correspondence address at “My Profile” under “Services” in the Member Login Area.
• Please note that only subscribed members with valid membership will receive the publication(s) ordered.
• Student Members under the Free Student Membership Scheme are not eligible to order the Report of Activities and the HKIE Diary.

To support and help those HKIE members, past members as well as their immediate families who have fallen upon hard times with financial needs, the Institution set up the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers Benevolent Fund in 1993 to provide assistance to them. On the expiry of the term of that Benevolent Fund, a new HKIE Benevolent Fund was set up in September 2014. Ir Dr Alex Chan, Ir Dr Andrew Chan, Ir James Kwan and myself are currently the Trustees of the Fund.

Throughout these years, the Trustees of the Fund considered every application on a case-by-case basis to help those who are in need. As always, we react speedily and with compassion to all applications. With the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, it is anticipated that application for financial assistance from the Fund may increase in the year. To meet the funding needs under this circumstance, we would appeal for your generous donations to the Fund.

For your reference, I would list out the Guidelines for application for the Fund as below.

• The applicant must be a HKIE member, a past member or his/her immediate family. Each application is assessed solely on its own merit and the decision of the Trustees shall be final.
• Applications must be made in writing on the HKIE designated application form and to be accompanied by a declaration listing out the financial situation including details of all assets and liabilities, income and expenditure in the family, with the amount of support requested. An explanation of why public assistance is not adequate is also required. The application form is obtainable via the HKIE website or through the Secretariat at benevolent@hkie.org.hk.
• Where necessary, the applicant may be asked to provide additional information or to attend an interview.
• The Fund can be provided in the following ways:
  • By Grant - No repayment is required.
    Applicable to those applicants when repayment cannot be reasonably expected in the foreseeable nfuture or otherwise.
  • By Interest Free Loan - Repayment is required, by lump sum or installments.
    Applicable to those applicants who are experiencing temporary financial difficulties.
• The Trustees will determine the final amount, payment and repayment terms of an application.

It may be worth pointing out that since the Fund is limited in resources, the Trustees would exercise great care in assessing the eligibility of the applications.

If you would like to make donations to the Fund, please do so while making payment of your membership subscription or contact the Secretariat of the Institution for details. On the other hand, if you would like to obtain further information on application for the Fund, please also contact the Secretariat of the Institution.

Ir Chan Chi-chiu

Chairman
The HKIE Benevolent Fund

Corporate Members and Associate Members who have been removed from the membership roll (due to resignation or striking off by Council resolution) for more than seven years will be required to submit fresh applications should they wish to re-join the Institution. All other grades of members who have been removed from the membership roll (due to resignation or striking off by Council resolution) for more than three years will be required to submit fresh applications should they wish to re-join the Institution. Subject to the above, the current payment scale for reinstatement of membership other than for non-resident members, is a reinstatement fee of HK$400 (for administration purpose), plus all arrears in subscription. The arrears in subscription shall be subject to a maximum of three years’ subscriptions prior to the application for reinstatement of membership.

Non-resident members who apply for the reinstatement of membership as non-resident members shall only be required to pay a reinstatement fee of HK$400; all arrears in subscription shall be waived. All other requirements for reinstatement of membership shall remain unchanged.

The Engineering Council (UK) implemented the SARTOR3 system from 1999. Accredited MEng degrees or accredited BEng degrees plus matching sections are required to satisfy the academic requirements for Chartered Engineers in the UK. The HKIE is a signatory to the Washington Accord and the HKIE recognises the accredited MEng or accredited BEng degrees plus matching sections of the Engineering Council (UK) from first intake year 1999 as satisfying the academic requirements for Member of the HKIE.

The SARTOR3 system has been replaced by the UK-SPEC since 1 March 2004 and the updated academic requirements for Chartered Engineers (CEng) Registration are as follows:

(i) An accredited integrated MEng degree; or

(ii) An accredited Bachelors degree with honours in engineering or technology plus either an appropriate Masters degree accredited or approved by a professional engineering institution; or

(iii) An accredited Bachelors degree with honours in engineering or technology plus appropriate further learning to Masters level.

In line with these changes, the HKIE shall accept graduates from the UK as satisfying the academic requirements for Member of the Institution if they could provide document proof from the Engineering Council (UK) that they have satisfied the academic requirements ie either (i), (ii) or (iii) for Chartered Engineers (CEng) Registration.

Commencing 1 January 2019, competence-based approach to CPD activities will be fully implemented as part of CPD requirements for Corporate Members. Corporate Members are required to undertake, out of the 30 hours per year, at least 5 hours each for two areas of CPD activities, namely “Technical Matters” (TM) and “Broader Areas of Studies” (BAS).

Corporate Members are required to complete and return an annual CPD Declaration Form together with the membership subscription advice to the Institution. A random checking, usually 1% sampling, on all Corporate Members, will be conducted on an annual basis. Members who are selected for checking will be asked to submit their evidences of CPD.

The following actions shall be taken in case of non-compliance:

1. Corporate Members who fail to comply with the CPD requirement in the first year selected for sampling will be asked to submit their records again in the following year;
2. Warning letters will be issued to Corporate Members who fail to comply in two consecutive years. The HKIE Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPDC) will also follow up with those Corporate Members on the reasons of non-compliance;
3. Corporate Members who fail to comply with the CPD requirements in the third consecutive year may be invited to an interview with HKIE Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPDC) Representative(s);
4. Corporate Members who fail to comply with the CPD requirements for the 4th consecutive year will have their names published in Hong Kong Engineer.

For details, please refer to the “Guidance Notes for Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Corporate Members” which is available on the HKIE website at http://www.hkie.org.hk.

Corporate Membership has satisfied the Commissioner for Labour in respect of section 6BA(4), Cap 59 since 1998 on the understanding that Corporate Members have undertaken a minimum units in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes, which include updates on occupational health and safety legislation. On the basis that Corporate Members will continuously update their knowledge in occupational safety and health through CPD, Corporate Members of the HKIE do not need to take mandatory basic safety training before entering construction sites.

Please note that the HKIE is required to provide such CPD records concerning the recognition of the Corporate Members’ training for the purpose of section 6BA, Cap 59 upon the request of the Labour Department.

The online CPD logbook service is now in operation to provide solely for members of the HKIE to record their personal CPD activities. Members are invited to enter the Member Login area of our website to access to this online free-of-charge CPD logbook for keeping a systemic record of their CPD participation.

For trainees who are under the formal training schemes of the HKIE, they will remain to be required to record their CPD activities in the Record of CPD with endorsement by their Engineering Supervisors.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Member Login Service Support at mlssupport@hkie.org.hk.

HKIE Transactions
8^th Theme Issue
Theme Topic on “Construction by Smart and Innovative Techniques”

CALL FOR ABSTRACT

The HKIE Transactions Committee is honoured to announce that Prof Wei PAN, Associate Vice-President (Research and GBA) and Associate Dean (Masters) of Faculty of Engineering of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and also Executive Director of Centre for Innovation in Construction and Infrastructure Development (CICID) and Professor at Department of Civil Engineering, has accepted our invitation to be the Guest Editor for HKIE Transactions – Theme Issue on Construction by Smart and Innovative Techniques which will be published in HKIE Transactions Volume 30 Number 2, June 2023 issue.  You are invited to submit manuscripts to this Theme Issue.  

Introduction
To address the critical challenges facing the construction industry, various smart and innovative techniques have been implemented in both building and infrastructure construction projects. Researchers have made efforts in all aspects of smart and innovative construction, including but not limited to off-site and modular integrated construction (MiC), artificial intelligence (AI), Internet-of-things (IoT), digital design and construction, robotics, 3D printing, low-carbon construction, and so on. The various smart and innovative techniques have made great achievements in construction applications such as automatic decision-making, intelligent construction planning, real-time construction monitoring, and unmanned construction.

This theme issue welcomes a broad range of submissions of smart and innovative techniques developed for the engineering and construction industry. The editors expect to gather a set of recent research outputs together, to report the progress of what is going on, and to build a forum for researchers to exchange their innovative ideas on the state-of-the-art smart and innovative technologies and their applications in construction. Original papers in all these areas will be considered.

Topics suitable for inclusion include but not limited to:

MiC, AI, BIM, GIS, IoT, Digital Twin, Robotics, automation and life cycle assessment and their applications in all areas of construction such as logistics, supply chain, transportation, construction planning, delivery, monitoring, sustainability and management

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts

Abstracts for proposed manuscripts should be 400-500 words in length.  Please submit the abstracts with the affiliation of the author(s) to hkietransactions@hkie.org.hk on or before Monday, 16 May 2022.

Final Manuscripts

The deadline for final manuscript submission is Monday, 24 October 2022. All manuscripts should be submitted through the HKIE Transactions ScholarOne Manuscripts site at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/thie.  New users should first create a login account. Once logged on to the site, submissions should be made via the Author Centre.  For more details regarding the author guidelines, please refer to the Instructions for Authors and Referencing Style.

If you have any enquiries regarding the Theme Issue, please feel free to contact the HKIE Corporate Communications Section at +852 2830 9070 or via email at hkietransactions@hkie.org.hk.

Remarks:

• The HKIE Transactions reserves the right to withhold any or all of the manuscripts at their absolute discretion.
• The HKIE Transactions’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

HKIE Cufflinks, tie clip and magnetic badge set

Cufflinks set

We are excited to announce the launch of the brand new HKIE cufflinks, tie clip and magnetic badge set. Turning the simplified HKIE Dragon Coat of Arms into matching cufflinks and magnetic badge, together with the tie clip engraved with HKIE logo, it’s perfect for your special occasions. These are the accessories of simplicity and chic that you definitely need to own a set.

The HKIE Diary 2022

Designed to be handy and fit neatly into your pocket, the HKIE Diary 2022 featuring information about the Institution, useful telephone numbers, notable dates and railway maps to ensure you keep on top of your meetings and schedules. Diaries are available for sale at HK$40 each. Place your order now while stocks last.

HKIE lady scarf

If you are looking for a souvenir with a sense of elegance and style, the gold HKIE lady scarf is your must-have item your closet. The HKIE lady scarf printed with simplified HKIE Dragon Coat of Arms pattern monogram is 100% made of silk, making it both fashionables and comfortable. The hKIE lady scarf is now available of HK $290 each.

HKIE ties

With an eye-catching and stylish design, the HKIE Ties are among the most popular souvenirs for our members. Six new designs are now available and may be an essential piece to add to your wardrobe. Embroidered with the simplified HKIE Dragon Coat of Arms, either in a single, monogram or two-colour pattern, the ties are timeless accessories for fellow engineers and suitable for every occasion. The six new designs are now available at HK$100 each.

For details of our whole range of souvenirs, please visit: https://hkie.org.hk/en/membership/souvenir/.

For enquiries and ordering, please contact our reception dest at 2895 4446.