The Hong Kong Engineers Week 2024 (HKEW 2024) had its finale late last month in the career fair at The University of Hong Kong, the very last in a series of such fairs held at and in collaboration with tertiary institutions. Over the month and before, HKEW 2024 has met with rapturous reception from members, students, and the public. For such a success, a deep and lasting debt of gratitude is owed by the Institution to the contributors, especially to our generous sponsors and the Organising Committee members.
With the curtain now officially down on HKEW 2024, perhaps we may indulge mildly in the satisfaction of having brought this momentous event to a successful conclusion. There is no lack of means for us to reminisce about its many pleasant episodes: the commemorative booklet issued on 15 March at www.hkie.org.hk/hkewcommembooklet, the photo galley on the HKEW website at https://hkengineersweek.com/, and this issue’s event report in the Activity Report Section (p.21 of the PDF version) each offer a vivid picture of what we had accomplished together.
Perhaps the high-water mark in the whole of HKEW 2024 was the Carnival, which was held in the first days of March at the Harbourside Lawn in the West Kowloon Cultural District. With over 45,000 visiting traffic, the Carnival proved a watershed event that provided us with the great opportunity for public exposure, showcasing our engineering expertise and professionalism to the public, especially among the younger generations.
Our 46th Annual Dinner on 15 March enjoyed just as much popularity among our members as the more public-oriented HKEW 2024 did among the wider community. That evening, more than 900 well-wishers, responding to our call for solidarity within the profession, attended the dinner and shared in the joy of the recipients of the HKIE Awards, which were presented halfway through the festivities. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate, once again, Ir Prof Lau Ching Kwong and Ir Edmund K H Leung (Honorary Fellows), Ir Prof Naeem Hussain (Gold Medal), Ir Louis K S Szeto (President’s Award), Ir Dr Kwok Tai Wai (Young Engineer of the Year Award), and the numerous Grand Award winners for their stellar accomplishments.
After a hiatus of several years during the pandemic, the Mainland and Hong Kong Construction Forum returned triumphantly in Guangzhou on 26-27 March. President Ir Dr Barry Lee led a delegation of about 30 members (including Immediate Past President Ir Aaron Bok, Senior Vice President Ir Eric Ma, and Vice President Ir Prof Frank Chan), together with more than 300 Hong Kong delegates from professional institutions, the trade and industry, to this exchange platform, which has been much feted for its time-honoured role in uniting construction industry stakeholders from across the country for meaningful dialogue. Our Vice President, Ir Prof Chan delivered a speech on “新質生產力—建造業工業化”, tailored to address the question of how GBA may leverage its unique advantages to further high-quality development within the nation. A complementary line of thought was pursued in the President’s Forum on New Industrialisation on 19 March.
In a globalised world like ours, where a positive international image is a prerequisite for success, “telling good stories of Hong Kong” assumes priority for any professional association that, like us, sees its profession’s future as relying substantially on its ability to engage fruitfully with the international community. Plans are underway, therefore, to intensify our practice of sending delegations abroad, with Immediate Past President Ir Aaron Bok serving as our ambassador to Canada in 8-11 April and President Ir Dr Barry Lee visiting Australia with Vice President Ir Alice Chow in late May.
Meanwhile, one of our certification initiatives has come to fruition. On 19 March, the first batch of Engineering BIM Professionals (Eng BIM Pro) and Engineering BIM Coordinators (Eng BIM Coord) were presented with certificates, marking a milestone in our commitment to assisting members with qualification acquisition. The presentation was followed by an Assessor Forum highlighting the benefits that such certifications can bring to members seeking to advance their careers in emerging fields of engineering expertise.
One final aspect of our work in the immediate past involves responding to recent developments in public policies and legal reforms. On 28 February, we weighed in on the Financial Secretary’s 2024-25 Budget and commented on the six areas, ranging from “Building a Smart, Green, and Resilient City” to “Promoting Innovation and Technology and New Industrialisation”, in which some of our recommendations had been adopted. On 30 March, we expressed our support for the passage of Article 23 of the Basic Law by the Legislative Council and emphasised the weight that this legislation carries for Hong Kong’s future.
Election of Council
The 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institution will be held on 25 June 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Preparation for the meeting has commenced.
The Council noted the nomination of candidates for vice presidency. In accordance with the nomination procedures for election of Vice President, the candidates will be invited to make a presentation to the Council Members before the Council finalises its nomination of Vice President for election by Corporate Members on the day of the AGM. A Council meeting (Special) will be held on 18 April 2024 for the purpose and the meeting will be open for Corporate Members to view the proceedings of the meeting and presentations of candidates by real time broadcasting in the HKIE Headquarters.
In regard to Elected Ordinary Members, the Council resolved that there would be five seats for Elected Ordinary Members up for election on the day of the AGM. Nomination forms together with the Guidelines for Election are obtainable at the HKIE Headquarters or the HKIE website at http://www.hkie.org.hk.
The eligibility for election to these posts is stipulated in the Constitution.
Recognised professional bodies for property management practitioner license under Property Management Service Authority (PMSA)
On the recommendation of the Executive, the Council approved to submit expression of interest to PMSA for applying recognised professional body status for members with relevant disciplines of the HKIE to be Property Management Practitioner under Property Management Services Ordinance Cap 626.
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Society of Engineers (GBASE) 粵港澳大灣區工程師聯合體
On the recommendation of the Executive, the Council approved the proposal that the HKIE is to join 粵港澳大灣區 工程師聯合體 as a co-founding organisation.
Supplementary agreements with five Guangdong institutions under the Mutual Recognition Framework Agreement (MRA) between the HKIE and Guangdong Institution of Engineers (GDIE)
On the recommendation of the Qualification & Membership Board, the Council approved the five supplementary agreements with respective Guangdong Engineering Institutions cover CAI, CVL, ELL and GEL Disciplines.
The waiver of application fee for Formal Training Scheme to Associate Membership in a Competence-based Format
On the recommendation of the Qualification & Membership Board, the Council approved to continue extending the waiver of application fee for Formal Training Scheme to Associate Membership for one more year up to 31 March 2025.
Future plans for the Management Committee
On the recommendation of the Administration Board, the Council approved the dissolution of the Management Committee and its functions would be managed by the Administration Board directly. The Council also approved the proposal on including the Immediate Past President as a regular member of the Administration Board.
Changes to the Trustees of the HKIE Benevolent Fund
The Council approved the resignation of Ir James KWAN from the Fund, the draft Deed of Resignation and proposed resolution to authorise the affixation of the Common Seal of the Institution to the Deed of Registration.
Task Force on Provision of Support to Young Members of Social Unrest-related Convicted Cases (TF-SSUC)
The Council approved the extension of the term of office of TF-SSUC for one year until March 2025.
The HKIE 46th Annual Dinner
The HKIE 46th Annual Dinner was successfully held on 15 March 2024 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 900 members and guests attended this annual function of the Institution.
We were honoured by the presence of the Honourable Andrew K Y LEUNG, President of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as our Principal Guest and Dr Sunny N C CHAI, Chairman of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, as our Guest of Honour for the evening.
The Institution is proud to confer The HKIE Honorary Fellow 2024 to Ir Prof LAU Ching Kwong and Ir Edmund K H LEUNG. The HKIE Gold Medal 2024 was presented to Ir Prof Naeemullah HUSSAIN while Ir Louis K S SZETO received The President’s Award 2024. The Young Engineer of the Year Award 2024 was also presented at the dinner and the winner was Ir Dr KWOK Tai Wai while Ir Francis P H YUEN and Ir LO Yuk Hong received the Certificates of Merit. Details of the Annual Dinner will be reported in the next issue.