In August, the Institution’s resolute commitment to its Sessional Theme “Grow the Nexus, Link the Links” (一脈相承 縱深相連) materialised into two activities moulded to forge stronger ties between the Mainland and our local engineering community.
Following July’s conclusion of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the Institution held a hybrid briefing session, on 21 August, on the Committee’s Resolution on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernisation. After President Ir Eric Ma’s welcome remarks, Ir Prof Alexander P K Wai (our Council’s Co-opted Member cum HKSAR member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) and Ir Prof Frank F Chan (our Vice President cum HKSAR deputy to the National People’s Congress) introduced members to the Resolution’s prescriptions for engineering technological innovations, talent cultivation, etc. More details on the session can be found in the Activity Report "香港工程師學會「三中全會」簡介會順利完成" in this issue.
On 25 August, President Ir Ma led a HKIE leaders’ delegation to Beijing. In the four short days that comprised the itinerary, the delegation managed to pay visits to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and three ministries (Ministry of Commerce; Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security), as well as three engineering- and science-related organisations (China Association for Science and Technology; Chinese Academy of Engineering; and Chinese Society of Engineers). The delegation’s zeal for knowledge also led them to trace their steps in the National Museum For Modern Chinese Scientist and the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall. The edifying discussions on offer during the exchange tour, and our delegates’ reflections on them, will undoubtedly play a directive role in the Institution’s work in the future. Read more about the tour in the Activity Report "香港工程師學會2024高端人才北京交流團".
Over the years, the Institution has been articulating engineers’ distinctive take on public policies to the Administration, demonstrating the diversity that always exists in our profession’s contributions to society. In August, we submitted our views to the Chief Executive for the formulation of the 2024 Policy Address. Amassed from members with expertise in a multiplicity of engineering disciplines, these views touch on a broad spectrum of critical issues, including Education, Sustainability, Talent Acquisition, and New Industrialisation. You are encouraged to read them here.
Engineers’ talents are multi-faceted, not confined to specialised knowledge but coming in all shapes and forms. A testament to this is the Institution’s continual success with our programme to assist “Enginpreneurs”, whose aspiration is to transform the Innovation and Technology ideas lying dormant in their fertile minds, as engineers, into something tangible (a new product, for example) in reality, as entrepreneurs. These Enginpreneurs have been growing in quantity, and on 25 July, the programme’s alumni gathered briefly in our Headquarters for a reunion and experience-sharing session.
The concept “Enginpreneurs” is so capacious in its possibilities that, last month, Now TV interviewed Senior Vice President Ir Alice Chow (also Chairperson of the HKIE Enginpreneurs Working Group) specially about the Institution’s endeavours to assist them. The interview, which also spotlighted one of the projects, can be read here.
In the hope that this useful concept may gain wider currency within and beyond the engineering ecosystem, we have put together a Feature Story that outlines our vision for it and introduces the three teams of Enginpreneurs who have gone on to major success under our guidance. You are invited to read this issue's Feature Story "HKIE Enginpreneurs: Engineering Innovations Towards Entrepreneurship" and visit our social media platforms for more about the individual teams.
As engineers with active roles in the public arena, we are used to working intimately with the government. We recognise how good relations with high-level government officials may offer a gateway to the direct and efficient expressions of the Institution’s views and concerns to the decision-making authorities, furthering our cause of shaping a bright future for Hong Kong. Our officers’ luncheon meetings with Ir Winnie Ho (Secretary for Housing) and Ir Lam Sai Hung (Secretary for Transport and Logistics), on 19 and 23 August respectively, have opened up new lines of discussion between our profession and the policymakers. More such luncheons will be held, in September and October tentatively, with Ms Bernadette Linn (Secretary for Development), Mr Tse Chin Wan (Secretary for Environment and Ecology), and Ir Prof Sun Dong (Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry).