HKPC and Technology Education Sector Stage “TechEd Mini-Expo” to Explore New Trends in STEM Education and Talent Development

(Hong Kong, 17 December 2021) “TechEd Mini-Expo”, organised by Inno Space of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers and IOT HK Association, was held at HKPC Building today. As the super-connector of the government, innovation and technology (I&T) sector and education sector, HKPC spares no effort in promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and is committed to nurturing all-round talents through advanced technology.

TechEd Mini-Expo was fully supported by the Association of I.T. Leaders in Education, Hong Kong Association for Computer Education and Hong Kong STEM Education Alliance, and participated by 24 STEM education organisations, local schools and 6 I&T enterprises. Headlining the event was a forum on “FutureSkills in Education” featuring special sharing by global technology company representatives on the importance of FutureSkills and the impact of “Metaverse” on future STEM education. Guest speakers including Mr Carl Su, Associate Education Product Director, China Mobile; Mr George Chen, Regional Public Policy Director, Facebook; Mr Ken Ho, Business Development Director, Huawei Cloud Business Department, Hong Kong, Huawei Technologies Co., Limited; Ms Fan Ho, General Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, Lenovo (Hong Kong) Limited; Ms Elsa Wong, Managing Director, NEC Hong Kong Limited; and Dr Zhang Yang, Deputy Director of Education Business, SenseTime, shared insights to enrich the understanding of the education sector on the latest trends in STEM education. The event also included exhibition booths, experience zone and creative workshops to showcase the latest smart campus technology and application solutions.

Dr Lawrence Cheung, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, said, “With the National 14th Five-Year Plan supporting Hong Kong to be an international I&T hub, the I&T industry will be the trend-setter of the future with technology talent being the leaders of tomorrow. Dedicated to promoting FutureSkills and actively nurturing local I&T talent, HKPC also assists the adoption of advanced technologies in different industries to enhance Hong Kong competitiveness. At the same time, it acts as a bridge between the industry and the education sector and, through staging STEM activities of different themes, enhances the knowledge and skills of teachers and students in the field of I&T, striving to offer firm backing for schools in promoting STEM education and lay down a solid foundation for talent development in the I&T industry of Hong Kong.

Ms Karen Fung, General Manager, InnoPreneur (SME & Startup Growth) and FutureSkills of HKPC, said, “Inno Space provides innovative and creative TechEd education services for primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. The integration of drones, robots, VR and other technologies with creative thinking for inclusion in the training content enables teachers, students and parents to learn the latest technological development and application. The ‘FutureSkills’ framework advocated by HKPC covers 14 themes, paving the way for young people to master digital and soft skills to meet the needs of the future workplace. In order to cope with technology development, the HKPC Academy has taken the lead in launching the recently popular ‘Metaverse’ concept, Non-fungible Token (NFT) and other training contents to grasp the general trend of the digital market. In addition, HKPC is committed to contributing to the education community and R&D in Hong Kong. An internship program is held every year to provide local tertiary students with a practical and learning platform in the workplace for the incubation of future ‘InnoTalent’.”

With rapid technological advancement, despite the pandemic, HKPC has continued its relentless promotion of STEM education during the past year. It held over 90 STEM activities of various types with the I&T sector, education sector and education organisations, liaised with nearly 40,000 teachers and students and 100 STEM partner organisations, and serviced over 100 primary and secondary schools in order to raise public interest of STEM subjects, and help them master digital skills through training to enhance competitiveness and embrace future new trends.

To learn about STEM activities of HKPC Inno Space, please visit: https://innospace.hkpc.org/

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Dr Lawrence Cheung, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC, said with I&T industry being the trend-setter of the future, technology talent would be the leaders of tomorrow.

Mr Carl Su, Associate Education Product Director, China Mobile (second from left); Mr George Chen, Regional Public Policy Director, Facebook (fourth from right); Mr Ken Ho, Business Development Director, Huawei Cloud Business Department, Hong Kong, Huawei Technologies Co., Limited (third from right); Ms Fan Ho, General Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, Lenovo (Hong Kong) Limited (fourth from left); Ms Elsa Wong, Managing Director ,NEC Hong Kong Limited (third from left); and Dr Zhang Yang, Deputy Director of Education Business, SenseTime (second from right), presented the latest trends and technology solutions in STEM education at the opening forum “FutureSkills in Education”.

Ms Karen Fung, General Manager, InnoPreneur (SME & Startup Growth) and FutureSkills of HKPC, said the “FutureSkills” framework advocated by HKPC covers 14 themes, paving the way for young people to master digital and soft skills.