HKPC and HKFEW Jointly Organise The First "Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme" Graduation Ceremony Conferring Graduation Certificates to Over 100 Students to Cultivate Future I&T Talent

(Hong Kong, 12 July 2023) To promote national aerospace technology development, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), together with the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers (HKFEW), launched the first cohort of "Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme" (the Programme) in Hong Kong last October, which was fully sponsored by the Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK). The Programme came to a successful conclusion today with a graduation ceremony where certificates were awarded to 103 students who completed the Programme, recognising their active participation in aerospace technology education and inspiring them to continue learning about the latest aerospace technology and space science.

The graduation ceremony was held at the HKPC Building, and Mr Emil YU, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, delivered a welcome speech. Prof Hon WONG Kam-fai, Legislative Council Member, Mr WONG Kam-leung, Chairman of HKFEW, and Dr Rocky CHENG, Chief Information Officer of BOCHK, were invited to officiate the ceremony and share the joy with the students.

Mr Emil YU, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, said, "The evolving aerospace technology of China has brought unlimited inspiration and opportunities for developing innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong. HKPC has been working closely with the education sector, I&T industry, and STEAM educators to promote to the expansion of local I&T talent in all aspects. HKPC hopes to enhance students' interest in technology through training and study tours of the Programme and expects that the first cohort graduates can leverage their strengths and become future leaders in aerospace technology."

Mr WONG Kam-leung, Chairman of HKFEW, said, "We are delighted to join hands with HKPC to organise the 'Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme'. The Programme provides a comprehensive and first-hand experience in aerospace technology education for 132 students. Despite the pandemic situation, we work together to arrange a study tour at Zhuhai Aerospace Land to provide high-quality aerospace learning experiences. We hope that students will seize this learning opportunity to gain insights of the development of China's aerospace technology industry, and be encouraged to pursue careers in aerospace industry and serve the country in the future."

Dr Rocky CHENG, Chief Information Officer of BOCHK, said, "BOCHK sponsored the 'Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme' to offer a high-quality STEAM education activity to the young elites with the aim to strengthen their independent thinking and creativity, as well as enhancing their knowledge on the latest development of aerospace technology and space science. BOCHK will continue nurturing more future leaders in scientific research and support Hong Kong to develop into an international innovation and technology centre under the '14th Five-Year Plan'."

Starting from October last year, the Programme provided a series of training for the students to learn about the latest aerospace technology and space science. The students have been learning through classes and workshops, covering five major areas, including flight simulation training, space science, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), 3D printing, and cube satellites (CubeSat) prototyping. Students who completed the Hong Kong courses and passed the assessment were eligible to participate in an aerospace study tour to the Mainland, visiting the brand new Youth Science Education Base - Zhuhai Aerospace Land, to learn about the advancement of China’s aerospace technology, and to exchange views and discuss with national aerospace experts, enhancing their understanding of the latest aerospace technology and space science, and increasing their interest in aerospace technology.

The Programme was participated by 132 students, who expressed that they were impressed by the Programme’s courses and experiences gained. Not only were they able to learn about aerospace knowledge using cutting-edge technologies such as AR, VR, and 3D printing, but also, through participating in the study tour, where they had the opportunity to visit the Long March rockets and enter the "Tiangong space station" model, and exchange views with top national aerospace experts, deepening their understanding of the development of China’s aerospace technology education. Many students were deeply attracted by China’s achievements in manned spaceflight and defence technology and hoped to engage in aerospace technology education-related work in the future.

With the successful conclusion of the first cohort, HKPC hopes to continue launching similar programmes to arouse the interest of young people in the field of aerospace technology and cultivate more future talent in the field. For more information about the Programme, please visit: https://innospace.hkpc.org/en/event/Youth-Aerospace-TechEd-Programme or email to innospace@hkpc.org.

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HKPC and HKFEW jointly held the first "Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme" Graduation Ceremony at the HKPC Building, where graduation certificates were awarded to the students in recognition of their active participation in aerospace technology education, to inspire them to continue learning about the latest aerospace technology and space science.

At the first "Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme" Graduation Ceremony, Mr Emil YU, Deputy Chairman of HKPC, expressed that HKPC has been working closely with the education sector, I&T industry, and STEAM education practitioners to promote the development of local I&T talent in all aspects.

Mr Emil YU, Deputy Chairman of HKPC (fourth from left), Prof Hon WONG Kam-fai, Legislative Council Member (fourth from right), Mr WONG Kam-leung, Chairman of HKFEW (third from right), Mr Simon CHAN, Director of HKFEW TechEd Centre (second from right) and Dr Rocky CHENG, Chief Information Officer of BOCHK (third from left) officiated the "Youth Aerospace TechEd Programme" Graduation Ceremony, witnessed by Mr Mohamed BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC (second from left), Dr Lawrence CHEUNG, Chief Innovation Officer of HKPC (first from right), and Ms Karen FUNG, General Manager, InnoPreneur and FutureSkills of HKPC (first from left), who shared the joy with the students together.