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     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences (YASHK) Inauguration Ceremony cum Science and Technology Forum today (June 9):
 
Professor Tsui (Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, Professor Tsui Lap-chee), Professor Law (President of YASHK, Professor Vic Law), members of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. I am delighted to join you this afternoon for the inauguration ceremony of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, created for today’s young scientists, designed to inspire tomorrow’s scientists.
 
     We’ve come a long, good way in a few short years. The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences was established just three and a half years ago, making today a milestone for both the Academy and its promising new chapter, the Young Academy.
 
     Under the leadership of Professor Tsui, the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences has made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology in Hong Kong, such as hosting the “Science and Technology Innovation Summit”, organising the well-received “Distinguished Master, Accomplished Students Mentorship Programme” and the “Science, the way to my future” exhibition, as well as releasing a research report on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education.
 
     And now there is the Young Academy, with its 31 brilliant and ambitious young men and women. They come from six of our universities, and from a great wealth of disciplines and research areas: the biological and life sciences, public health, physics and chemistry, mathematics and engineering, textiles and clothing, just to name a few.  Thanks to the solid foundation established by the Academy of Sciences, I am confident that the Young Academy will blaze a trail of science and technology to capture the imagination of our primary- and secondary-school children. 
 
     I’m delighted to hear of the Young Academy’s involvement in the Distinguished Master, Accomplished Students Mentorship Programme as a co-organiser. The Academy of Sciences created this Programme so that scientists and engineers could serve as mentors for promising senior secondary students, offering advice and direction for up to two years.  I have attended the launching ceremonies for both the first and second cohorts of the programme and am much impressed by what this mentorship could offer in terms of inspiration and encouragement. 
 
     I see opportunity, too, between the Young Academy and the Government in promoting the development of science and technology. Innovation and technology, after all, is among the top policy priorities of my Government.  In the past two years, we have invested more than HK$100 billion in I&T programmes and initiatives.  These include the Innovation and Technology Fund which supports applied R&D projects that encourage scientific exploration and its commercialisation as well as additional research funding to universities.
 
     My Government has also introduced tax deductions of up to 300 per cent for local R&D work undertaken by private companies. Subject to Legislative Council approval, a $3 billion matching grant will be available to match private donations to universities in R&D.  And we’ve launched a variety of programmes to attract, develop and retain I&T talents.
 
     On the infrastructure front, stage one of the Science Park expansion, as well as an on-site InnoCell and a Data Technology Hub and Advanced Manufacturing Centre at Tseung Kwan O will all be completed before 2022.  In addition, there’s Cyberport 5, which will accommodate more technology companies and start-ups, while a Microelectronics Centre is being planned to house smart production lines in support of Industrialisation 4.0.  Looking ahead, a brand new technology park will emerge at the Lok Ma Chau Loop.  We have, as well, set aside HK$16 billion to enhance or refurbish university campus facilities and provide additional facilities essential for R&D activities. Our goal is to create an optimal teaching and research environment for university students and career R&D specialists. 
 
     We are also establishing two research clusters here at the Science Park, one focusing on healthcare technologies, the other on artificial intelligence and robotics.  To date, we have received nearly 50 proposals from notable international universities eager to collaborate with our local post-secondary institutions. They include such top institutions as MIT, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and Institut Pasteur, just to name a few. We expect the first batch of research institutions to set up labs in the two new clusters at the Science Park before the end of this year. 
 
     My Government also shares the Young Academy’s goal of advancing the teaching of science and technology in Hong Kong. To that end, we have injected additional recurrent funds of at least HK$8.3 billion into the education sector since I assumed office in 2017. A substantial portion of that was allocated to improve basic education, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM in short, both in our primary and secondary schools.  On top, we will inject another HK$500 million for the establishment of IT Innovation Labs and related activities in all publicly funded secondary schools. We hope to motivate student interest in science and technology in their early years, encouraging them to pursue a career in I&T.
 
     Like the Young Academy, my Government is equally determined to educate the public on science and technology issues. In this regard, I’m grateful that the Academy of Sciences and other like-minded institutions organise awards competitions and exhibitions, as well as I&T seminars and workshops.  Later this year, the Government will present InnoFest, a series of events showcasing our latest I&T achievements while promoting I&T in Hong Kong. Highlights of the InnoFest will include the first “City I&T Grand Challenge,” in which various sectors will be invited to tackle livelihood issues through I&T. Promising solutions will be tested in public organisations.
 
     The Young Academy and my Government also share a determination to see Hong Kong rise as a centre of scientific excellence. The founding, last month, of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum, which connects Shaw laureates to a youth-centred, science-driven, Hong Kong-based programme, certainly demonstrates our commitment to promoting Hong Kong as an international  I&T hub.  As you all know, Shaw laureates are top scientists who have made outstanding international contributions in astronomy, life science and medicine, and the mathematical sciences. Of the nearly 80 Shaw laureates since the first awards in 2004, 12 are Nobel Prize winners, five are Fields Medalists and two are Abel Prize recipients.  I am delighted that the majority of these outstanding laureates have already responded to my invitation and indicated their interest in participating in the first Hong Kong Laureate Forum scheduled for November 2021.  It will certainly be a valuable opportunity for our brilliant youth and students to be enlightened and inspired.    
 
     Talking about our brilliant students, let me say how pleased I am to learn that students of St Paul’s Primary Catholic School, under the guidance of a University of Hong Kong research team from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, won a silver award at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. The students’ award-winning innovation focused on a “SmartEat” education app.  Other Hong Kong university research teams also fared well in Geneva, and a ceremony is being arranged to celebrate their achievements.
 
     We are working to ensure that our young scientists continue to get what they need to succeed. To that end, my Government has doubled funding support for State Key Laboratories, Hong Kong Branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Centres, Technology Transfer Offices of designated local universities and the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities.
 
     I am confident, too, that our participation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will generate a continuing flow of career opportunities for Hong Kong’s young scientists and technology specialists.  The Greater Bay Area, with its vast and affluent population of 71 million, presents an outsized and readily available market for the innovative products and services that our young scientists will bring to this world.  In this connection, the Youth Development Commission rolled out two new funding schemes in March this year to help our young people set up their business at the innovation and entrepreneurial bases in the Greater Bay Area.  Likewise, the Guangdong provincial government will extend the eligibility for subsidies and support measures which are available to Guangdong youths to young entrepreneurs from Hong Kong in the Greater Bay Area.
 
     In short, ladies and gentlemen, the future could not look more promising for Hong Kong scientists, including the members of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences and the many young people to be inspired by this Young Academy.  My Government looks forward to working with the Young Academy, and my best wishes for the Young Academy, particularly in their essential work of inspiring, in our youth, an irrepressible passion for innovation.
 
     I wish you all a memorable occasion and a very fruitful forum this afternoon.  Thank you very much.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:

     To celebrate World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) held the Plastic-free Fun Fair today (June 9) under the theme “Go Plastic-free” at Tai Kwun in Central. The second phase of the “Plastic-free Takeaway, Use Reusable Tableware” promotion campaign, jointly organised by the ECC and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), was also launched at the event to encourage members of the public not to obtain disposable tableware when they order takeaways and to cultivate plastic-and-disposable-free habits.

     At the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the ECC, Professor Joseph Sung, said that the enormous amount of plastic waste generated by human beings had not only increased the burden on landfills, but also caused adverse impacts on the earth’s ecosystems. If we do not take action now, the pollution brought by plastic waste may threaten our own health in the long run, he said.

     Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that the Government had taken the lead in introducing various policies and measures to tackle the problem of plastic waste. However, public participation and co-operation were indispensable. He said he hoped that the public could reduce waste at source by using less disposable plastic products in their daily life and shoulder their responsibility in protecting the environment.

     Other officiating guests included the Permanent Secretary for the Environment/ Director of Environmental Protection, Ms Maisie Cheng; the Acting Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr So Ping-man; and the Acting Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Cheng Cho-ming. With the “four plastic-free must-haves”, namely reusable cutlery, a food container, a water bottle and an eco-bag in hand, the officiating guests invited the audience to show their commitment to “Go Plastic-free” together and enjoy the Plastic-free Fun Fair.

     The second phase of the “Plastic-free Takeaway, Use Reusable Tableware” promotion campaign, extended to cover more restaurants, was also launched at the opening ceremony. Starting from tomorrow (June 10), the ECC and the EPD will join hands with some 700 eateries across the territory (including over 630 eateries under more than 30 catering businesses, as well as over 50 canteens and restaurants in government venues) to encourage the public to go plastic-and-disposable-free when ordering takeaways and reduce single-use plastic waste. Under the promotion campaign, members of the public can get a sticker for each takeaway order made at the participating restaurants/catering businesses without obtaining disposable tableware. After collecting six stickers, they can redeem them for reusable stainless steel cutlery sponsored by the ECC, or receive a complimentary offer/gift from participating restaurants/catering businesses. To tie in with its various Go Plastic-free programmes, the EPD is also holding the “Plastic-free Beach, Tableware First” 2019 campaign during the swimming season to mobilise support from eateries on public beaches or in their vicinity to avoid using or handing out disposable plastic tableware as far as possible so as to prevent plastic waste from entering and polluting the marine environment.

     The Plastic-free Fun Fair involved nearly 30 government departments, non-government organisations, green groups, tertiary institutes and community groups to jointly promote the plastic-free message to members of the public through various activities, including interactive educational booths, sharing sessions, upcycling workshops and music performances. Other activities included a story-telling corner and a pop-up library set up by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to encourage the public to learn more about environmental protection. An artwork made from marine litter collected during shoreline clean-up activities was also displayed to further arouse public attention on plastic waste in the marine environment.

     To engage the public in solving the issue of marine refuse, the EPD has co-ordinated and organised more than 110 local shoreline cleaning activities in May and June 2019. The EPD has also collaborated with Guangdong Province in carrying out clean-shoreline activities for the first time. In addition, “Clean Shorelines Heroes” were commended at today’s opening ceremony for their selfless contributions in protecting the marine environment. Meanwhile, the ECC has organised several local tours in coastal areas to give an opportunity for participants to appreciate the beauty of Hong Kong’s shorelines and appeal for their support in protecting the marine ecosystem and the natural environment.

     In addition, all the Community Green Stations (CGS) in operation, namely, the Eastern CGS, Kwai Tsing CGS, Kwun Tong CGS, Sha Tin CGS, Sham Shui Po CGS, Tuen Mun CGS and Yuen Long CGS, have also run activities under the “Go Plastic-free” theme for residents of the respective districts.

     The ECC, the MTR Corporation and the Education Bureau jointly organise the ECC MTR Environmental Award for Schools every year to nurture a sense of environmental protection and responsibility among students. This year, an “All Go Plastic-free” Poster Design Competition was organised to encourage primary and secondary students to unleash their creativity to promote the plastic-free message. Awards were presented by the ECC at the ceremony today to winners of the school competitions and the winning entries were also displayed at the event venue.

     Founded in 1990, the ECC aims to enhance public participation in protecting the environment. The ECC holds promotion events for World Environment Day every year and organises programmes including the Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, the Hong Kong Green School Awards, the Student Environmental Protection Ambassador Scheme, Green Lunar New Year Fairs and Reusable Tableware Lending Programme for Large-scale Events. Information on the ECC’s programmes and activities is available at www.ecc.org.hk. read more

     An opening ceremony for Reconstruction of the Sharp Island Pier under the Signature Project Scheme (SPS) of Sai Kung District was held at Sharp Island Pier in Sai Kung today (June 9).        … read more

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Chai Wan in the small hours today (June 9) in which a 27-year-old man died.      At about 1.34am, a motorcycle driven by the 27-year-old man … read more

     The Labour Department (LD) is going to launch a training-cum-employment project named the e-Learning Support Scheme (eLSS) under the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP). Two central recruitment days will be held on J… read more