The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, September 14, 2018 is 104.2 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     For the first time, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) participated in an international education fair, Perspektywy, in eastern Europe. Perspektywy is a series of events in 15 academic cities in Poland, including in the capital Warsaw where the biggest Polish education fair is staged, attracting about 15 000 visitors. Located in Warsaw University of Technology, HKETO Berlin hosted a booth on September 12 and 13 to promote studying in Hong Kong and the city's various talent admission schemes.

     The Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Bill Li, gave a presentation on September 13 about the unique advantages of studying in Hong Kong and the valuable living and working experience offered to students from around the world. "Hong Kong is not only Asia’s business capital and the gateway for Polish businesses to China but a great place to study. Hong Kong's post-secondary education institutions offer a variety of high quality programmes which are internationally recognised", Mr Li said.

     He introduced Hong Kong's world-leading universities as well as scholarship other opportunities such as the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme that facilitates immigration to Hong Kong for young talents. Mr Li also highlighted the excellent research opportunities in Hong Kong supported by the HK$ 23 billion (PLN 10.7 billion) Research Endowment Fund and emphasised on the value of academic freedom in the city.

     Hong Kong's high-quality programmes are taught in English, and the universities adopt international standards in curriculum design as well as quality assurance. Hong Kong universities also offer some of the world's best business administration and management programmes. Of the 21 local degree-awarding higher education institutions, three are ranked in the world's top 50 by the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2019 and three are ranked in Asia’s top 10 by the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2018.

     To attract outstanding non-local students to study in Hong Kong, the Government offers several scholarship opportunities. Among them, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship Fund offers HK$ 80 000 (about PLN 37 000) per year for each awardee, and the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme provides an annual stipend of HK$ 240 000 (about PLN 112 000) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$ 10 000 (about PLN 4 600) per year to each awardee for a period of up to three years.

     Hong Kong is an innovative and open city offering high quality of life with its vibrant cultural scene and diverse nature, including beaches, mountains and country parks. For more details about studying and living in Hong Kong, please visit studyinhongkong.edu.hk.

About HKETO Berlin

     HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Poland as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

     The world's first underwater ensemble Between Music from Denmark will present the Asia premiere of its sound-soaked concert "AquaSonic" in Hong Kong in October.
 
     The show is a novel integration of the arts and science that resulted from the concerted efforts of physicists, vocalists, audio engineers, neuroscientists, deep-sea divers and musical instrument makers, offering audience members an extraordinary underwater concert experience.
 
     Performers submerged in glass water tanks will play music and sing entirely underwater, with changing breathing and panting becoming part of the composition.
 
     Having spent over 10 years on research and experiments, the innovative group has built up a collection of specialised instruments including carbon-fibre violins, an underwater crystallophone, a hurdy-gurdy rotacorda and more which are custom-made for subaqueous music-making. They have also perfected a distinctive vocal technique for submerged singing, producing original soundscapes that are both eerily melodious and powerfully resonant.
 
     "AquaSonic" is one of the highlights of the New Vision Arts Festival (NVAF). It will be held at 8pm on October 26 and 27 and at 3pm on October 28 at the Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium. Tickets priced at $160, $240, $320 and $420 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
 
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the biennial NVAF, celebrating its ninth edition this year, will be held from October 19 to November 18. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk.

    

     Fujitec (HK) Company Limited was fined $71,000 at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (September 14) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
      
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on November 15, 2017 at a residential building in Tseung Kwan O. While a worker was conducting lift maintenance work at the landing entrance on ground floor, he was struck by a descending lift and trapped between the lift car and the floor. He sustained serious injuries and subsequently passed away.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (September 14) that two new special school premises under planning at Renfrew Road in Kowloon Tong are open for application in the Second School Allocation Exercise (SAE) 2018 by eligible applicant bodies for (1) operation of a new special school for children with mild intellectual disability (MiID) at Site A, and (2) operation of a new special school for children with MiID and moderate intellectual disability (MoID) with boarding facilities for children with MoID at Site B. Details of the two new special school premises under planning are set out in the Annex.
 
     "Allocation of the school premises will be conducted on a competitive basis. Quality of education will be the prime consideration in assessing the applications submitted by applicant bodies. Factors to be considered include the operation track record of the applicant bodies and the quality of the proposed school plan in running the new special school (for allocation of the new school premises with boarding facilities at Site B, the plan should also cover boarding services). In the event that the overall assessments of more than one applicant are comparable, preference would be given to the applicant(s) with proven track record in running special schools in Hong Kong, especially schools for children with intellectual disability," an EDB spokesman said.

     All applications will be considered by the School Allocation Committee, comprising official and non-official members. Applicant bodies are required to complete the appropriate application form and submit it together with the required supporting documents, a proposed school plan (of not more than 10 pages for Site A and 15 pages for Site B including all annexes, plus a two-page executive summary), and a list of operating schools, if any. The proposed school plan should cover the vision and mission, management and organisation, learning and teaching, school ethos and support for students, students' performance targets and self-evaluation indicators, etc. The applicant body may also make reference to the school(s) that it is operating and their respective performance to substantiate its case.
 
     In line with the EDB's established policy for school allocation, when submitting the application, the applicant body should be exempt from tax under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance, and be:

(1) incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (the successful applicant body would be required to ensure that its articles of association contain all the standard clauses and articles required for allocation of a school premises); or
 
(2) incorporated under other ordinances, with its constitution satisfying the Permanent Secretary for Education as being fit to be considered for allocation of a school premises.
 
     Applicant bodies not possessing the incorporation status and non-profit-making status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance are not eligible for application and their applications will not be processed.
 
     The application form for the Second SAE 2018 and other reference materials can be downloaded from the EDB homepage (www.edb.gov.hk/en/sch-admin/sch-premises-info/allocation-of-sch/index.html). More information on this SAE can also be found on the homepage.
 
     The duly completed application form and supporting documents, together with 22 copies of the proposed school plan with the executive summary (for allocation of the new school premises with boarding facilities at Site B, the plan should cover both the school and boarding facilities) and list of operating schools, if any, should reach the Infrastructure and Research Support Division of the EDB (6/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong) by 5pm on October 15. Late or incomplete applications, as well as applications via email, will not be processed.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3509 8413 or 3509 8411.