STEM Internship Scheme attracts over 2 500 university students this summer (with photos)
A spokesman for the Innovation and Technology Commission said today (September 30) that the new round of the STEM Internship Scheme launched this summer has attracted over 2 500 university students and 1 300 companies and organisations to participate, far exceeding the total numbers of last year. These figures show that the Scheme has received overwhelming support from both the universities and the business community.
Miss Cheung Tsz-nga, a year four student of the Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Enterprise Engineering with Management programme of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, joined the Scheme for the first time. She worked as an intern programmer in Sisters Pro AI Solutions Limited and was engaged in the development work of information technology projects such as a chatbot. "The Scheme has offered me a precious opportunity to get in touch with the innovation and technology (I&T) field and participate in the development work of artificial intelligence-related products. The company has already given me a job offer after graduation. This internship has firmed up my commitment to develop my career in the I&T field," she said.
Executive Director and founder of the company Mr Edward Cho expressed that he enjoyed working with interns under the Scheme. The interns were young and talented fast learners who were full of new ideas and enthusiasm for innovation and were always ready to take up challenges, he said.
Mr Leung Tsz-lok, a first-time participant from year four of the Bachelor of Engineering in Information Engineering programme of City University of Hong Kong, was employed by Sengital Limited, which focuses on the research and development (R&D) of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things applications. Mr Leung assisted the company in developing computer software and the internship gave him a lot of opportunities to develop and demonstrate new software, and this was crucial for his future career in the I&T field.
The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr Joe Wong, said, "The Scheme is very helpful to both the industries and students. The Scheme provides us, as an R&D company, with energetic interns for nurturing into R&D personnel of our company in the future. Besides, through the Scheme, the company provides interns with practical working experience, thereby benefiting their future career development."
The Innovation and Technology Commission launched the STEM Internship Scheme to encourage university students to experience I&T-related work and foster their interest in developing an I&T career in the future and at the same time assist employers in recruiting suitable I&T talents in the future. It provides university students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines with internships of at least four consecutive weeks with a monthly allowance of $10,500 for up to three months in every academic year. To enhance the flexibility of the Scheme for covering a broader spectrum of business sectors, an internship place is regarded as I&T-related as long as its actual work contains I&T elements.
The universities participating in the Scheme this year are the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Education University of Hong Kong. The majority of them plan to operate the Scheme in the winter break this year.
The Innovation and Technology Commission welcomes more employers and students to participate in the Scheme, and encourages them to contact the relevant universities early. Details of the Scheme are available at the website of the Innovation and Technology Fund (www.itf.gov.hk/en/funding-programmes/nurturing-talent/stem-internship-scheme).
