Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 21) seized about 2 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $1.1 million in Yuen Long. During an anti-narcotics ope… read more
The Government announced today (August 22) that under the Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP), a total of 3 236 subsidised places in 38 programmes will be provided by six post-secondary institutions for the cohort to be admitted in the 2019/20 academic year.
These 38 designated programmes fall under 10 disciplines that have been identified as having keen manpower demand, namely architecture and engineering, computer science, creative industries, financial technology, health care, insurance, logistics, sports and recreation, testing and certification, and tourism and hospitality.
The programmes and number of subsidised places under the SSSDP were determined by the Education Bureau in consultation with relevant policy bureaux and departments. Details of the participating institutions, the programmes and the number of subsidised places are listed in the Annex.
In the 2019/20 academic year, the annual subsidy amount for laboratory-based programmes will be increased from $71,700 in the 2018/19 academic year to $72,800 while that for non-laboratory based programmes will be increased from $41,000 to $41,700 according to the movement of the Composite Consumer Price Index.
The adjusted subsidy amounts are applicable to both new and continuing students meeting the criteria. The subsidy is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned. Subsidised students will pay a tuition fee after subsidy. Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.
The SSSDP was launched in the 2015/16 academic year to subsidise students to pursue designated full-time locally accredited self-financing undergraduate programmes in selected disciplines. It will be regularised in the 2018/19 academic year with the number of subsidised places increased from about 1 000 per cohort to about 3 000 per cohort. Eligible continuing students of the designated programmes will also receive the subsidy from the 2018/19 academic year onwards. The Scheme aims to achieve the following objectives:
(1) To increase the supply of subsidised undergraduate places by leveraging the supply of the self-financing sector;
(2) To nurture talent in support of specific industries with keen demand for human resources;
(3) To encourage the self-financing education sector to offer programmes in selected disciplines that meet Hong Kong’s social and economic needs by providing targeted financial support; and
(4) To support the healthy and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary education sector to complement the University Grants Committee-funded sector in broadening and diversifying study opportunities.
Allocation of the subsidised first-year intake places will mainly go through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System to ensure that eligible students are selected on a merit basis.
For more details of the SSSDP, please visit www.cspe.edu.hk/SSSDP. read more
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, at a media session after officiating at the opening ceremony of the 51st Joint School Science Exhibition today (August 22): Reporter: But… read more
The Innovation and Technology Commission today (August 22) launched the Technology Talent Scheme to nurture and bring together more technology talent on a pilot basis for five years. There are two initiatives under the scheme – the Postdoctoral Hub programme and the Reindustrialisation and Technology Training Programme (RTTP).
The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, said, “Talent is a key factor in the global innovation and technology race. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been taking a proactive approach to attracting and nurturing top-notch talent and building a critical talent pool required for driving innovation and technology. Following the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, we are introducing the Technology Talent Scheme to subsidise research institutions and enterprises to recruit talent to carry out research and development activities, and train their existing staff to apply advanced technology for adding value to their businesses. We encourage employers to make good use of the scheme.”
The Postdoctoral Hub programme provides funding support to recipients of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) as well as incubatees and innovation and technology tenants of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, to recruit up to two postdoctoral talents for research and development work. The ITF will provide a monthly allowance of $32,000 for each postdoctoral talent for up to 24 months. The talents concerned must possess a doctoral degree in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related discipline from either a local university or a well-recognised non-local institution, i.e. one among the top 100 institutions in STEM-related subjects in world university rankings such as the QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The RTTP subsidises local companies on a 2:1 matching basis to train their staff in advanced technologies, especially those related to Industry 4.0. The RTTP is administered by the Vocational Training Council. The trainee must be a Hong Kong permanent resident and employed by a non-government and non-subvented local enterprise.
To implement the measures announced in the Chief Executive’s 2017 Policy Address, $500 million was earmarked under the ITF to launch the Technology Talent Scheme.
More information on the Technology Talent Scheme is available on the ITF website (www.itf.gov.hk). For enquiries, please contact the ITF Secretariat (Tel: 3655 5678; email: enquiry@itf.gov.hk). read more
Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (August 22). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Giving Love Elderly Charitable Limited; in Kowloon, Kwun Tong Methodist Social Service; and in the New Territories, Pok Oi Hospital, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.
Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people distinguish between the three flag-selling activities.
Information on the three flag-selling organisations on August 22 is as follows:
| Region | Name of Organisation | Colour of Collection Bag | Colour of Flag |
| Hong Kong Island | Giving Love Elderly Charitable Limited | Yellow | Yellow |
| Kowloon | Kwun Tong Methodist Social Service | Green | Light Blue |
| New Territories | Pok Oi Hospital | Red | White |