Hong Kong Customs today (November 2) held the "Customs YES" Summer Internship Programme 2023 Certificate Presentation Ceremony and Sharing Session at the Customs Headquarters Building. The event was attended by representatives from supporting organisations, representatives from various formations of Customs, and interns. 

     The Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, presented certificates of appreciation and certificates of internship to the representatives of the supporting organisations and "Customs YES" members respectively. In his speech, Mr Chan said that Hong Kong Customs has been organising the Summer Internship Programme for three consecutive years, and, for the first time, expanded the programme to cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) this year, offering a total of 117 local and GBA internship positions and attracting nearly 500 applications from youngsters. The success of the programme relies on the support of various business partners of Customs who provide internship opportunities in a wide range of industries for the members.

     During the sharing session, Mr Chan interacted with the guests and especially encouraged young people to seize opportunities to participate in internship programmes. Also, he expressed his hope that enterprises would offer different internship placements to young people, allowing them to fully demonstrate their talents.

     In the coming year, Customs will collaborate with business partners to provide more local and GBA summer internship positions to youngsters, so as to provide them with valuable work experience, broaden their horizons, and increase their understanding of opportunities brought by the speedy development of the country.

          

     In his Policy Address this year, the Chief Executive has proposed to advance the development of digital government, and collaborate with Guangdong Province to promote the Cross-boundary Public Services initiative. The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, and Deputy Secretary General of the People's Government of Guangdong Province Mr Xu Dianhui co-chaired the ceremony for promulgation of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Cross-boundary Public Services Co-operation Achievements today (November 2). The ceremony also announced the simultaneous launch of the Cross-boundary Public Services service area/thematic website of Guangdong and Hong Kong, which will enable residents and enterprises in Hong Kong and Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area to access public services of the two places online anytime without the need for cross-boundary travel in person.

     Professor Sun said, "With the development of digital government and smart cities, Hong Kong and Guangdong have started a new chapter of co-operation in the provision of government services. After more than two years of close co-ordination, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government have overcome the challenges brought by the epidemic and realised the bilateral connection of public services between the two places. The governments of both places will uphold the spirit of 'facilitating the public and enterprises' and continue to enhance the implementation of the Cross-boundary Public Services initiative, so as to give impetus to the socio-economic development of Hong Kong and Guangdong, and to make new and greater contributions to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as the building of a digital government platform for the country."

     During the ceremony, Professor Sun and Mr Xu witnessed the signing of the "Co-operation Agreement between Guangdong and the HKSAR on Cross-boundary Public Services" by the Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, and member of the Leading Party Group of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data Mr Wei Wentao, to deepen the co-operation in government services between the two places.

     Officiating guests at today's ceremony also included the Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, Mr Yang Pengfei; the Director-General of Information Centre of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Dr Hao Yinxing; the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Tony Wong; and the Commissioner for Efficiency, Miss Patricia So.

     With the launch of the first batch of more than 50 Cross-boundary Public Services in each of the two places, Hong Kong residents or Mainland residents living in Hong Kong can use the public services in the nine Mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, covering areas such as admission of talent, employment and business start-up, elderly services, tax declaration and business operation, etc. The HKSAR Government has also consolidated the public services of nine government bureaux/departments in areas such as taxation, company registration, property and vehicle enquiry and registration, personal identification documents, and application for entry of talents, welfare, education, medical and health services, etc, for use by Mainland residents or Hong Kong residents living in Guangdong. The types of services and related information are listed on the thematic website (crossboundaryservices.gov.hk), which also provides a link to Guangdong's Cross-boundary Public Services service area.

     Apart from setting up dedicated service area/thematic website for Cross-boundary Public Services, the governments of the HKSAR and Guangdong have also introduced other Cross-boundary Public Services facilitation measures, including:
 

• Through the connection between iAM Smart and the Unified Identity Authentication Platform of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong residents can log in directly to the Guangdong Provincial Administrative Service website and the "Yue Sheng Shi" mobile app through iAM Smart to enjoy a wide range of Guangdong's public services in a more convenient and efficient manner;

• Set up iAM Smart registration service counters in Guangzhou and Shenzhen Qianhai to help Hong Kong citizens residing or working on the Mainland to register for iAM Smart;

• Set up Cross-boundary Public Services kiosks in Hong Kong to facilitate public access to Guangdong's public services.

     Moreover, the HKSAR Government also plans to roll out the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks in Guangzhou by the first quarter of 2024, and gradually cover the nine Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to further enable the public there to access Hong Kong's public services.

     In order to implement the State Council's Guiding Opinions to all provincial governments on Cross-provincial Public Services and their comprehensive deployment, the HKSAR Government accepted the invitation of the People's Government of Guangdong Province in 2021 to jointly launch the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cross-boundary Public Services, so as to enable enterprises and the public in both regions to enjoy simple and convenient cross-boundary services, with a view to facilitating the provision of public services and investment in the GBA, and enhancing the satisfaction and sense of contentment of enterprises and the public in accessing services across the boundary.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
 
     The Research Grants Council (RGC) today (November 2) held an award presentation ceremony to honour 87 academics from the eight University Grants Committee-funded universities for their distinguished research achievements and significant contributions to the higher education sector.
 
     Among the awardees, 70 came from the fourth cohort of the RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme, RGC Research Fellow Scheme and RGC Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme, and another 17 outstanding researchers received awards under the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme and Early Career Scheme. A full list of the awardees is in the Annex.
 
     Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that Hong Kong had emerged from the disruptive impact of the COVID pandemic and resumed normalcy. The Government is sparing no effort on all fronts to propel Hong Kong to become the "eight centres" under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, and deepen the co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The academic excellence of the local universities is part of Hong Kong's good story. A strong talent pool is the key to sustaining Hong Kong's leading edge in its areas of strength and reaching its goals successfully.
 
     "In 'The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address', we are delighted that the number of award places under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme will be commensurately raised from 300 to 400 by phases in the coming exercises. This will enable us to attract more of the world's best and brightest students to come, and to grow and develop the research talent pool within universities in Hong Kong so as to build the next generation of top-notch researchers for Hong Kong," Dr Choi added.
 
     Also officiating at the ceremony, the RGC Chairman, Professor Wong Yuk-shan, congratulated the awardees for their accomplishments and expressed appreciation for the Government's support for increasing the number of award places under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme to expand Hong Kong’s research talent pool.
 
     "The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme has been successful in attracting the best and brightest students in the world to pursue their research-based PhD programmes in our universities since 2010/11. The dynamism of these outstanding students, with diverse cultural backgrounds, has enriched the educational and research experiences of all other students, which would definitely continue to be beneficial to the higher education sector by better preparing us for the new challenges arising from globalisation," he said.
 
    Recipients of the awards were selected through a rigorous process by RGC selection panels. Their award citations are available on the RGC website (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/events/).

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (November 2) investigating a case of severe paediatric influenza A infection and reminded the community to heighten vigilance against influenza. The 2023/24 seasonal influenza vaccination programmes have started and the CHP appealed to members of the public to receive free seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) to better protect themselves in the coming influenza season.

     The case involves a 21-month-old baby girl with good past health. She developed fever and runny nose on October 30. Due to worsening symptoms, she was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit of Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment on the same day. Her respiratory specimen was positive for influenza A (H3) virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza A infection complicated with shock. Her condition improved after treatment and she is now in stable condition.

     Initial enquiries by the CHP revealed that the patient had no travel history during the incubation period. Her home contacts are currently asymptomatic. The CHP's investigations are ongoing.

     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Influenza can cause serious illnesses in high-risk individuals and even healthy persons. SIV is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications, as well as reducing influenza-related hospitalisation and death. SIV is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above except those with known contraindications. Persons at higher risk of getting influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children, should receive SIV early. As it takes about two weeks to develop antibodies, members of the public are advised to receive SIV early for protection against seasonal influenza. Please see details of the vaccination schemes on the CHP's website."

     A person who gets influenza and COVID-19 at the same time may be more seriously ill and would have a higher risk of death. It is important to receive both SIV and COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, in particular for children and elderly persons residing in the community or residential care homes. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses and note the following:
 

• Surgical masks can prevent transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
• For high-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised), wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Avoid touching one's eyes, mouth and nose;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

     
     â€‹The public may visit the CHP's influenza page and weekly COVID-19 & Flu Express for more information.

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) is supporting the 2023 Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival Hong Kong Screening Week from October 29 to November 7, showcasing three Hong Kong films across major cities in Australia to promote the film industry in Hong Kong.

     With support from Create Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, three Hong Kong films, namely "Back Home", "Over My Dead Body" and "Vital Sign", are being screened in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

     Sydney ETO hosted a reception in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday (November 1) and on October 29 respectively before the screenings of "Over My Dead Body" and "Back Home", with a view to facilitating exchanges between the filming industry in Hong Kong and Australia. Some 100 guests across the filming, cultural, government, business and media sectors attended the receptions in the two cities to learn about the vibrant productions of Hong Kong.

     Addressing the audience, the Director of the Sydney ETO, Miss Trista Lim, said, "Hong Kong has always been a fertile ground for cultural and creative industries, and the Government is determined to realise the positioning of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as supported under the 14th Five-Year Plan."

     Miss Lim also highlighted the initiatives announced in "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" on promoting filming and creative industries, notably the injection of HK$4.3 billion to the Film Development Fund and the CreateSmart Initiative, as well as the launch of the Filming Financing Scheme for Mainland Market and the Hong Kong-Europe-Asian Film Collaboration Funding Scheme.

     The Director of "Back Home", Nate Ki, and the Director of "Over My Dead Body", Ho Cheuk-tin, participated in the question and answer (Q&A) sessions in person after the screenings to share with local audiences the making of the movies. The Director of "Vital Sign", Cheuk Wan-chi, will also take part in online Q&A sessions.