Exploring innovations in vocational education and training in germany: a study visit by sed
The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, visited Frankfurt, Germany, on April 21 and 22 (Frankfurt time) to learn about the local developments in vocational and professional education and training (VPET).
On April 22 (Frankfurt time), Dr Choi visited the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, one of the largest universities of applied sciences (UAS) in Germany, and exchanged views with its President, Professor Dr Arnd Steinmetz, on VPET developments. She also learned about how the University ensures that its programmes keep pace with the times to meet the manpower needs of industries and gain recognition from enterprises.
She said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been promoting VPET through the strategy of fostering industry-institution collaboration and diversified development under a multipronged approach. Related measures include proactively pressing ahead with the establishment of UAS. The HKSAR Government announced last month that the Hong Kong Metropolitan University has become the first UAS in Hong Kong. It has also granted a start-up fund of $100 million to support UAS and prospective post-secondary institutions to form an alliance of UAS for joint promotion, including networking and collaboration with leading UAS overseas.
On the afternoon of the same day, Dr Choi met the Managing Director, Training and Further Education, Vocational Training Committee of the Frankfurt am Main Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Brigitte Scheuerle, to know about how the chamber, as one of the largest chambers of commerce and industry in Germany, promotes VPET and relevant education work.
On April 21 (Frankfurt time), Dr Choi met Hong Kong youngsters working in Germany and learned about their life there. She also shared with them the latest developments in Hong Kong.
Dr Choi will return to Hong Kong on April 23 (Frankfurt time).
SED visits Germany to learn about local developments in vocational and professional education and training Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SED visits Germany to learn about local developments in vocational and professional education and training Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SED visits Germany to learn about local developments in vocational and professional education and training Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SED visits Germany to learn about local developments in vocational and professional education and training Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
High-level meeting with japanese officials: urgent concerns over fukushima's nuclear contaminated water discharge
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, met the Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Takahashi Mitsuo, and the Consul-General of Japan in Hong Kong, Mr Kenichi Okada, today (May 3) upon request and discussed about the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water in Japan.
Mr Tse reiterated at the meeting that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has come to the view that there is currently no guarantee from the Japanese authorities that their purification and dilution system can operate continuously and effectively in the long term, and that the discharge will not pose any potential risks to food safety and marine ecology. Safeguarding food safety and public health in Hong Kong is the responsibility of the HKSAR Government, thus corresponding precautionary measures must be taken. The HKSAR Government will closely monitor developments of the discharge, so as to obtain more monitoring and scientific data in order to further examine the impact of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water discharge on food safety, and keep under review relevant counter measures. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
In response to the Japanese Government's earlier decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear PowerStation into the sea, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.For other aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed from Japan that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
Besides, all vegetables, fruits, milk, milk beverages and dried milk originating from Fukushima are banned from importing into Hong Kong while such foods originating from the four prefectures nearby Fukushima, i.e. Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma, are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate and an exporter certificate issued by the Japanese authority. Chilled or frozen game, meat and poultry, and poultry eggs originating from the above five prefectures are allowed to be imported on the condition that they are accompanied with a radiation certificate issued by the Japanese authority which shows the radiation levels do not exceed the guideline levels of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Source: AI-generated images
