Celebrating Finnish Independence: Hong Kong's Commitment to Education and Cultural Collaboration

2024-12-06 19:22 Last Updated At：21:18

Speech by Acting CS at Independence Day of Finland Reception

Following is the speech by the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at the Independence Day of Finland Reception today (December 6):

Consul General (Mr Timo Kantola),Deputy Commissioner Fang Jianming (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), ladies and gentlemen,

Hyvää iltaa. In case some of you do not have the faintest idea what I was trying to say in Finnish, here is the English translation – good evening. Hello everyone, I am delighted to join you at this reception to celebrate Finnish Independence Day.

Congratulations to our friends from Finland on your country's many achievements during your 107 years of independence. Today, Finland is one of the happiest, healthiest, safest, greenest and best-educated places on Earth.

Despite our geographical and cultural differences, I am pleased to say that Finland and Hong Kong enjoy strong collaboration, notably in areas that put both places at the top end of the United Nations Human Development Index.

One such area is education. With a well-developed web of 54international schools and five universities that ranked in the world's top 100, Hong Kong prides itself on being a premier education hub in Asia. Finnish education is so creative and successful that this time last year, the Education University of Hong Kong established a Global Research Institute for Finnish Education. Through this initiative, we can better understand Finland's pioneering education system and integrate research findings into educational development. Closer links with Finnish institutions will also enable us to advance education and tackle challenges from a global perspective. I look forward to seeing the research outcome by the Global Research Institute for Finnish Education, which may provide useful insight into building a happier learning environment for our students in Hong Kong.

To attract more talent to Hong Kong to support our economic and other developments, we have a Top Talent Pass Scheme under which graduates of 200 universities worldwide can be admitted to settle here. The University of Helsinki is on the list of eligible universities and we have indeed approved applications made by its graduates. We certainly would love to see more Finnish talent joining the scheme to enrich our pool of talent and our internationalism.

Speaking of talent, I share the Consul General's enthusiasm over the appointment of Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski as the next Music Director of the acclaimed Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil). Although he will only take up the new role in the 2026/27 season, Maestro Peltokoski has already won the hearts of local audiences with his performances here on several previous occasions. Under his baton, we can look forward to the further success of the HK Phil as a flagship brand of our city.

I take delight in tellingthe Consul General and the guests in this room that the number of visitors from Finland to Hong Kong is returning to pre-pandemic levels. In the first 10 months of this year, we received around 9500 visitors from Finland, compared to 8 300 for the whole of last year. I am optimistic that this number will continue to go up, after the Central Authority's recent introduction of 15-day visa-free travel to the Mainland for residents of Finland and other Nordic countries.

In fact, we are eagerly anticipating the visit later this month of Finland’s best-known resident! Yes, Santa Claus is preparing to leave his Lapland home for his annual round-the-world-trip to deliver Christmas gifts to the young and the young-at-heart!

On this note, I wish our Finnish friends a memorable Independence Day and a very enjoyable festive season. Thank you.

4000 Graduates Celebrate Success at Strive and Rise Programme Ceremony in Kai Tak Arena

2025-01-12 20:18 Last Updated At：21:08

Government, business sector and community witness mentees' achievements in second graduation ceremony of Strive and Rise Programme (with photos/video)

The Graduation Ceremony of the Strive and Rise Programme (Second Cohort 2023-24) was held at the Kai Tak Arena today (January 12), where 4000 graduates of the second cohort not only showcased their learning achievements to representatives from the Government, the business sector and the community but also expressed their gratitude to the mentors who have long been providing care and support for them.

The ceremony was officiated by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Director of Social Welfare, Miss Charmaine Lee; and the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Alice Cheung, also attended to witness the graduation of the mentees.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan expressed gratitude for the staunch support from different sectors of the community, which has contributed to the successful implementation of the second cohort of the Programme. He said that the second cohort has been a huge success. The number of Mainland study and exchange tours organised has increased to 19, covering not only neighbouring Shenzhen and Zhuhai but also places much farther away, such as Sichuan, Yunnan and Hangzhou, which greatly enhances mentees' understanding of the country's development and achievements in different fields.

Mr Chan also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the mentors for their support and selfless dedication to the Programme, which has helped mentees broaden their horizons, reinforce self-confidence, and develop a positive outlook on life. He said that the Programme enables the mentees to strive for excellence. Some of those who joined the first cohort have already become youth leaders of the Alumni Club. The confidence and ability they displayed in planning and organising activities have fully demonstrated the immense benefits they have gained from the Programme. He encouraged graduates to carry forward the knowledge and skills obtained from the Programme to strive for success and improvement.

The successful implementation of the Programme relies on support from the business sector and the community in response to the Government's appeal for donations and funding, as well as the provision of diverse group activities and the nomination of mentors for mentees. Awards were presented to strategic partners, star mentors, and supporting organisations at the ceremony in recognition of their contributions to the Programme. In addition, more than 150 mentors were awarded at the ceremony for their time and active participation in the Programme and for their selfless care for mentees, enabling them to thrive and grow.

Among the graduates of the second cohort of the Programme, 150 mentees were awarded for their active participation and outstanding improvements. Performances by mentees, including band shows, singing, dancing and sand art, were also featured at the ceremony to showcase their achievements, energy and confidence to the audience.

The Strive and Rise Alumni Club was established last year to provide graduates with diverse social activities and job-tasting opportunities. At the ceremony, two alumni shared what they have gained from the Alumni Club and their job-tasting experiences, and encouraged graduates to actively participate in relevant activities. Videos featuring the feelings and thoughts of mentors and mentees about their participation in the Programme were also shown at the ceremony, during which mentees took the opportunity to express heartfelt gratitude to their mentors.

The Strive and Rise Programme is formulated and implemented by an interdepartmental task force led by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Through tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, the Programme provides focused support for Secondary One to Secondary Four students from underprivileged families. The soon-to-start third cohort of the Programme will enhance training for mentors and encourage youth leaders from the Alumni Club to organise more activities to foster self‑development, thereby sustaining the spirit of the Programme and maximising its effectiveness.

Celebrating Finnish Independence: Hong Kong's Commitment to Education and Cultural Collaboration

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Celebrating Finnish Independence: Hong Kong's Commitment to Education and Cultural Collaboration

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