Committee on Education, Technology and Talents convenes first meeting
The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address the establishment of the Committee on Education, Technology and Talents. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the first meeting today (December 13). The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and Permanent Secretaries or representatives of the three bureaux attended the meeting.
In the meeting, the Committee discussed the work plan on promoting Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent, targeting the manpower demand of Hong Kong’s strategic positioning of "eight centres". The Committee will adopt the following three major strategic directions to enhance the system, aggregation and synergy of policies, as well as the cross-bureaux co-ordination in the work on promoting integrated development of education, technology, and talent:
(1) Attract high-quality innovation and technology (I&T) talent, lead the I&T sector in revamping its positioning and planning, and develop into an international I&T hub linking the Mainland and the rest of the world by leveraging the development of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Co-operation Zone);
(2) Establish an international education hub to build and promote the "Study in Hong Kong" brand, provide talent support for "eight centres" as well as technologies and innovations; and
(3) Enhance talent admission schemes and talent services in accordance with the changes brought about by the strategic positioning of industries in Hong Kong, attract I&T and leading talent that are conducive to the development of the country, as well as resolving issues supporting the education of children of incoming talent.
The Committee agreed to focus on following up and implementing these key areas of work in the coming year, with a view to enhancing the system interface in the short term:
enhance the General Employment Policy and the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals by allowing a specified number of young and experienced non-degree talent with relevant professional and technical skills to apply for entry into Hong Kong to join the skilled trades facing acute manpower shortage;
introduce a mechanism under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme to actively invite top-notch talent to come to Hong Kong for development and promote Hong Kong as the focal point of international high-calibre talent;
review the Technology Talent Admission Scheme to tie in with the I&T development of Hong Kong;
seize the opportunity brought by the commencement of operation of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Co-operation Zone next year, and leverage various initiatives conducive to the development of upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the I&T ecosystem to fully realise the notion of attracting talent with industries; and
review the prevailing Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates and education matters of dependents who are children of incoming talent through talent admission schemes.
Mr Chan said, "In formulating the macro policy directions for education, technology and talent, the Committee will build on the strategic positioning and advantages of the "eight centres" and make holistic plans to strategise talent chains, innovation chains, industrial chains and capital chains to drive technological innovation, industrial innovation and the co-ordinated development of human resource supply and demand, while flexibly introducing and gathering specialised talent of various sectors to build an international hub for high-calibre talent for contributing to the high-quality development of Hong Kong and the country and accelerating the advancement of Chinese modernisation."
The terms of reference and membership of the Committee are set out in the Annex.
Committee on Education, Technology and Talents convenes first meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Committee on Education, Technology and Talents convenes first meeting Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million
Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Hong Kong International Airport and Yau Ma Tei respectively on April 1 and yesterday (April 2), and seized a total of about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with a total estimated market value of about $3.4 million. Two persons suspected to be connected with the cases were arrested.
In the first case, a 43-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand on April 1. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.1 kilograms of suspected ketamine concealed inside food packaging in his baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.
In the second case, during an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Yau Ma Tei on April 2, Customs officers intercepted a 41-year-old man and later escorted him to a hotel room nearby for a search and seized about 1.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine, about 1.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, a drug inhaling apparatus and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia. The man was subsequently arrested.
The arrested persons have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively and will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (April 4).
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $3.4 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
