The Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust have approved a donation of HK$150 million to support the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF), with The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) as the strategic partner, in launching the three-year Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project. A launch ceremony for the project, which aims to nurture a pool of talented youngsters with a passion for innovation and technology (I&T),was held today (3 June) at the China Soong Ching Ling Science and Technology Cultural Exchange Center in Beijing.
Officiating guests included Li Bin, Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation; Lester Huang, IoP Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; Shen Beili, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation; Nong Rong, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, IoP Director and CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Zhang Jiming, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation; and Kenneth Chen, President of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.
Li Bin, Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (centre); Lester Huang, IoP Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (3rd right); Shen Beili, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (3rd left); Nong Rong, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (2nd right); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, IoP Director and CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd left); Zhang Jiming, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (1st left); and Kenneth Chen, President of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (1st right) officiate at the Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project launch ceremony.
Lester Huang, IoP Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, said the National 14th Five-Year Plan indicates clear support for Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology hub, with young people as the key driving force. IoP and the Club are therefore pleased to support the implementation of this project and look forward to seeing young people seize opportunities, strive for learning and innovation, and become future InnoTech leaders.
Lester Huang, IoP Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust delivers a speech at the Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project launch ceremony.
The Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project marks the first strategic collaboration between IoP and CSCLF focused on nurturing talented Hong Kong youngsters in I&T with a national and global perspective. Through an “industry-school-community” collaboration model, the project will leverage CSCLF’s extensive network and advantage in educational research and development to provide insights on Mainland conditions and I&T development. HKFYG, as the strategic partner in Hong Kong, will offer local perspectives on youth development to ensure the programmes meet the needs of Hong Kong students and continuous talent development. This Mainland-Hong Kong collaboration pulls the best resources together to maximise students’ learning experience, foster cultural understanding and share innovative and creative ideas in both places.
Unlike existing youth exchange programmes, participants will undergo a year-long systematic raining journey co-created with leading industry and academic partners focusing on four key themes:artificial intelligence, aerospace and engineering technology, robotics and new energy. The training will have three intensity levels, incorporating activities such as exchange visits, master classes, I&T education toolkit workshops, guidance by Mainland industry experts and in-depth incubation bootcamps. It aims to progressively enhance participants’ interest in I&T, equip them with the ability to apply I&T knowledge into solving real-world problems and identify talented students to participate in national and international exchanges and competitions, such as the Soong Ching Ling Award for Children’s Invention.
Li Bin, Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (back row, centre); Lester Huang, IoP Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (back row, 8th right); Shen Beili, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (back row, 8th left); Nong Rong, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (back row, 7th right); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, IoP Director and CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (back row, 7th left); Ann Kung, IoP Deputy Chairman and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (back row, 6th right); Zhang Jiming, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (back row, 6th left); Dr Eric Li, IoP Director (back row, 5th right); Dr Rosanna Wong, IoP Director (back row, 5th left); Raymond Tam, IoP Director and Executive Director, Corporate Affairs of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (back row, 4th right); Dr Gabriel Leung, IoP Director and Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (back row, 4th left);Chen Dongsheng, Deputy Director, Department of Extracurricular Education and TrainingSupervision of the Ministry of Education (back row, 1st right); Kenneth Chen, President of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (back row, 3th right); Yang Caihong, Deputy Director, Youth Science and Technology Center of the China Association for Science and Technology back row, (1st left) and other guests.
Upon completion of the training programme, secondary school students aspiring to enter the I&T industry will be well equipped with an enhanced competitive edge, creating a pool of vocational talent with both national and global perspectives and providing multiple pathways for Hong Kong youth.The project will also provide professional training, customised teaching and learning toolkits, and an exchange platform for educators to enhance their teaching capabilities. Overall, the project is expected to benefit over 2,000 young I&T talents with a sense of national pride and enhance the teaching skills of around 500 I&T teachers.
As a not-for-profit sports and charity organisation rooted in Hong Kong for 140 years, the Club has a unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong. Under the banner “With You. Then. Now. Always.” the Club is organising a series of celebratory initiatives to mark its 140th anniversary and to recognise Hong Kong people’s contribution to its mission, which is act continuously for the betterment of society. For more information,visit https://campaign.hkjc.com/140/en/.
