Latest news with #InformationServicesDepartment
RTHK
3 days ago
- Business
- RTHK
Education key to innovation and talent development: FS
Education key to innovation and talent development: FS Paul Chan said he invited more than a dozen elementary school students to explore a newly launched "Hong Kong Tech Showcase" pop-up zone during this year's boaul Chan said he invited more thaok fair. Photo courtesy of Information Services Department Financial Secretary Paul Chan said technological innovation and youth talent development are intrinsically linked, with education playing a key role in the relationship. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan said he invited more than a dozen elementary school students to explore a newly launched "Hong Kong Tech Showcase" pop-up zone at the ongoing book fair. The exhibition features cutting-edge innovations across education, health, sports and food sectors. The finance chief said the goal was to ignite students' curiosity by giving them firsthand experience with technology development and application, potentially opening doors to deeper scientific and technological learning. "In this era of rapid technological changes, talent must possess keen intuition and curiosity, the ability to quickly understand new things and a strong commitment to continuous learning and research," he said. "More importantly, they must have the courage to try, the willingness to innovate and the resilience to face failure." Chan also said that he recently spoke with a group of young people at Science Park, where representatives from startups highlighted several factors that attract them to pursue innovation and technology in Hong Kong. These include the city's investment in technological development, support for startups, and a diverse and inclusive environment that attracts global talent and strong connections to the Greater Bay Area market and production base. "This year, the internship programme at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks received a record of more than 5,000 applications. Ultimately, only 450 people were accepted. Among them, two-thirds of the interns come from the top 50 universities in the world, including leading institutions in Europe and the United States, while nearly 30 percent are international students," he said. "This clearly reflects the international attractiveness of Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem." The finance chief added that the expanding tech sector will provide Hong Kong's youth with diverse, high-quality career pathways, empowering them to realise their ambitions and achieve their dreams.
RTHK
5 days ago
- Climate
- RTHK
Govt holds meeting to prepare for incoming storm
Govt holds meeting to prepare for incoming storm Chief Secretary Eric Chan chairs a meeting of the steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons. Photo courtesy of Information Services Department Authorities on Friday said preparations across government departments are underway as Tropical Storm Wipha edges closer to Hong Kong. Chief Secretary Eric Chan chaired a meeting of the steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons, during which he coordinated preparatory works. One of the measures would see the Security Bureau set up an emergency monitoring and support centre if the Signal No 8 is issued. Emergency teams like the Fire Services Department, Police, Civil Aid Service, and Auxiliary Medical Service are also fully prepared and on standby in case of emergencies. The Transport Department will continue to operate a round-the-clock emergency transport coordination centre to monitor traffic and update the public on any disruptions. Meanwhile, the Drainage Services Department has surveyed and cleared about 240 flood-prone spots and deployed up to 180 emergency personnel city-wide.
RTHK
16-07-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Books on President Xi's thoughts rolled out
Books on President Xi's thoughts rolled out Chief Executive John Lee says the three books give the people of Hong Kong a better understanding of the spirits of President Xi Jinping's thoughts on culture. Photo courtesy of Information Services Department Chief Executive John Lee attended a book launch on Wednesday, featuring the rolling out of the traditional Chinese version of three important books on President Xi Jinping's thoughts and ideas. Speaking at the ceremony, Lee said the three books, which recorded major speeches by Xi on the country's education and cultural development, laid the foundation and action guide for promoting cultural prosperity and building a nation that is strong in education. "The release of the traditional Chinese edition of the three key books in Hong Kong vividly showcases the achievements of cultural development in the new era, providing the Hong Kong public with a more comprehensive understanding of the spirits of Xi Jinping's thoughts on culture," Lee said. The director of the liaison office in Hong Kong, Zhou Ji, and the chairman of Bauhinia Culture Group, Xu Zhengzhong, also attended the ceremony.
RTHK
09-07-2025
- Climate
- RTHK
Advance preparations made for inclement weather
Advance preparations made for inclement weather Chief Secretary Eric Chan chaired a meeting of the steering committee on handling extreme weather on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Information Services Department. Chief Secretary Eric Chan has ordered government bureaus and departments to make preparations ahead of expected heavy rain and thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday. He chaired a meeting of the steering committee on handling extreme weather on Wednesday, after the Observatory has warned of inclement weather when tropical cyclone Danas approaches the region. Danas, now over Fujian, will enter Guangdong on Thursday. While the tropical cyclone will weaken gradually, an active southwest monsoon to its south may bring severe weather to the territory. The Drainage Services Department had inspected about 240 locations at risk of flooding, making sure there were no blockages. A total of 180 emergency response teams will also inspect and clear blocked drains across Hong Kong. The Highways Department will make sure flood warning systems installed at vulnerable road tunnels and pedestrian subways function properly. These include the Kwun Tong Road Underpass, and subways along Shing Mun River in Sha Tin and Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po. District Offices have initiated relevant response measures, including coordinating with other departments and organisations to enhance preparedness. The Security Bureau's Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre will be fully activated from 5pm on Thursday to monitor the situation in the city. The Transport Department will closely monitor road conditions, while the Education Bureau will announce as early as possible arrangements for primary six students reporting to their allocated secondary schools.
RTHK
08-07-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Northern Link main and spur lines to debut together
Northern Link main and spur lines to debut together The government and the MTR Corporation sign an agreement on the Northern Link project. Photo: Information Services Department The government said the Northern Link Spur Line rail project will be completed sooner than expected. Officials said the Northern Link is a key transport infrastructure of Hong Kong's future development, as it would become 'the public transportation backbone' in the Northern Metropolis. In addition to the main line, the cross-boundary spur line will connect the metro networks of the SAR and Shenzhen, as well as the new Huanggang Port. A government spokesman said in a statement that authorities are taking 'a holistic planning and staged implementation strategy', by combining the main and spur lines as one project for planning, to achieve synergies and realise cost savings. "Adopting a result-oriented mindset, we would improve the construction efficiency through adopting railway-related mainland standards, practices and resources, substantially bringing forward the planning of the Northern Link Spur Line. The target is to commission the Northern Link Spur Line together with the Northern Link Main Line by 2034 or earlier, which is about two years earlier than what was originally envisaged," he said. The chief executive in council on Tuesday approved the financial arrangement for part one of the Northern Link, due for completion in 2034. The Transport and Logistics Bureau signed an agreement with the MTR Corporation, and the capital cost of the project is estimated at about HK$31.4 billion. The rail company was also granted 10 plots of land including sites at Kam Sheung Road Station, Fanling North, Kwu Tung North and San Tin, for residential and commercial development under the 'Rail-plus-Property' model. The government said a total of HK$39.05 billion would be deducted from the full market value land premium of the sites assessed on a 'with-railway' basis in future, to support the building of the Northern Link. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on social media that the government will work with the rail firm to lower the cost of the project, while speeding up construction. The government said works "that are more ready and time-critical" will begin immediately. The MTR Corportaion is also required to carry out the detailed planning and design of the spur line, including statutory procedures relating to the environmental impact assessment and railway scheme gazettal, and strive for finish the procedures as early as possible.
