Dear members

One Team, One Goal

I would like to express my utmost gratitude for the trust and support I have received that has made me President of the HKIE today. It is my great honour to take the helm and steer the course of the transformation of the Institution across the Time to Change Roadmap, which was so timely launched by our Immediate Past President, Ir Edwin CHUNG. 

“We Are Proud to Be Engineers” - the theme of this Session - essentially summarises the main takeaway I wish for you all. I still remember the one thing that sparked my interest in engineering and later firmed up my vision for my career was a photomontage of the amazing Tsing Ma Bridge published in “Hong Kong Engineer” in my school age. From the moment I saw this mighty structure and all it signified for Hong Kong, our citizens and the city’s future, I made up my mind that I wanted to make my career serving society with practical and high-quality infrastructure that would benefit our city and people living in it. Looking back after some 30 years, I can firmly tell you that that little butterfly had flapped its wings and led me to the right path in my life career.

We all have our own reasons for becoming engineers. Whether your vision is to help develop the city, or your interest lies in tackling challenging problems, or simply in seeking rewarding job, we are all different. But I appeal to you all to remember not only the personal “why” behind your original motivation to become an engineer, but also the “why” behind the work you do itself. It is this latter “why” that we all have in common as engineers. What we do is right at the heart of society’s advancement. As long as we keep this in mind, I am confident that you will continue to feel passionate about your job; work with integrity, heart and diligence; and be proud of what you give to society as a professional engineer.

The reason I put this at the core of my presidency is the pressing demand from the community, calling for competent engineering professionals to support Hong Kong’s long-term development. By feeling proud and valuing what you do and believing in what you can do for society, you become the best ambassador to the public for our profession. When we are all in this together, we are able to uplift the image of the engineering profession as a whole, which is one of the crucial steps to breaking the vicious circle that hampers the sustainable development of our industry and helps attract the next generation to contribute their engineering talent for the growth of our city.

In this Session, we will embark on a series of actions to foster visibility of the engineering profession; contribute to society with a long-term vision; nurture future competent engineers; and increase recognition of our professional status. Initiatives will include video campaigns and stories in the papers or social media, school outreach programmes, and research and studies. While more details will be shared when firmed up, you may first mark your calendar for “Hong Kong Engineers Week” in March 2023, a key event to raise recognition of engineers. Stay tuned for news about the event and the associated activities.

I delivered a speech in my inauguration at the AGM and you may refer to it at here.

Let’s gather our energy to create a powerful Spirit Bomb 元 氣 彈 that demolishes every obstacle and hits the target!

Ir Aaron BOK Kwok-ming
President
The HKIE