President's Message (1 March 2024)

Dear members

At long last, the Hong Kong Engineers Week 2024 (HKEW 2024) is in plain sight.  First in line in its programme is the Carnival from 1 to 3 March, and it works nicely as a starter because of the fun and edifications it promises to deliver:  Apart from interactive booths that illuminate on engineers’ work, we have in store music, dance, magic show, freestyle football, and other live performances for your entertainment.  If you can spare some free time, come join us at Harbourside Lawn in West Kowloon Cultural District.  You will not be disappointed.

For engineering students planning their way forward, the HKEW 2024 has something to offer as well.  I am referring, of course, to the career fairs held under its banner all over town this month.  We have secured the participation of around 60 companies, which will, at different tertiary institutions, connect these workforce newbies with career opportunities.  The when and where of these fairs: IVE Tsing Yi on the 4th, PolyU SPEED on the 5th, CityU on the 8th, CUHK on 12-13th, PolyU on 19th, and HKU on 21st.

Meanwhile in February, we continue our work to advocate a more favourable climate for the profession.  This we tried to do, this time, by inviting some media representatives to sit down with us in an informal gathering on the first day of the month to go over our recommendations for the 2024-25 Budget.  We made sure to communicate our belief that what we recommended, if adopted, will help engineers and the engineering industry to realise their full potentials.  The overwhelming response received by the gathering made us hopeful of getting our stances across to the public.

I was also privileged to be invited, in early February, to a unique sharing session organised by the Buildings Department (BD) for our young members.  At EngHub, senior officials from BD, including Ms Clarice YU (Director of Buildings), chatted and exchanged ideas with our members in Structural, Buildings, and Civil Disciplines.  The topics discussed ranged from building plan submissions to BD’s role as a “facilitator” of industry practitioners.  The relaxed atmosphere made the dialogue livelier and much more interactive than it would otherwise have been.

Another knowledge-sharing activity is coming right up.  On 18 March, we will be holding the fourth session of the President Forum Series.  This time around, we will be diving into how an aircraft is made and certified, focusing in particular on the certification of the home-grown C919.  I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but as an engineer whose interests tend to branch out all over the place, aviation topics have always held up as an inexhaustible source of fascination for me.  If you are like me—as I suspect you are—reserve for yourself a place at https://shorturl.at/zOVW7.  

Not to be forgotten, of course, is our Annual Dinner on 15 March, which will be a real occasion for celebration as we honour the recipients of Honorary Fellow, Gold Medal, President’s Award, Young Engineer of the Year Award, and Grand Award in the Prize Presentation Ceremony.  I can’t wait to have a chat with all of you there.