yhk 7 1 exploring options work and study in hong kong and the mainland

YouthVolume 5 Number 4December 2013a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups

H O N G K O N GYouth

Volume 7 Number 1 March 2015a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups

H O N G K O N G

Exploring optionsWork and study in Hong Kong and the Mainland

YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

EDITORIAL BOARD

Rosanna Wong

Elaine Morgan (Editor)

Ada Chau (Assistant Editor)

Angela Ngai

Lakshmi Jacotă

William Chung

Henry Poon

CIRCULATION (unaudited)

11,000-12,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas

VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher

REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited

INTERVIEWS

Elaine Morgan

Ada Chau

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

Henry Lui

Lee Chi-kwong

Crystal Hung

Jimmy Chu

Julia Liu

Guo Yuanfang

Joy Pamnani

Clare Wong

Sam Ip

HKFYG unit staff

TRANSLATION

Ada Chau

PHOTOGRAPHS

Acknowledged as captioned, in public domain or Dreamstime

ARTWORK

Sam Suen, DG3

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Contents

Youth Ho n g K o n g

March 2015Volume 7Number 1

6-13INTERVIEWS Andrew LiaoWong Yuk-shanJoe Ngai

14-21YOUTH SPEAK

Cover imageby Jacetan

OVERVIEW4 Exploring options and interconnected opportunitiesINTERVIEWS6 Finding out about One Country, Two Systems Andrew Liao, Senior Counsel9 Flow and counter flow Prof Wong Yuk-shan, Open University12 Nothing ventured, nothing gained Joe Ngai, McKinseyYOUTH SPEAK14 Moving out, moving on, moving back Henry Lui Lee Chi-kwong Julia Liu Guo Yuanfang Crystal Hung Jimmy Chu Joyce and Marco Viola Lam19 Looking forward or not: attitude surveysYOUTH WATCH22 China: land of opportunity? Jennifer LamINTERNETSCOPE 26 Coding: learn it while it’s hot Edmond Hui: LEAD28 Beware the spiral of silence Ho But-lamCULTURE, FOOD & HEALTH30 A taste of classical harp in Tin Shui Wai32 Small changes, new health Joy Pamnani34 Repairing broken smiles Alliance for SmilesPERSPECTIVES36 Indian journey Clare Wong: Educate Girls38 Give them a home Sam Ip CITY SPACE40 Shopping bag sharing William Wong42 Making a difference Carolyn Feeney & HSBC volunteer English teaching in Tin Shui WaiHKFYG45 Ten Thousand Galloping Horses 46 Co Create Hong Kong49 a cappella Festival: anytime, anywhere

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Leaving home to seek one’s fortune is part of the excitement and possibility of youth.

At a time when the numbers of young Hong Kong people on the mainland, and mainland youth in Hong Kong both increase, this issue of Youth Hong Kong looks at cross-border explorations in education, employment and entrepreneurship. While now at a nascent stage, we believe that this tendency will grow more and more as the interconnected future of Hong Kong and the mainland takes hold.

This issue focuses on just one small part of the world but we believe that the trend of young people leaving home and crossing borders to take up their options will continue to gain wider currency in future. What is your experience of interchange and exploration?

Do let us know.

Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP

Executive Director, HKFYG

March 2015

Youth Hong Kong

Editorial March 2015 |

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世界經濟持續發展，人才流動日益增加；愈來愈多青年有機會到外地交流、升學及發展事業。香港跟內地青年的互動、交往便是其中一例。青年要踏出既有的發展空間，開拓新的機遇，必然面對重重困難；但透過不同計劃及相互合作，兩地青年能更容易踏出第一步。今期我們集中探討香港及內地青年在升學、就業、創業方面的交流及發展，並找來青年朋友分享他們的經驗。

In today’s globalized world, it is becoming more apparent that young people who either study or gain work experience away from their home cities or countries are positioning themselves to become more highly valued employees in future: competitive, well-rounded, sometimes multilingual and with a wider perspective.

A recent European study 1 of nearly 80,000 students and businesses shows that “graduates with international experience … are half as likely to experience long-term unemployment compared with those who have not studied or trained abroad and, five years after graduation, their unemployment rate [was] 23% lower.” This fact is not lost on Hong Kong or mainland young people who are increasingly exploring cross-border options, which can result in interconnected opportunities.

Looking at cross-border demographics, it comes as something of a surprise to see that there has not been a consistent and constant cross-border flow of people. The reasons, of course, vary from tangible government immigration quotas to an intangible sense that “home is better.” However, as China continues to grow and develop, and Hong Kong’s reputation as an international finance hub remains, young people seek to take advantage of the relative strengths that exist for employment and higher education on both sides of the border.

Education

There are several channels for Hong Kong students to gain admission to mainland universities.2 The exact number is not known, but some 14,000 Hongkongers were believed to be students there in early 2014.3

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is attracting large numbers of mainland students. Current government policy restricts enrolment of non-local undergraduates to 20% but according to reports,4 the vast majority of them are mainlanders. A March 2015 study of inter-regional student mobility indicates a current landscape with fewer mainland undergraduates in Hong Kong than there are Hong Kong undergraduates on the mainland. However, the position is dramatically reversed for further degree students. (See table).

Exploring Options and Interconnected Opportunities

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000

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Undergraduate Master’s PhD

Mainland students in HK HK students in Mainland

Enrolment of non-local students: Hong Kong / mainland China, 2014

Courtesy of Mr Gong Wan, Director, China Education Exchange (Hong Kong) Centre.

Youth Hong Kong

Overview| March 2015

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Employment

According to a very recent Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre attitudes survey,5 only 33.2% of Hong Kong respondents were willing to seek employment across the border. However, the survey also revealed that those with a higher level of education and anticipated monthly income were more willing to work on the mainland. This is evident in the legal profession where cross-border practice shows that Hong Kong law firms have over 100 representative offices on the mainland, mostly in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.6

The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) has facilitated such arrangements and mainland law firms employ Hong Kong legal practitioners, even if they are not allowed to handle matters of mainland law.7 Outside the professional sector, a report8 by the Planning Department shows that the number of cross-border workers from Hong Kong aged 15 and over who travel over the border at least four times a week, stood at 41,400 in 2014.

Conversely, according to the Immigration Department, cumulative figures for 2003-2013 show that about 80,000 mainland people were working in Hong Kong.9 A government policy gives a one-year grace period after graduation for students seeking employment without a work visa and two years ago, it was estimated that of mainland students who had studied in Hong Kong, nearly half of the undergraduates and 30% of the postgraduates found employment in the city.10

Entrepreneurship

There have also been positive signs of mainland opportunities for young Hong Kong entrepreneurs.

They include setting up an Alibaba HK$1 billion not-for-profit foundation aimed at boosting entrepreneurship among Hong Kong's younger generation.11 According to Jack Ma, the Group’s Executive Chairman, the Alibaba Hong Kong Young Entrepreneurs Foundation will “offer Hong Kong's younger population new opportunities, and help strengthen economic ties between Hong Kong and mainland China. so that [they can] build thriving businesses that will serve as a bridge between Hong Kong and mainland China."

The plan will also see annual internships at Alibaba and other connected businesses allowing 200 students from Hong Kong universities to gain first-hand experience of working in mainland China. Government initiatives in Hong Kong also support mainland internships. Attitudes to these are revealed in a February 2015 Bauhinia Foundation survey.12

Conclusion

Although actual statistics for cross-border study, work and entrepreneurship are as yet incomplete, certain conclusions may still be drawn. First, higher education options across the border are now seen more positively by students from both Hong Kong and the mainland. Second, while certain contexts might dictate emotional responses about comparative competitiveness, in the long term, the more educated from both sides are seeing the critical necessity to follow new pathways and channels for education, employment and entrepreneurship on the mainland and in Hong Kong.

As young people look towards their future they will surely see that exploring their options means recognizing all the interconnected opportunities open to them in terms of cross-border exchange and will make the most of them.

1. “Effects of mobility on the skills and employability of students and the internationalization of higher education institutions.” 2014. http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/study/2014/erasmus-impact_en.pdf

2. See pages 9-11 for details.

3. Education Bureau, HKSARG. http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/pilot-scheme/Pilot_scheme_2015/Mainland_Expo_2014_Booklet.pdf. p. 6. [In Chinese.]

4. University Grants Committee Annual Report. 2012. Report in South China Morning Post, 24 September 2012. http://www.scmp.com/print/news/hong-kong/article/1045120/majority-non-local-students-hk-come-mainland-says-report

5. Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. “Attitudes of Hong Kong Youth towards Seeking Employment in Mainland China”, 13 January 2015. http://www.bauhinia.org/document/doc200eng.pdf

6. See page 20 for details and statistics.

7. http://hong-kong-economy-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Hong-Kong-Industry-Profiles/Legal-Services-Industry-in-Hong-Kong/hkip/en/1/1X000000/1X003UYK.htm

8. “Motherland of Missed Opportunity?” Time Out, 4 February 2015. http://www.timeout.com.hk/big-smog/features/70974/motherland-of-missed-opportunity.html

9. Study by Hong Kong Ideas Centre. http://www.ideascentre.hk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/Mainland-Students-and-Professionals-Report.pdf [In Chinese.]

10. Feng, Vicky. “Are mainland Chinese students 'robbing Hong Kong locals of school places and jobs'?” in South China Morning Post, 3 June 2013. http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1252540/are-mainland-chinese-students-robbing-hong-kong-locals

11. http://www.zdnet.com/article/alibaba-offers-young-hong-kong-entrepreneurs-hk1-billion/

12. See pages 19-20 for details.

Sources and notes

Youth Hong Kong

Overview March 2015 |

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Finding out about One Country, Two Systems

Eminent Senior Counsel Andrew Liao talks about that the intricacies of One Country, Two Systems, the Basic Law and the Rule of Law, all of which demand true understanding which only comes through continuous

and lifelong learning.

“The pieces of the One Country, Two Systems jigsaw are taught in Hong Kong schools, but teaching and learning about them is very demanding,” Mr Liao says, with a sympathetic smile. The principles represent the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China.

For anybody who really wants to be part of Hong Kong, to fit in and contribute, understanding the essence is very important, says Mr Liao. Remembering the 1980s and 1990s, when Hong Kong’s present status was evolving, he recalled how, “People of my generation read about the One Country, Two Systems policy every day in the newspapers. It became a familiar part of life. That’s not true for today’s young people. But knowing about the One Country, Two Systems policy and the Basic Law through which it is implemented will bring understanding of both Hong Kong’s history and constitutional rights and duties.”

Learning in practice

The principles behind One Country, Two Systems and the Basic Law, as well as the Rule of Law, are taught in Hong Kong schools. They are included in the Integrated Humanities part of the school curriculum at junior level, and in Liberal Studies at senior level. However, learning

Today, Hong Kong people, especially young people, are more interested in learning about the way Hong Kong and mainland China fit together than they have ever been hitherto.

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Interviews| March 2015

The law has to be respected and in a law-abiding society like ours, any law can only be changed by legal means, no matter how noble the cause.

beyond the classroom is equally important, says Mr Liao. “I think today Hong Kong people, especially young people, are more interested in knowing how Hong Kong and mainland China fit together than they have ever been hitherto.”

Rule of Law: never take it for granted

The relationship between the Basic Law and the Rule of Law is also important to understand. “The Rule of Law underlies the Basic Law,” explains Mr Liao. Fundamentally, this means that government officials and citizens are bound by and must abide by the law. “However, you have to make an effort to read and learn about the Basic Law for yourself and form your own critical view,” he reminds us. “The law has to be respected and in a law-abiding society like ours, any law can only be changed by legal means, no matter how noble the cause.”

Mr Liao speaks passionately of the shared culture of the Rule of Law in Hong Kong. It underpins both the Basic Law and the One Country, Two Systems concept. Now, the rule of law is high on the agenda for the mainland. “Learning how to protect, respect and uphold it needs to be done at home, at school, at work and in the community, through lifelong learning. It is one of our core values.”

Fitting in and making the most of it

However, young people today are frustrated, they have less social mobility than their parents’ generation and their future paths are often unclear. Yet, because of their education, their expectations are high. Mr Liao has a mnemonic

「一國兩制」的方針政策在香港特別行政區已實踐近18年。今期我們訪問了行政會議成員廖長城資深大律師。他為我們闡述「一國兩制」的重要性，以及他對青年的寄望。廖律師認為每位香港人都應該主動了解「一國兩制」的理念和內容，其中最有效方法包括透過學校教育和課堂以外，讓青年認識《基本法》和「一國兩制」跟他們的關係。他又指，青年要掌握未來發展機遇，應時刻緊記建立自己的

「CAP」──能力（Capacity）、態度（Attitude）和作好規劃（Planning）。他認為香港最重要的資源，其實就是人才。

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The One Country, Two Systems principle was proposed by the Central People’s Government (CPG) of China to achieve unity when it resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was then established directly under the CPG with a “high degree of autonomy” under the Basic Law, the constitutional document for Hong Kong. The Basic Law states that the socialist system of China will not apply in Hong Kong. Instead, the capitalist system and way of life will remain unchanged for 50 years. The Two Systems element is reflected in these provisions. On the other hand, the CPG’s role in Hong Kong includes defence and foreign affairs, as well as the power to amend and interpret the Basic Law. This reflects the One Country element.

More reading http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/images/basiclaw_full_text_en.pdfhttp://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/basic_law.pdf

Rule of Law: the essential elements“For the rule of law to exist, people must believe in [it] and be committed to [it]. They must take it for granted as a necessary and proper aspect of their society. It amounts to a shared cultural belief. When this cultural belief is pervasive, the rule of law can be resilient, spanning generations and surviving episodes in which the rule of law had been flouted by government officials. …

When this cultural belief is not pervasive, the rule of law will be weak or non-existent. Cultural beliefs are not subject to complete human control, so it is no easy matter to inculcate belief in the rule of law when it does not already exist… A widely shared cultural belief that the law should rule is the essential element of the rule of law – and that is the hardest to achieve. Above all else people must identify with the law and perceive it to be worthy of ruling. The populace must believe that the law reflects their values and serves their interests.”

from Tamanaha, Brian Z. The history and elements of the Rule of law. Singapore Journal of Legal Studies. 2012, pp232-247.http://law.nus.edu.sg/sjls/articles/SJLS-Dec-12-232.pdf

* Mr Andrew Liao, GBS, SC, JP is a Non-official Member of the Executive Council of HKSAR, and a Vice-chairperson of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

to help them cope. “I say to ‘Put on your CAP: Build your Capacity through lifelong learning. Have the right Attitude and remember the importance of life Planning.’” These involve making the best of what is available, including opportunities on the mainland and throughout the region. It means building on strengths and always having the courage to embrace change.

To conclude, Mr Liao stresses, “The only resources Hong Kong has are human resources. That makes young people especially important. At the end of the day, their education is essential. Young people need to know why One Country, Two Systems matters and they need to understand the Basic law. These are part of who they are and where they fit in the world.”

Young people need to know why One Country Two Systems matters and they need to understand the Basic law. These are part of who they are and where they fit in the world.

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A scheme now in place, called the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme (MUSSS), will benefit three cohorts of students, and is not subject to any quota according to the 2015 Policy Address.1It exempts students from taking the mainland Joint Entrance Examination. Instead, they can apply once they have the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). The number of applicants is gradually increasing and in 2014, almost 1,500 applied successfully, with about a fifth now attending some of the best mainland universities.

According to Professor Wong Yuk-shan, President of Hong Kong’s Open University, there are strong reservations about higher education on the mainland amongst Hong Kong youth, their parents and teachers. They are socio-politically motivated although there is nothing new about getting a mainland degree. “Before the Cultural Revolution a substantial number who wanted a degree but could not get a place at the University of Hong Kong went to universities in Guangzhou, Beijing, or Shanghai. They studied engineering, science or the liberal arts, and many of them did not return to Hong Kong to work.”

Flow and counter flow crossing borders to study

Most Hong Kong senior secondary students aim for a place at a local university, not on the mainland. However, an admission scheme introduced in 2012/13 offers attractions, says Professor Wong Yuk-shan, President

of Hong Kong’s Open University.

Flocking to study abroad

Today, opportunities are growing. Students from all round the world flock to China’s top universities, 78 of which operate the HKDSE admission scheme, explained Prof Wong. “Look at this,” he says, showing us photos and detailed facts and figures in a glossy comprehensive guide produced for the Education Bureau and researched by the Hok Yau Club and co-produced by the China Education Exchange (HK) Center Limited.2 “From an apolitical and educational angle, the prospects are good, in terms of facilities, pedagogy, curriculum, hard-working peer group and value.”

A dozen of the 78 universities in the scheme are among China’s top twenty, famous for their pedigree.3 Competition for places is fierce and not all faculties are open to Hongkongers. Among the so-called “second tier” universities admission chances are much higher. All together, 9,800 students have applied and more than 3,700 students have been successful since 2012.

p Handbook on the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions (2015/16)

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When asked why many people seem unaware of the scheme, despite a government-hosted expo last autumn,4 Prof Wong suggests that “the Education Bureau is trying to act as a facilitator but is not pushing hard. Many minds are closed to these possibilities and being accused of exerting undue influence would be counter-productive.”

Hong Kong students receive the same fee subsidies as their mainland counterparts. In fact, on average tuition and boarding costs less than a quarter of what it does in Hong Kong. Hostel accommodation and subsistence costs are very low compared to Hong Kong, at an average of below HK$10,000 per annum. Therefore, the economic advantages are expected to attract more Hongkongers, despite the reservations.

Options to explore

For secondary students who are in the top 30-40% of achievers, Prof Wong recommends the scheme as a good alternative to becoming fee-paying students in Hong Kong, doing an associate degree here, or to going to Australia or New Zealand. Furthermore, since 2014 the Hong Kong government has been offering means-tested scholarships for those who get a mainland university place.

Fujian Province } Fujian Normal University } Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine } Fuzhou University } Huaqiao University } Jimei University } Xiamen University

Mainland universities accepting HKDSE holders

Jiangxi Province } Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Yunnan Province } Yunnan Normal University } Yunnan University

Hubei Province } Central China Normal University } China Three Gorges University } China University of Geosciences(Wuhan)* } Hubei University of Chinese Medicine } Wuhan University } Zhongnan University of Economics and Law

Hunan Province } Hunan Normal University

Guangdong Province } Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai } Guangdong Medical College } Guangdong Pharmaceutical University } Guangdong University of Finance } Guangdong University of Finance and Economics

} Guangdong University of Foreign Studies } Guangdong University of Technology } Guangzhou University } Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine } Jinan University } Shantou University } Shaoguan University } Shenzhen University } South China Normal University } South China University of Technology } Southern Medical University } Sun Yat-sen University } The Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts } Xinghai Conservatory of Music } Zhaoqing University

Zhejiang Province } Ningbo University } Wenzhou Medical University } Zhejiang Chinese Medical University } Zhejiang Sci-Tech University } Zhejiang University

Beijing Municipality } Beijing Foreign Studies University } Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology } Beijing Language and Culture University } Beijing Normal University } Beijing University of Chinese Medicine } China University of Political Science and Law } Communication University of China } Peking University } Renmin University of China } University of International Business and Economics

Tianjin Municipality } Nankai University } Tianjin Normal University } Tianjin University } Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Shanghai Municipality } Donghua University } East China Normal University } East China University of Political Science and Law } East China University of Science and Technology } Fudan University } Shanghai International Studies University } Shanghai Jiao Tong University } Shanghai Normal University } Shanghai University } Shanghai University of Finance and Economics } Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine } Tongji University

Jiangsu Province } Nanjing Normal University } Nanjing University } Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine

Shandong Province } Shandong University

Chongqing Municipality } Chongqing University } Southwest University } Southwest University of Political Science and Law

Sichuan Province } Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine } Sichuan Normal University } Sichuan University

Universities accepting most HKDSE holdersTop ranking universities

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Although the MUSSS will not motivate the more affluent, for disadvantaged students it may bring extra incentive. “It’s too comfy here at home,” says Prof Wong. “Many Hong Kong students appear to be inward-looking. They are not hungry enough, don’t feel they have to try hard and so are a bit laid-back. It will be the less advantaged who will be attracted. However, parents will still need to be convinced.”

Cross-boundary recognition

Recognition of qualifications is a hurdle and a reason for hesitation. Another hurdle is post-graduation employment in the face of prejudice or ignorance, says Prof Wong. “Formal recognition is one thing,” he says, referring to the Memorandum of Understanding5 that was signed between Hong Kong and the mainland for mutual recognition of degrees, “prospective employer preference is another.”

Given the choice between a Hong Kong student with a mainland degree and a mainland student with a Hong Kong degree, employers prefer the latter. “They speak better English, work harder, have better general knowledge and are very competitive,”says Prof Wong. More than 90% of non-local students at Hong Kong universities are from the mainland according to the University Grants Committee,6 thus adding to competition locally. Furthermore, given a choice between a Hong Kong student with a Hong Kong degree and a Hong Kong student with a mainland degree, most employers here prefer the former.

Sources and notes1. http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/pilot-scheme/Pilot_scheme_2014/MUSSS.html

2. http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/pilot-scheme/Pilot_scheme_2015/Mainland_Expo_2014_Booklet.pdf

3. 38 of the 78 mainland universities covered by the HKDSE scheme in 2014/15 belong to the so-called “Project 211” group of 2nd tier mainland universities Another 19 in the scheme belonged to “Project 985”, top tier universities. Both of these projects are intended to upgrade mainland universities significantly with large amounts of funding. http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr13-14/english/fc/fc/papers/f14-15e.pdf

4. http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/pilot-scheme/Pilot_scheme_2015/Expo2014.html

5. http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/postsecondary/policy-doc/mou%28e%29.pdf

6. http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/doc/ugc/publication/report/AnnualRpt1213/full.pdf

Prof Wong’s advice to secondary students about to leave school, and parents or teachers who are contemplating the mainland degree option, is to be open-minded and objective, to look at the practical advantages of going to study on the mainland. “I would not push,” he reminds us, “though to be honest, Hong Kong graduates working in Hong Kong with mainland degrees will have the advantage in future. The radius of their horizon will be greater and they will come back here better-equipped than if they had stayed at home.”

Professor Wong Yuk-shan, BBS, JP, was brought up and educated in Hong Kong. He did his PhD at McGill University, Canada, and became the President of The Open University of Hong Kong in April 2014.

香港公開大學校長黃玉山教授為讀者介紹了本地學生到內地升讀大學的歷史及最新趨勢。透過「內地部分高校免試招收香港學生計劃」，香港學生能使用他們中學文憑考試(DSE)的成績，直接報讀內地78間大學，其中包括多間內地頂尖大學，如北京、清華和復旦大學等。黃教授指出，赴內地升讀大學在學費及生活費方面負擔較輕，畢業生更可累積內地生活經驗，為他們將來在跨國公司工作打好基礎。

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J oe Ngai, managing partner at McKinsey, Hong Kong, says that working on the mainland is not for everyone, but for those with an adventurous spirit it’s the way to go.

Nothing ventured, 　　　　nothing gained

“China provides more employment opportunities today than anywhere else in the world. Our privileged position is the envy of our Asian neighbours,” Joe Ngai begins. However, “other people’s envy does not translate into our optimism.” In fact, the number of Hong Kong residents working on the mainland has been dropping according to official figures, especially for those in the younger age bracket. (See page 20 for details.) By contrast, the number of mainlanders working in Hong Kong has seen significant growth and there are suspicions that they are taking jobs away from locals.

How can confidence be built? “All you have to do is go to Shenzhen or the airport on a Monday

morning to see the enormous number of Hong Kong people crossing the border. There are jobs to be had in many fields, especially finance, accounting, investment and retail and training, if you are a skilled professional,” he continues, “but it’s not easy to find work on the mainland if you have no effective experience or skills.” The up-trend is for skilled Hong Kong people in their 30s rather than those in their 20s.

Blessed and cursed

“Competition is fierce and new graduates from Hong Kong can only expect starting salaries from HK$6,000 to HK$8,000 a month.” That is less than half what they might expect in Hong Kong. Furthermore, unemployment is low here. “It’s not like Taiwan. If we had our backs to the wall, with nothing to lose and few options, it would be much easier to leave our comfort zone. Instead, we have good prospects here. In some ways, this is both a blessing and a curse.”

For some that’s exciting. For others it’s scary. It depends how well you work with ambiguity.

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The key is to think in the long term, with immersion in a mainland industry for 10-15 years. “That would be a good investment and you would be able to capture opportunities as they came up,” Joe Ngai advises. This is particularly true in hard-core large-scale industry sectors like engineering, aviation and IT, “but sometimes it is difficult for young people to make up their minds about career paths. They still have time to experiment and no career is for life,” so reluctance to make a long-term career commitment is understandable.

Working with ambiguity

Where entrepreneurship in China is concerned, Joe Ngai says it is “for the right people with the right attitude. Everyone is learning and experimenting and mainland entrepreneurs set their sights wide and high because they have such a big market. For some that’s exciting. For others it’s scary. It depends on how well you work with ambiguity. It means taking a risk when you know you may lose. The advantage is that you get a broader perspective and a more progressive mindset. When you come back to Hong Kong you see more clearly.”

Most entrepreneurially-minded people are in their 40s by the time they start up in business. The right kind of personality and confidence are two important factors. Joe Ngai’s advice is “to begin with something you know better than others. Think of global networking, not just of the mainland. Young people assimilate very quickly, but going to a new place to start is tough.”

Asked if he had this kind of spirit himself, he replies with a smile, “If I were young, unattached, with no burdens, I would go. For five years

maybe. It would be a great adventure. I truly believe in struggling through adversity, in taking yourself out of your comfort zone to a place where you don’t really know what you are doing. It’s the best way to learn and mature.”

Would young Hongkongers benefit from being given more information about opportunities? “I think they would benefit from transparency about the difficulties, about the sacrifices that have to be made in the real world. Minimizing adversity does you no good. Young people need to jump in at the deep end and it doesn’t help them to be surrounded by lifeguards. They need to start swimming.”

Minimizing adversity does you no good. Young people need to jump in at the deep end and it doesn’t help them to be surrounded by lifeguards.

Mr Joe Ngai is Director & Managing Partner at McKinsey & Co Inc, Hong Kong. He was born in Hong Kong and completed three degrees at Harvard. With HKFYG, Mr Ngai has done pivotal work, developing the Federation’s entrepreneurship support programme, Youth Business Hong Kong.

麥肯錫公司資深董事兼香港區總經理倪以理先生認為，現時到內地工作的機遇前所未見，周邊的國家、地區都羡慕香港的獨特優勢。不過倪先生坦言，並非所有人都適合到外地發展事業，尤其當香港的就業情況理想時，青年就失去動機探求外界發展機會。他認為，青年要擴闊視野，盡量在年輕時奠定良好基礎，且要放膽離開自己的安舒區

（comfort zone）。

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Moving outmoving onmoving back

The Chief Executive caused quite a stir when announcing new subsidized mainland exchange programmes for young people in this year’s Policy Address. Some were quick to dismiss this as another attempt by the government to “brainwash students” but I decided to take a look at how one would go about hunting for a job on the mainland.

A quick search on the Labour Department’s “Interactive Employment Service” website revealed 499 cross-border jobs in February 2015. Though some of them required several years’ experience, many were suitable for fresh university graduates. Although getting a job may prove a challenge, I firmly believe that it is a move worth making. In fact, I think the mainland may well be a happier place to live. During my first visit to Xiamen last November, I was surprised to find that the air quality was actually better than Hong Kong’s. People were better-mannered too. It seemed many things I was told about the mainland appeared to be false.

For an average Hong Kong student, booming mainland-based businesses such as Alibaba, Lenovo and Xiaomi have their allure. The mainland is a hotbed of innovation and attracts talent from all round the world. Our city appears completely devoid of young start-ups such as Xiaomi, so perhaps the mainland would be a better place to work. We, as future leaders, have to grab such opportunities before they disappear.

I’m in my third year of an international business management degree at Ningbo. Living here has given a real boost to my Mandarin. Being able to speak and understand like a local has also helped me build a social network, and non-Chinese students and lecturers find people like me very useful for translating Chinese to English and vice versa.

It’s cheaper here than studying abroad and I can go home from time to time. However, my new friends and I often have arguments about whether I am “Hongkongese” or Chinese. There are also some sensitive topics, like the development of democracy in Hong Kong and China. I have tried talking about these but they seem to be subjects best avoided.

Other hot issues are whether Hong Kong companies will recognize mainland degrees and why we cannot get access to Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Corruption is another serious concern. I have never liked giving presents in return for favours, but according to friends who are already working on the mainland, it is quite normal.

Basic problems of adjustment to mainland life for me have revolved around hygiene, toilets, food and smoking. I used to avoid public toilets but now I can handle them. Food? Well, there is always lots of oil and chilli in food and many people still seem to love smoking. Apart from these difficulties, I haven’t had any great problems.

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Youth speak| March 2015

Hong Kong students at school and on the mainland

What makes Hong Kong students leave home to study or work and

what is life like for mainland students and professionals in Hong Kong? Read some views.

Henry Lui 15, Shatin College, Positive on the idea of working in China

Lee Chi-kwong 22, on adjusting to life at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, Zhejiang

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The diverse cultural environment and global exposure in Hong Kong are the main reasons I came here. It is a place of opportunities, where someone can fully realize their potential. There will be more chance to study and work abroad and the increasing interaction between China and Hong Kong means there is a growing need for knowledge and understanding of both. I think I will be able to offer that. I wanted to take on a challenge and Hong Kong is the right place for me.

The language concerned me at first so I spent a considerable amount of time learning Cantonese. I could understand and communicate on a basic level within a few months. The biggest challenge was fitting in with the local community but I have made many friends and can see how warm and friendly people here are. I think I understand local culture better as a result. Adapting to a different lifestyle has meant talking to people with different views, but willingness to learn and respect for others can close cultural gaps. What had been a worry evaporated with a proactive attitude and an open mind. Stepping out of my comfort zone wasn’t easy but it has been very worthwhile.

I would like a career in finance and have gained some experience helping clients make investment decisions during my summer internships. I am looking forward to new opportunities and think this will be a good place to start my career.

I have always been very interested in this city and the way it combines east and west. To me, everything here is new and appealing. It is easier to go back home compared with studying abroad, and the tuition fees are lower. I go to the mainland often, to see my family who are now in Shanghai. They were pleased that I came here. It’s also easy to visit cultural sites in cities in Guangdong, Hunan and Fujian provinces from Hong Kong. Another advantage is that I don’t need to do the National College Entrance Examination, as I would have done if applying for admission to university in China.

On the downside, it is hard to understand advanced Cantonese and I have found no systematic way to learn it. Unfortunately, my grades slipped too. I didn’t expect my studies to be so assessment-oriented. I found adjusting to life in hall a bit difficult. It can be noisy until 3am! My daily routine is very bad and my health and fitness are not satisfactory and in future, I need to see to those aspects.

If I complete both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Hong Kong I shall stay here for five years and then go back to the mainland – probably Beijing – where I expect my career will begin as my social networks are in place there.

Mainland students in Hong Kong

Julia Liu20, from Beijing, Year 3, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. On taking up the challenge

Guo Yuanfang 21, born and brought up in Beijing. On trying to adjust to undergraduate life at the University of Hong Kong

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Youth speak March 2015 |

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I was born in Hong Kong, but studied and worked in the US for nine years before setting up my company, WTF Ltd, which is now operating on both Hong Kong and China. We are building CNPaaS to simplify web deployment and cloud operations. I didn’t have any practical adjustment problems. I communicated well with mainlanders in the US, that cultural melting pot, and have a high tolerance for a variety of food flavours, so that made it easier. But I know for some people there are identity issues. When they work on the mainland, the question is how much should they adopt the culture while keeping their Hong Kong identities?

I have mainland friends and colleagues and am not sensitive to the in-group/ out-group mentality. Once I learned enough Mandarin, we could mostly communicate and understand each other. It helps also as we work in the same team and have our objectives aligned. For us the biggest advantage of China is the large user bases and comparatively low, but rising, staff salaries.

Since our target users are mainland developers, once the product is beta-released, we will soon set up more operations on the mainland, and I foresee more business trips for myself, and more cross-region communications between Hong Kong and mainland.

My first shop called Chocolat-ier opened in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2010 and in 2012, I went to my first food trade show in Shanghai to recruit a distributor for my products. Then came outlets in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Henan and Jiangsu. Now we have authorized agents in all the prime provinces and cities. There is less competition than in Hong Kong and we also have rarity value. Mainland supermarkets mostly have local brands or imported packaged chocolate.

Networking (guanxi) has been very important. The right business agent with a good network helps a lot. It speeds up administrative procedures. We recruit our main distributors and agents for each city at mainland food trade shows and we are quite selective. They are locals who know how to apply for all the licences from different government departments.

Pollution is a serious problem for me but corrupt business practices have not really bothered us. From an operational perspective, staff loyalty is lower than in Hong Kong and turnover is higher. Basic monthly salaries in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai are around RMB 2,500-3,000. With an offer of RMB 100-200 more, staff leave. There is more staff cheating and many fake enquiries where callers pretend to be sincere, but in fact want to copy our business model and design. Otherwise, the future looks promising.

Next shop, Chengdu!

Hong Kong entrepreneurs on the mainland

Crystal Hung Ching-wan 31, gourmet chocolatière. On expanding her gourmet chocolate business on the mainland

Jimmy Chu 34, entrepreneur in IT. On cultural assimilation in a mainland business environment

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Mainland professionals in Hong Kong

When I first came here as an undergraduate in 1999 it was difficult to integrate. There seemed to be a lot of discrimination against mainlanders, even though there were only a handful in my class. I didn’t make a lot of friends before I went to a Los Angeles graduate school. But 10 years later, I was offered a job here and I have found it has changed. Now we are envied because we get higher grades and speak English better.

I used to think that blending in with local culture should not be all that difficult if I had the right attitude, but my take is that Hongkongers feel threatened by us mainlanders. It’s true that employers prefer to hire mainlanders for their business connections in China.

I am most aware of being different when I go shopping or out to eat and my personal problems come with language. If I speak Cantonese, people know I am not a local even though I look Chinese. If I speak Mandarin, they think I am a tourist. Sometimes it just seems safer to speak English! Will I stay here long-term? That depends on my pay. Mainlanders generally accept lower salaries than Hong Kong people.

I am so glad to be in Hong Kong. Even in Central the smog is never as bad as it can be in Beijing! I work in a building occupying prime office space and I feel like I am in the hub of the finance world. Integration of Hong Kong and China just seems natural to me.

I like the fact it is easy for me to go back to the mainland any time and with the new transport links under construction, the high-speed rail to Guangzhou and the bridge to Zhuhai, it will be even better. I have no complaints, apart from the fact rents are quite high for very small flats. If it costs too much for me to live here I can always rent an apartment in Shenzhen and commute.

I have had to make adjustments to my way of life, such as learning a new language and eating different food, and it took a while to make friends. At first my Hong Kong counterparts did not invite me to join them to eat or for after work activities, but now I find I am part of the crowd. Personally I can see that Hong Kong has a lot of opportunity for me professionally and I will take all the chances the city has to offer. Maybe then I will move on or go back to the mainland, but I am very glad I came here and I’m proud of what I have achieved so far.

Joyce*from Shanghai, early 30s. Tentative about working in Hong Kong’s finance sector

Marco*26, from Beijing.Upbeat on working in Central, Hong Kong, for a mainland bank

*Note Both mainland professionals prefer to remain anonymous

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I believe learning can change people’s lives, wherever they are in the world, and that’s why I devoted myself to work in the education sector for the last 10 years. My learning method supports primary and secondary school mathematics, and the first FS Education Centre opened in Wan Chai in 2010. Now we have centres in Mongkok and Yau Tong as well, and I plan to expand the business further in the coming year, not only in Hong Kong and online, but also in mainland China.

Enjoyable, effective learning is my aim, with interesting teaching methods that mean students learn quickly and improve their scores as they become more interested in the subject. We do this with an image method for memorization instead of the traditional methods. It also ensures that the students are learning with the whole year firmly in mind.

My financial turnover grew by 250% one year and now we employ 20 people offering services to thousands of children. More Hong Kong centres are in the pipeline and we reach even more students on the web with online courses.

I am confident that my company has the potential for growth and negotiations on the mainland are already under way. I will be in Qianhai's E Hub by the summer and we will be growing soon.

Viola Lam28, Founder and CEO, FS Education Centre with the international Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Congratulations

Viola’s company was nurtured with seed funding and mentorship by the Federation’s Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK) programme which supports promising start-up companies like hers.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given by Youth Business International (YBI), the parent organization of HKFYG’s YBHK. Congratulations to Viola for her enterprise, her drive and initiative!

Go to page 47 for more information about Youth Business Hong Kong and the Federation’s entrepreneurship support programmes.

Visit ybhk.hkfyg.org.hk for more details about Youth Business Hong Kong

Go to http://www.fseducation.com.hk/ to learn more about Viola Lam and the FS Education Centre

F ATS

Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 from Hong Kong

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The 2015 Chief Executive’s Policy Address contained a proposed subsidy to enable every pupil at a Hong Kong school to join at least one mainland exchange tour at both junior and secondary school. The aim was to give first-hand experience for better understanding of life across the border. A Bauhinia Foundation survey in early 2015 set out to discover whether such tours met the needs of students in senior secondary school. Ten schools were involved in the survey.2

Nearly 58% of respondents said they would, in the terminology of the survey, “consider” going on a mainland exchange trip, and 80% who had been before said they would go again. For 20%, the subsidy was an important factor and over 30% said they would like subsidies to be raised. Slightly fewer said the main reason for going was to learn about mainland society and culture. About 27% said the main deterrents were fears for personal safety, food safety and/or hygiene. Those who had been on exchange trips were more willing to take up internships.

What do Hong Kong’s young people think about openings for them to study or go on exchange trips on the mainland? What about internship programmes and employment? Surveys by the HKFYG Youth Research

Centre and the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre1 provide some answers.

Looking forward or not?

Reasons for % Reasons against %To understand the society/culture 29 Fears about security 27.6To experience the lifestyle 23.9 Fears about food safety/hygiene 26.8Because there are subsidies/low fees 20.2 Unfamiliar environment 9.8To make social connections 11.6 Not enough subsidies/ fees too high 9.2To improve Mandarin 8.8 Worries about speaking Mandarin 6.0Encouraged by family/friends 1 Reluctant to leave family/friends 3.4Other reason 2.8 Other reasons 6.3Don’t know 2.7 Don’t know 11.0

Reasons for % Reasons against %To acquire job skills/experience 36.8 Fears about security 29.7To understand the society/culture 17.4 Fears about food safety/hygiene 20.0To make social connections 15.9 Unfamiliar environment 15.2To earn a wage 15.1 Low wages 10.8To improve Mandarin 11.4 Worries about speaking Mandarin 6.8Encouraged by family/friends 1.4 Reluctant to leave family/friends 6.2Other reason 0.6 Other reasons 2.5Don’t know 1.4 Don’t know 8.9

Figure 1 For and against mainland exchange

Figure 2 For and against mainland internship

Source http://www.bauhinia.org/document/doc207eng.pdf

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15-39 year-olds (% of total)

40 year-olds and older (% of total)

1988 64.9% 35.1%1989 59.6% 40.4%1992 58.8% 41.2%1995 56.5% 43.4%1998 50.6% 49.4%2001 44.6% 55.3%2002 48.2% 51.8%2003 45.8% 54.2%2004 45.9% 54.1%2005 42.7% 57.3%2008 37.7% 62.3%2009 32.8% 67.2%2010 26.0% 74.0%

15-39 year-oldsNumber of people (,000)

40 year-olds and olderNumber of people (,000)

33.9 18.427.2 18.437.7 26.569.2 53.179.6 77.885.2 105.695.4 102.7109 129.2112 132

101.4 136.182.3 135.964.5 131.945.7 129.4

Figure 3: Hong Kong residents employed on the mainland: numbers and % by age group

Source http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp140.jsp?productCode=B1130121 Note Statistics indicate the figure for the 12 months before enumeration. They are the latest available figures of this nature.

Attitudes to government-organized internship programmes for 18-29 year-olds3 were also revealed by the survey. 41% or respondents said they were interested and half of those who had been on a mainland exchange tour said they would consider an internship. Again, personal safety and hygiene were the main detractors. Over half said the best motivators for mainland internships would be for them to be in “sizable/reputable enterprises” or for increased wages/subsidies. 30% said they would consider “pursuing further development” of some kind on the mainland in the next five years.

Change afoot

Young people in Hong Kong appear to be changing their minds about working on the mainland. A decade ago the idea of taking a job over the border was entertained by a substantial proportion of young people. Today it appears that social, economic and quality-of-life issues are tipping the balance against leaving Hong Kong.

From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the number of Hong Kong people of all ages working on the mainland grew. It reached a peak of 244,000 in 2004.4 Since then the numbers have

dropped, most drastically among those under 40 years old5 (See Figure 3). They fell from 112,000 to 45,700 between 2004 and 2010.

In 2010, the date of the last relevant special government report, the figure for Hong Kong residents of all ages who had worked in mainland China during the previous 12 months was 175,100, of which about 89% worked in Guangdong province. Interest in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), a rapidly developing area in Guangdong province close to Hong Kong, has been growing for some time.

In 2003, a study by HKFYG found that about 15% of 15-34 year-olds had thought about working on the mainland. However, over 60% of respondents said they were unfamiliar with the area, 30% said they had a poor impression of it and 70% said they would only consider working there if they couldn’t find work in Hong Kong.

By 2009 these sentiments had changed. According to HKFYG surveys the number of those considering working in the PRD more than doubled between 2003 and 2009.7 Nevertheless, personal safety was a considerable concern, and almost a third said the most needed support services were healthcare and social welfare. Furthermore, of all the issues mentioned in the survey as disincentives, it was “Law and Order” that topped the list, followed by poor air quality.

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1. http://applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM14087E.pdf

2. Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. “How do Hong Kong’s senior secondary school students perceive capitalizing on the opportunities in mainland China?” February 2015. http://www. bauhinia.org/document/doc207eng.pdf

3. http://www.coy.gov.hk/en/mainland_exchange/funding_scheme.html

4. General Household SurveySpecial Topics Report No. 57 http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp160.jsp?productCode=C0000027

5. HKFYG Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2013. Figure 2.3.11 http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/page.aspx?corpname=yrc&i=2388

6. HKFYG Youth Study Series 29, 2003. http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/news.aspx?id=909d69ad-c839-4bfc-953d-7e4c262ebb50&corpname=yrc&i=2527

7. HKFYG Youth Study Series 42, 2009. http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/news.aspx?id=9b228275-13bb-45b7-a13a-b291f38ce66e&corpname=yrc&i=2527

8. Diversity of Youth Aspirations. Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. 2010. http://www.bauhinia.org/research_content.php?id=16

9. Predicament and Aspirations of Young Professionals in Hong Kong and Beijing. Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. 2012. http://www.bauhinia.org/research_content.php?id=3

10. Attitudes of Hong Kong Youth towards Seeking Employment in Mainland China. Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. 2015. http://www.bauhinia.org/research_content.php?lang=eng&id=65

11. ibid

Increasing obstacles perceived

Whether they were influenced by social issues or not, by 2010 the downward trend of interest in working on the mainland was confirmed when a Bauhinia Foundation study8 of 1,000 Hong Kong people aged 16-35 noted the very low priority accorded by Hong Kong youth both to “mainland exposure” and “international exposure”. These factors ranked as the least important elements of a good job anywhere. “Living in the Mainland” was also at the bottom of respondents’ list of 10-year goals.

The following year, a study9 for the Bauhinia Foundation conducted by a youth think-tank in Hong Kong, the 30S Group, compared perceived working and living conditions and the obstacles faced by young professionals in Hong Kong and Beijing. Respondents were degree holders in the two cities, both mainlanders and Hongkongers. The findings included insights into aspirations and attitudes towards career development; professionalism and ethics; cross-border work and work-life balance.

Keen competition for jobs was cited by over 35% of the Hong Kong young professionals as the biggest hurdle in mainland career paths, followed by over 19% who said they were simply not

prepared for working there. According to the same report, many young professional Hongkongers working in Beijing said they found difficulty getting help when dealing with problems. The report compilers called for more information on Central Government policies, and guidelines on housing and children’s education from the Office of the HKSAR Government in Beijing.

Marked disinclination to go

A Bauhinia Foundation survey conducted in 2014 by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, shows a further decline in desire to work on the mainland.10 None of the 1,001 18-29 year-old respondents had any experience of working there and over two-thirds were unwilling to seek mainland employment. Over half of those considered “societal aspects” as the main disincentive. “Lack of confidence in the rule of law in the mainland” was the most important, accounting for nearly 23%. Among those who were willing to try for jobs on the mainland only 4.9% had actually taken concrete steps to do so.

It appears that young Hongkongers need to be persuaded to take a chance. Lawrence Lee, Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre’s Director and Convenor of this, suggests the government improve young people’s “knowledge on laws and regulations, and provide them with more chances to experience the work environment in the mainland”.11

* The Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre is a privately funded Hong Kong public policy think-tank. Its stated mission is "to promote the understanding of the 'One Country, Two Systems' arrangements in Hong Kong and other socioeconomic policies in Hong Kong.

Sources

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Snapshots

China: land of opportunity?

Each year more and more people from overseas choose to work, study or set up in business in mainland China. Why do they go, what benefits do they see, and what are the downsides?

TO STUDYWhere do they come from?

Chinese Ministry of Education figures1 show there were 328,330 overseas students from about 200 countries and regions studying in China in 2012.They were at 690 institutions across China, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. By 2013 the number had risen to 356,499 in more than 700 institutions.2 The Ministry hopes this number will reach 500,000 by 2020 and make China the largest destination for international student exchange in Asia.3

by Jennifer Lam

äShanghai’s Jiao Tong University has one in 10 undergraduates from overseas.

4

äPeking University in Beijing is home to over 2,000 international students.

äBritain has a government-backed scheme encouraging up to 15,000 students to study in China in a bid to boost business ties.

5

äMost popular courses Chinese language, engineering, computer science, economics, management, law, medicine and medical specialties.

6

äLanguage of instruction Top universities have significant programmes delivered in English, but there has also been a substantial increase in the number of overseas students studying for degrees using Chinese as the medium of instruction.

£South Korea 63,500 £Indonesia 13,150£US 24,600 £Vietnam 13,050£Japan 21,125 £India 10,250£Thailand 16,675 £Pakistan 9,625£Russia 14,975 £Kazakhstan 9,650

Source Based on figures at http://www.admissions.cn/news/364282.shtml

Overseas students in China: top 10 home countries

p Jiaotong University, Minhang campus

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Why go?

Q Costs For foreign students, degrees are much cheaper in mainland China than in their home countries. For those from developing countries there is the opportunity to gain an external, high-quality British or US degree from one of the universities with independent, overseas campuses in China, at a reasonable cost.7

Q Recognition of academic qualifications Many Chinese university degrees are recognized overseas.8 Agreements on mutual recognition of academic qualifications with the US, UK, France, Japan and 65 other countries and regions have been signed.

Q Employment advantages World top 500 companies all do business in China and Chinese speakers gain an advantage in terms of employment.9 In South Korea, students view fluency in Mandarin as an asset when seeking jobs at home.10

Q Broader horizons Students want to experience the country’s culture, history and natural beauty.

TO WORKWhere do they come from?

About 550,000 “foreign experts” were working in mainland China in 2012, according to State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs statistics.11 An HSBC study found the top three home countries of foreign residents in Shanghai were Japan, the United States and South Korea.12

Why go?

Q Work experience Young graduates see gaining work experience in China, often as unpaid interns, as a way of improving their job chances, particularly in engineering, business and finance.13 Four out of 10 interns chose China as their internship destination in 2013 and 38% of all China interns now receive full- or part-time job offers.14

Q Cost and quality of life A 2012 HSBC survey found 40% of working expats in China spend less on daily necessities than in their home country and 44% believe the country offers them a high quality of life.15

Q Better pay While wages in China keep rising, western wages have declined or stagnated.16

£South Korea £Singapore£Japan £Vietnam£Russia £Philippines£US £Mongolia£Malaysia £Canada

Source http://www.adbi.org/files/2012.01.19.cpp.day2.sess4.5.dong.foreign.population.statistics.china.pdf 2010 statistics.

Overseas workers in China: top 10 home countries

£Beijing

£Shanghai

£Guangdong

£Tianjin

£Zhejiang

£Jiangsu

£Liaoning

£Shandong

£Hubei

£Fujian

Source http://www.admissions.cn/news/364282.shtml

Top 10 provinces/cities with overseas students

1. http://www.admissions.cn/news/364282.shtml2. http://www.chinaeducenter.com/en/3. http://news.at0086.com/Make-a-application/Subjects-being-popular-among-foreign-

students-who-study-in-China.html4. http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/best-universities-in-china-international-students5. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10114059/Thousands-more-

British-students-to-study-in-China.html6. http://news.at0086.com/Make-a-application/Subjects-being-popular-among-foreign-

students-who-study-in-China.html7. http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=201310221251221898. http://www.cucas.edu.cn/feature/index/2172/21729. http://www.cucas.edu.cn/feature/index/2172/2172

10. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-04/china-beats-u-s-for-korean-students-seeing-career-ticket.html

11. http://www.chinadailyasia.com/news/2013-11/06/content_15096915.html12. http://www.designative.info/2011/12/22/living-in-china-shanghai-holds-the-highest-

population-of-foreigners-in-mainland-china/13. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1000142405270230374530457635496315711810414. http://open.salon.com/blog/china_business_central/2013/07/19/interns_going_global_-_

china_is_no_1_destination_-_why15. http://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/files/pdfs/overall-reports/2012/report.pdf Hong

Kong treated separately in this report.16. http://open.salon.com/blog/china_business_central/2013/07/19/interns_going_global_-_

china_is_no_1_destination_-_why

Sources

Cont'd p.24

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TO START A BUSINESSWhere do they come from?

ö Asian companies are by far the biggest investors, with investment from the top 10 economies in the region, including Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, rising to US$102.5 billion in 2013.

Why go?

QGovernment encouragement for foreign companies to expand into mainland China.

Q Reductions in overhead and production costs are significant.

Q Domestic market has increasing numbers with more disposable income.22

p Beijing Central Business District

p Shanghai: Pudong from the BundäThe largest number of foreigners, 173,000, live in

Shanghai.17

äThe next nine most popular cities are Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Qingdao.

18

äThird-party internship organizers say they are getting a rising number of applicants; one company sent 2,000 to Beijing and Shanghai in 2014.

19

äMost popular jobs are in engineering, finance, IT, sales, teaching, marketing/creative fields and high-level management.

20

äApproximately 85% of professional expats work for international firms.

ä Largest proportions in sales and marketing (30%), banking and financial services (25%), engineering (15%) and 8% in education.

Snapshots

öInvestment from European Union countries reached US$7.2 billion by then, while investment from the US was US$3.4 billion.21

Q New sectors are opening up for overseas investors and companies as priorities shift.23

Q Increasing urbanization is leading to more economic growth.24

Q Large trained labour pool and very low employment costs.25

17. http://www.china.org.cn/china/2013-01/09/content_27630934.htm18. http://www.chinadailyasia.com/news/2013-11/06/content_15096915.html19. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/28/world/asia/foreign-students-seek-internships-in-

china.html?pagewanted=all20. https://www.yoyochinese.com/blog/Top-6-Jobs-China-Foreigners21. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/16/us-china-economy-fdi-

idUSBREA0F0EI2014011622. http://www.openchina.co.uk/advantages.html23. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/11/05/china-leads-in-foreign-direct-

investment/24. http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/invest_china.asp25. http://www.chinabizservices.com/news/2013/0628/17.html

26. http://www.china.org.cn/top10/2012-12/13/content_27404677.htm 100 cities were evaluated according to 8 criteria

27. http://www.forbes.com/sites/russellflannery/2012/01/30/forbes-chinas-top-100-public-small-businesses-for-2012/

28. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-us-china-business-council-report-on-the-top-ten-issues-with-doing-business-in-china-2011-10?op=1#10-market-access-for-the-services-sector-financial-legal-information-telecom-1

29. http://www.chinabizservices.com/news/2013/0628/17.html30. http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-advantages-to-living-in-China-compared-to-

living-in-the-US31. http://www.teachaway.com/teach-english-china/living-china32. http://news.at0086.com/Life-Assistant/Ten-Reasons-for-Foreign-People-Choosing-to-

Live-in-China.html

Sources

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p Wuxi: Jinchang Royal Garden p Nanjing Library

ö The most popular city for business was Shanghai in 2012, followed by Hangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing, Ningbo, Beijing, Suzhou and Tianjin.26

PositivesP Major dynamic economy Many work

and study opportunities.29

P Home comforts Eating, shopping & entertainment in big cities similar to home countries.

P Cost of living Low, particularly outside bigger cities (but see opposite).

P Rents in cities are cheaper than in big North American cities.

P Services Utilities and domestic help are affordable.30

P Public transport All kinds, including taxis, are cheap.31

P Culture and travel Easy to enjoy with many interesting sites.32

P Food China has a vast range of delicious, inexpensive regional cuisines.33

NegativesO Language 56% of non-Chinese find learning the language difficult.34

O Local competition Near fluency in Mandarin plus local work experience are essential to come back for jobs, except for English teachers.

O Returnees More mainland students are returning with overseas university degrees, multiple languages and an international outlook. 186,200 such returnees last year.35

OQuality, ease and value of services Finding good basic facilities, eg schools, banks and clinics, is considered difficult by some westerners.

O Bureaucracy Complex visa and residency processes make it difficult for foreigners to work long-term in China.36

O Costs A 2014 survey found increased costs of living and education, and high levels of air pollution were causing foreigners to leave Beijing.37

O Censorship Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has suggested that China's prevention of free expression online may pose a threat to continuing economic progress and research.38

O Firewalls Blocked social media is a disincentive to youth.39

�Personnel demands means good workers are too few, leading to wage inflation.

�Administrative licensing means months of waiting for business licences and product approvals.

�Cost increases eg labour, materials, and inflation.

�Fierce competition with local companies because they are trying to improve quality control for product launch overseas.

�Intellectual property rights enforcement is improving, but a major concern.

�Standards and conformity assessment are especially complicated for foreign companies to protect local competitors reported.

�Restrictions on inbound investments (i.e. ownership limits) exist even where investment is “encouraged”.

�Lack of transparency is a key factor in almost all other problems.

�Discrimination favours domestic enterprise.

�Market access is difficult for services sector (financial, legal, information, telecoms).

Challenges: top 10 problems of doing business in China28

ANDPOSITIVES NEGATIVES

ö The most popular business sectors are technological research and development, automation, education, biotechnology, ecology and environment, power and energy, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.27

33. http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-advantages-to-living-in-China-compared-to-living-in-the-US

34. http://www.expatexplorer.hsbc.com/files/pdfs/overall-reports/2012/report.pdf35. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/world/asia/13iht-sreducjobfair13.

html?pagewanted=all&_r=036. http://www.chinadailyasia.com/news/2013-11/06/content_15096915.html

37. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/09/29/china-wants-to-know-why-foreigners-are-fleeing-beijing/

38. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lindsay-hoffman/internet-censorship-a-thr_b_4395167.html

39. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/business/international/china-clamps-down-on-web-pinching-companies-like-google.html

Sources

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March 2015 |

Scratch is a graphical programming language which kids use to code by the drag-and-drop method, using programming blocks that look much like jigsaw puzzle pieces. It provides a digital sandbox where kids learn the basics in less than an hour. Next comes a free hand to create multimedia and interactive projects such as games, animations and slideshows.

The importance of learning to code with languages such as Scratch has been stressed in Hong Kong as part of programming education. It appears in the government’s 2014 Digital 21 Strategy public consultation document from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, and in The Fourth Strategy on Information Technology in Education consultation document from the Education Bureau. The latter not only suggests making coding a required part of the curriculum but also expressly advises schools to allocate at least 30% of time teaching computer literacy to programming concepts at junior secondary level.

Coding means computer programming, combining computer comprehensible “codes” in logical ways to carry out tasks: anything from alarm clock setting to game and animation design to robot control. The IT knowledge and skills being taught in schools today is mostly about using existing

technology, much of which, sadly, is unlikely to be transferable even after software updates. To empower kids as power-users of technology, capable of keeping pace with the latest technology-driven learning revolution, they need to be offered computational thinking and problem solving skills instead of just soon-to-be-obsolete, low-end, user guides. Facilitating them as life-long learners who are competent to adapt to the changing world of the future means teaching them to code. Then, they will not only be able to use, but also to modify or create with new technology that barely exists today.

Thanks to the high quality, mostly free resources available online, children can start learning to code as soon as they are capable of recognizing symbols and understanding the basic logic of cause and effect. In fact, lots of coding activities are already taking place at kindergartens around the world. At this stage coding just involves dragging and connecting up icons into logical sequences to create a short animation, nothing too complicated. Older kids can choose from learning the basic concepts of coding in an hour to designing their own game or animation using a digital sandbox. They can create an interactive slideshow with their own voices and pictures, or build a robotic model using programmable bricks.

Coding is hot in kids’ education. Countries like the US, UK and Singapore already have coding as a vital element in their elementary curriculum. Is Hong Kong dragging its heels?

Certainly not at HKFYG’s LEAD where Scratch starts kids coding early.

learn it while it’s hotby Edmond HuiTeam Leader, HKFYG’s LEAD

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More information on coding:Alice (3D coding language by Carnegie Mellon University) www.alice.orgCode.org http://code.org/Code-to-Learn Foundation http://codetolearn.org/Computer Science Unplugged http://csunplugged.org/Kodu (3D coding language by Microsoft FUSE Labs) kodugamelab.com/Learn the concepts in just one hour! csedweek.org/Scratch online community for creative learning scratch.mit.eduScratch App Inventor from MIT Media Lab, for Android appinventor.mit.edu/explore/ScratchEd online community for parents and educators scratched.gse.harvard.edu/ScratchJr for kindergarten kids now available for iPad scratchjr.org/

First Hong Kong Scratch workshops for teachers and students with MIT

Set a new Guinness World Record for the Largest Game Design Lesson on LEAD annual Scratch Day

LEAD books translated into seven languages for Asia, Europe and North AmericaDetails at http://lead.hkfyg.org.hk/page.aspx?corpname=lead&i=1596

In preparation Polish and French versions

Scratch resources hosted by Harvard UniversityGo to http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/super-scratch-programming-adventure-excerpt

Scratch resources hosted by UK National STEM Centre’s eLibrary Go to http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/resource/11401/super-scratch-programming-adventure

Four Scratch books published in Chinese

2012-2014

2013

2015

Early 2006

2009-2014

2011

LEAD’s Scratch Milestones

1. Trigger motivation with project-based workshops on coding as a new language

2. Equip kids with computational thinking and logical, problem-solving mindset

3. Teach only what’s needed no matter how powerful the programming language

4. Give opportunity to explore and experience rather than step-by-step instructions

5. Support kids’ efforts to freely express creatively, with personal meaning

6. Show them what they can do, rather than tell them what they should do

7. Arrange time for sharing and appreciation

8. Encourage kids to solve problems with support from peers and online resources

9. Shift the role of teacher from instructor to coach and facilitator

10. Vary the form of learning: class, group, extra-curriculum club, project competition, showcase, or as a volunteer service with the needy

11. Integrate coding elements into learning other subjects such as language, mathematics, science, art and music

12. Explain to fellow teachers and parents the value and power of coding

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To-do list in coding education

HKFYG’s Learning through Engineering, Art and Design (LEAD) project was set up 10 years ago in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab. This pioneer creative education initiative promotes coding education in Hong Kong. LEAD has conducted hundreds of workshop sessions for thousands of students and teachers on Scratch – MIT’s coding language. Designed for anyone aged eight or older, the emphasis is on local schools’ needs and continuous support for curriculum or activity design.

LEADing by Example

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A 2014 report suggests that social media have nurtured a phenomenon where individuals suppress their own views if they believe they differ from those of family, friends, colleagues or community.

Today there are many instances where we limit what we say publicly. We don’t want to break the law, risk a lawsuit or offend people unnecessarily. However,

when we do this out of fear – fear that “the powers that be” might punish us for speaking openly, or add what we have written to a secret dossier that might affect our future— the effects are insidious.

Self-censorship is widely practised today, not only by authors, publishers and creative artists, but also by users of social media. Indeed, the internet and social media have an important role in the free expression of opinion and discussion – as well as in the dissemination of propaganda. But these media are also a source of threats, bullying and intimidation. They can be used as tools for the repression of free speech.

Fear of isolation

In some cases, ordinary people now feel unable to say what they believe for fear of retribution, and since young people are the preponderant users of social media they may feel this repression more than most. There was once hope that platforms like facebook and Twitter could provide discussion venues which would allow those with minority views the freedom to express them more openly,

broadening public discourse and adding new perspectives to discussion. Maybe we now need to qualify this viewpoint. A report1 from the Pew Research Center in 2014 suggests that social media have nurtured a phenomenon where individuals suppress their own views if they believe they differ from those of family, friends, colleagues or community. It is known as the “spiral of silence.”

Online cues such as “Likes” make us more aware of how others perceive us and subtly influence what we post online. The permanence of opinions online also inhibits free expression because posts may be found later by prospective employers. The report suggests that these mechanisms can create an atmosphere online where the most fervently

Beware the spiral of silence

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Beware the spiral of silence

educators explain them to students? Many countries have laws balancing the various fundamental personal rights and freedoms to control abuses of free speech when it amounts to defamation or offensive behaviour, or incites violence, racial hatred or treason. This is generally accepted as a good thing, especially when it prevents harm such as libel, violence or child pornography.

However, when fear causes self-censorship, freedom of speech withers and the public loses the valuable opportunity to express new ideas. If people are afraid of offending the rich and the powerful, their government is failing to protect them. When fear of bullying, ridicule or ostracism alone, not to mention physical violence, engender self-censorship, the task of offering guidelines for the young becomes even more challenging. Perhaps it is here that faith and courage need to be called upon to light up the path towards a better future.

by Ho But-lam

held views are the most likely to be aired, while individuals with moderate or dissenting outlook become more reticent, fearing isolation. The report also showed that social media actually stifle discussion on important issues and have a knock-on effect on real-life conversation.

Offence or prudence

Of course, what is considered offensive varies from one country or region to the next. It may be simply a matter of opinion. Some people react violently to cartoons depicting religious or political leaders, as in the murder by Islamic extremists of writers and cartoonists of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. This case led many to question the level of press freedom and whether it might be more prudent to refrain from publishing anything that might cause offence. Others may be offended by the oppression of women, polygamy, racism or overt corruption. In mainland China, as social tensions seem to grow in parallel with the proliferation of social media, the task of controlling the flow of bad news is very onerous and one which also may well involve an expectation of self-censorship.

Most thinking people accept there must be limits on what can be said publicly, but what form should those limits take, and how can Hong Kong’s

Sources 1. http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/08/26/social-media-and-the-spiral-of-silence/

2. “Self-censorship ‘common’ in Hong Kong newspapers.” South China Morning Post, 23 April 2104.

A 2013 Hong Kong survey2 which resulted in the first Hong Kong Press Freedom Index reports that, “On a scale of zero to 10, where 10 indicates "very common", journalists rated media self-censorship at 6.9, while the public gave 5.4...” The index was based on a University of Hong Kong poll and interviews with journalists. It took place before the democracy demonstrations and the incidents involving the dismissal of an outspoken radio host and a brutal attack on a newspaper editor.

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A taste of classical harpT

hanks to the Friends of the Harp Charitable Foundation, learning to play the harp will soon become a reality for underprivileged youngsters in Tin Shui Wai.

Learning to play classical music on a beautiful instrument like the harp is well beyond the expectations of many needy Hong Kong children. But for Tin Shui Wai students who take part in a new sponsored Federation programme it is no longer a dream.

Lam Yan-yee (eight years old) and Wong Pui-ying (nine years old) both go to school in Tin Shui Wai. They come from low-income, local families who receive government assistance for school expenses. Pui-ying says she thinks the harp is quite wonderful, so graceful to look at and so lovely to listen to. “That’s why I wanted to play it. I’ve never played any instrument before and it’s so exciting!

Yan-yee is just as enthusiastic. “I learned the flute at school but the harp is very different. Picking the right strings is a bit difficult but I love the way the harp looks and the sound it makes. I hope one day I will be able to play my favourite, Bach’s Ave Maria.”

The girls’ instructor is Miss Yummy Yam, an experienced harp teacher from Kowloon. She is equally delighted. “Music is like love for me. I want to share it through the harp with these children.”

The girls had their first experience of a harp being played live at a performance by volunteers at the HKFYG Jockey Club Tin Yuet Youth SPOT last Christmas. Poon Chui-wa, one of the young

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Culture, food & health| March 2015

Friends of the Harp Charity Foundation (FOTH)

This splendid collaboration of the HKFYG Jockey Club Tin Yuet Youth SPOT with the Friends of the Harp Charity Foundation (FOTH) is funded by the Drs Richard Charles & Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation.

“We hope this effort under the leadership of HKFYG can widen access to harp music education in the district, that it will inspire youngsters, give them a sense of achievement and a wonderful way to connect with audiences.”

Ms Adeline Ching Board Member, FOTH

More details at: http://www.friendsoftheharp.org/pages/index.asp?lang=en&sid=12&pg=dep_about_us_organization

An ancient Chinese harp

The konghou (箜篌; pinyin: kōnghóu) is an ancient Chinese harp which was played until the Ming Dynasty. It was revived in the 20th century as a double bridge harp which does not resemble the ancient konghou, but is similar to the western concert harp.

p Detail of a Ming Dynasty painting by Qiu Ying, showing a woman playing a konghou, early 16th century.

volunteers, said how happy she was, “to have the chance to show Tin Shui Wai people how beautiful it is.” Emily Tse, another volunteer, said that “Music is medicine for my mind. It is one of the great loves of my life and I hope my playing brought joy to other lives too.”

A second promotional programme of classical harp music takes place in June 2015. The low-cost classes continue till August 2015. Contact Jolene or Sunny, tel 2445 5777, or visit tyt.hkfyg.org.hk for details.

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Refusing your veggies may be common in some countries, but not in Hong Kong. Thousands flocked to the first ever local vegetarian expo

this spring, and it’s not only because fruit and vegetables are a lot cheaper than meat, says this young writer.

Going vegetarian

People become vegetarians for a variety of reasons including health, care for animals, personal preference and religion. Health often comes first. Vegetarians generally have a lower risk of cardiovascular and weight-related diseases because a vegetarian diet is lower in saturated fats and high in fibre. Studies show it is also linked to a longer lifespan and more energy. 1 “I feel fresh, my skin becomes revitalized and I don’t need to see the doctor as often,” says Vivi Cheung, a part-vegetarian or “flexitarian” food therapist and chef at the expo.

A vegetarian diet also has reputed health benefits because it cuts out growth hormones given to animals. “Do you know whether antibiotics or harmful chemicals have been injected into the meat on your dinner plate?” wonders Shara Ng, Chair of Hong Kong Vegan Association and founder of Meat Free Hong Kong. Another graphic mental image is provided by Mahesh Pamnani, a 49 year-old vegetarian at the expo. Quoting George Bernard Shaw, he says, “I choose not to make a graveyard of my body for the rotting corpses of dead animals.”

Packing in protein

One of the biggest questions about going vegetarian is how to get enough protein. The answer is to get essential nutrients from grains, legumes and nuts. Many non-vegetarians also fear that a sudden change in diet might cause cravings for meaty flavours, but Ken from Happy Cow4 tells a different story. He believes the taste of meat dishes results from the addition of spices and other added flavours. “If I gave you a piece of raw steak off the shelf, would you be willing to eat it?” Besides, adding a tasty flavour to vegetarian dishes is less of a hurdle nowadays, with a variety of products on the market such as vegetarian tempeh and various soybean products which add taste sensations.

by Joy Pamnani

Small changes, new health

Four major

vegetarian diets

Ovo includes eggs but no dairy produce

Lacto-ovo includes

dairy produce and eggs but no

meat Lacto

includes dairy produce but no eggs or meat

Vegan excludes all

dairy products and eggs

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The UN calls on people to consider a vegan diet to combat climate change and reduce world hunger.

2 Cows’ digestion process

releases methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat and is one of the biggest culprits behind global warming. Meat production also translates into a lot of wasted water. According to FoodTank,

3 producing a mere pound of

pork takes up 2,180 litres gallons of water. Producing a pound of corn takes only 410 litres.

Black Mushroom with Broccoli

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:10 Chinese black mushrooms200g broccoli3 tablespoons blended sesame oil6 cloves garlic, pounded1/2" ginger, pounded1 teaspoon chilli paste

Sauce:1 cup water1 tablespoon dark soy sauce1 tablespoon light soy sauce1 tablespoon white vinegar1 1/2 level tablespoons cornflour(mix all the ingredients)

Steps: 1. Soak mushrooms for 30 minutes and cut in half.

Discard stems.2. Heat oil in a wok. Add garlic, ginger and chilli paste.

Fry for a minute.3. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for a few minutes4. Add the mushrooms, salt and prepared sauce. Cook over

a medium flame, stirring carefully till the sauce thickens. Serve with steamed rice.

Nissa Marion, editor-in-chief of EcoZine, adopts a “flexitarian” diet like Vivi Cheung, allowing herself the occasional meaty snack while maintaining the ultimate goal of becoming a true vegetarian or vegan. “I have to admit, veganism is challenging. Getting into the habit of no meat in one go is like going cold turkey, so I’m going step by step!” she says.

Some people complain about the lack of vegetarian restaurants in Hong Kong, but recently, companies like Happy Cow have been providing vegetarian restaurant details and reviews on their website. However, according to Ken, “Although a lot of people aren’t initially very receptive to vegan food it’s because of poor past experience. They shouldn’t base their conclusions on just one meal.” Like Nissa and Vivi, they should take it gradually.

I’ve been a vegetarian since birth. I don’t think animals deserve to be killed for us to enjoy eating them. However, I do agree that making a huge shift in diet is not easy. Instead, try making small changes. They can make big differences. Many private sector companies have Meat-free Mondays, for example. You can too. Next Monday, try a veggie meal. Who knows, you might just spare an animal, save a few hundred litres of water, or contribute to a clearer future sky.

Remember the lyrics in The Gregory Brothers and Kid President song, “The world can be better, in spite of all its flaws. The world can be better, and you can be the cause.”

Sources1. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12936945

2. theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

3. foodtank.com/news/2013/12/why-meat-eats-resources

4. http://www.happycow.net/asia/china/hong_kong/hong_kong_island/

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In China, several million people have a cleft lip or cleft palate and it is estimated that at least 30,000 are born that way every year. That’s

one in every 350, says Anita Stangl of Alliance for Smiles, a charity that gives them free corrective surgery.

“There is a higher prevalence of cleft lip or palate (CLP) in China and in South and Central Asia,” says Anita, more than double the rate in Europe and the US. “There is a definite genetic link but the exact cause has not been pinned down yet.” Dr Colin Wong from Hong Kong is the President of Alliance for Smiles (AfS). He retired from a dentistry career in California in 2000 and has been helping CLP children since, especially those in China where he understands and negotiates the cultural differences.

Small international teams of volunteers have made great efforts on behalf of those with CLP in deprived areas but one of the goals of AfS is to set up centres where local care providers can be trained to offer treatment and follow-up in the patients’ own communities. Training includes surgery, nursing, oral hygiene and anaesthesia but surgery has a very steep learning curve. It is the first step. Then there needs to be coordinated ongoing treatment, including dentistry, speech therapy, sometimes repeat surgery and psychological counselling.

　April 2007 　　Jiujiang

　November 2009 　　Wenzhou

　November 2011 　　Harbin

　September 2013 　　Zunyi

　September 2014 　　Guiyang

Treatment centres opened in China by Alliance for Smiles

Repairing broken

p Father and son, before

p Father and son, after

p oral hygienist with patients

smiles

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AfS has a multi-pronged approach. Four to six teams go to China in the spring and autumn. Each team has about 15 medical volunteers, supported by approximately five non-medical volunteers. “We usually treat 70 to 90 cases in a two-week period. Two plastic surgeons, three anaesthesiologists, nurses, usually a dentist and a dental hygienist make up the clinical team. Other members include coordinators and young volunteers who can be record keepers, photo journalists, sterilizers or quartermasters,” says Anita. Teams who are locally trained then handle ongoing care.

Dr Colin Wong coordinates the teams with the institutions, but he also forms special bonds with the children who are treated. “I tell people I have 4,000 grandchildren in China. They all call me Grandpa Wong.”

Negative stereotyping afflicts youngsters with clefts but in fact, there are no hard and fast rules about them.

• Somepeoplethinkthatchildrenbornwithacleftliporpalatewillinevitably have learning difficulties. This is not the case.

• Somepeopleregardachildbornwithacleftliporpalateasbeingdisabled, perhaps because some have speech or hearing difficulties.

• Somethinkthatthesechildrendon’ttryhardenoughtospeak properly, if they are not severe cases.

• Someprefertothinkofacleftliporpalateasaninconvenience,sometimes a major inconvenience and sometimes a distressing one.

• Itisalsooftenassumedthatlevelsofdistressaredirectly linked to the degree of disfigurement. Actually, this varies according to peoples’ reactions.

Source

http://www.clapa.com/docs/pdf_downloads/CLAPA_School_Years.pdf

Myths about clefts

More details www.allianceforsmiles.org

Alliance for Smiles works closely with the China Population Welfare Foundation: http://www.cpwf.org.cn/en/cooperation4.asp

Volunteering http://www.allianceforsmiles.org/content/get-involved-0

e-mail: [email protected]

General Enquiries Alliance for Smiles, Inc 2565 Third Street, Suite 237 San Francisco CA 94107

tel 415.647.4481 e-mail: [email protected]

p Anita Stangl, CEO, Alliance for Smiles

p Dr Colin Wong, President, Alliance for Smiles, with a volunteer and a patient

p Volunteer, Tina Hollcroft, with a patient

• A cross-cultural study including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Norway, looked at psychosocial impact in over 2,000 adolescents and adults with CLP. It found that individuals in Shanghai appeared to be the most negatively affected and individuals in Hong Kong appeared to be least affected: cpcjournal.org/doi/full/10.1597/09-046

• A study on the effects on Hong Kong parents of having a child with CLP: http://repository.lib.polyu.edu.hk/jspui/handle/10397/3635

• A blog by a Hong Kong parent: http://cleftliphongkong.blogspot.hk/

Further reading

C lare joined four friends for a 3,000km journey by motorized rickshaw, up the east coast of India on behalf of an Indian

NGO called Educate Girls. In this opinion piece, she writes about a life-changing experience.

Indian journey

In two brightly painted rickshaws, we set out on a mission to find out what child marriage means, and to learn about child labour and the lack of education for girls in rural India. We got stuck in countless city traffic jams, drove past endless stretches of white sandy beach, skirted vineyards and breathtaking canyons, and searched over and over for mechanics to fix those rickety rickshaws. A couple of weeks later, when we honked our way out of throbbing Mumbai, I was a changed person.

We visited six schools in south, middle and northwestern India. Some visits were arranged in advance by an Indian friend and founder of the Global Discovery school projects. We learnt how to connect with the local people, with cameras and smiles, handshakes, toys and pens, then we gave them our leaflets in Hindi explaining our goal.

Often we were invited home for chai, the local tea simmered with milk and sugar. There was often much excitement when we said we wanted

to help more girls stay at school. Some people were enthusiastic and optimistic, but others would say how hard it was. A few seemed intimidated by the idea and in some cases, they fell completely silent and just walked away.

Girls: not a good investment

We learned a lot about complex Indian cultural and social issues and why some girls dropped out of school in Grade 9 because their parents didn’t think it was a good investment. [School is free up to Grade 8 in India but then costs Rps 500 (HK$80) per month.] Females are not supposed to work outside home. If they look for jobs they often cannot find one with fair pay. It shocked me to discover the strength of gender discrimination in rural areas where girls rarely leave the household, instead leading lives of drudgery, cooking, cleaning, and raising babies. Only men work for an income and we would pass through villages where there was not a girl in sight.

Arranged marriage is a cultural norm. Giggly schoolgirls asked whether I wanted an arranged marriage or a love marriage. Even if a girl gets to university, she just wants to get married. As a male 25 year-old university graduate scientist explained, “I am getting married next year. I don’t know

by Clare Wong

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to whom but my family will choose much more wisely than I can.” Then, a 16 year-old girl told me, “In two years I will be married. I would pick somebody tall and handsome, but my father is very wise. He will pick a husband for me who has a good job, financial stability and doesn’t get drunk.”

Change and liberation

Empowerment is what these girls need. Many went to school to get free food, uniforms and books but they rarely learned about the possibility of a career or a life free of traditional cultural boundaries. Without empowerment, whether they are educated or not, they and their parents wait until they are of marriageable age and then they become what they are supposed to be – labour for a husband’s household.

I became more and more concerned until I met Dimpal Rawal. She was very different. Five years ago she would not dare to express an opinion to her father. Then she became a volunteer with Team Balaika of Educate Girls. Since then, her entire family has made a cultural shift. Her father is supportive and committed to dealing with peer pressure from other villagers. Her brother has promised to pay for her education, and her mother and aunts listen to her because they respect her transformation. Volunteers like Dimpal showed us how change begins with local motivators structuring locally-oriented solutions.

Pass on the message

Eventually, in the desert of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, the journey ended. Was it really an ending? No, it was a beginning. The experience gave us the skills to take on more volunteer work in future, to tell people what we learned, especially Indian girls best placed to pass on the message. We are making a documentary to raise awareness and funds for Educate Girls in India, to motivate parents to keep their girls at school, to follow up with village schools, and check on girls’ educational level and literacy rates. The goal is to empower girls to achieve their dreams and then go back to their own villages and empower more girls like themselves.

Indian

p Clare with friends (from left) Thomas, Philippe, Paul and Sofia

p Secondary school in the mountain village of Sagarby Clare Wong

Educate Girls is an Indian NGO founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain. It aims to tackle issues at the root of gender inequality in India’s education system.

More details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educate_Girls

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In Hong Kong, more than 700 people live out on the streets according to the Social Welfare Department1. A recent study showed the number is growing, yet it is a minor issue where government policy-making is concerned.

Homelessness breeds other problems. Living on the street means losing your sense of identity, your self-esteem and self-confidence, as well as losing social ties. According to Dr Au Wing-Kwong, Administrative Head, Social Work Department, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, “The longer people are street-sleepers, the weaker their ability to work and their life skills become.” On top of this there are problems of environmental hygiene and public security.

Inflation and high rents

According to a study by the Society for Community Organization in 2012, 58% of the homeless say they live on the street because they have no job. 11% are underemployed and their jobs are low-paid.2 Given the average inflation rate of 3%3 over the past 10 years, their purchasing power keeps decreasing. Although the minimum wage means a certain income for those in work, it does little to improve quality of life.

Studies have shown that the average monthly income of a homeless person is about HK$5,000.4 In order to rent a flat in Hong Kong you need to pay the equivalent of three months’ rent in

advance. Yet it costs on average HK$4,000 a month for an 80 square-foot sub-divided flat in Sham Shui Po, an area of serious urban decay. Furthermore, there are fewer legal accommodation options nowadays. Even the notorious cage homes are becoming difficult to find and rooftop metal shacks are prohibited.

Deep-rooted pressure

Personal problems are another driver of homelessness. Recent findings show that about 10% of the homeless are drug abusers. 30% have not been in touch with relatives for more than a year and about 10% are in conflict with families.5 Moreover, some live on the street to escape debts or because they have been kicked out of the family home.

A vicious cycle results. You have little or no income so you have no fixed address. Without

by Sam Ip

H ome means comfort and shelter. But what if you don’t even have the money to rent somewhere to call home? What would you do? Become a street sleeper? This young writer tries to imagine it.

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proof of address, Hong Kong’s welfare safety net, the Comprehensive Social Security Scheme, will only provide you with HK$1,500 a month. That does not cover even basic expenses. You have no choice but to sleep on the street.

To get a brief taste of what it might be like, I spent a night on the streets of Sham Shui Po last summer. We started by collecting waste cardboard from shops to sleep on. Then it began to rain heavily. We panicked, but eventually the rain stopped and we were lucky to find a place in a park where we could get comfortable.

That was a turning point for me. It made me think hard about how street sleepers survive, not just about achievement for myself.

Answers to homelessness

Hong Kong has outstanding public education, housing and healthcare. It is time for the government to take a more active role and be more flexible in the allocation of resources. For example, more services like job counselling and empowerment projects, including those offered by NGOs, could help the homeless find jobs with fair pay. A home of their own could follow.

Hong Kong is supposed to be a home for all of us, to fulfil a basic need. As we young people are the future working generation, it is up to us to find answers for the future.

Homeless people in other large citiesNew York has an estimated 53,0006 homeless in a total population of approx. 8.4m

Shanghai has 12,0007 (indicative figure) homeless out of a total population of approx .23.9m.8

Tokyo has 1,768 (official) or 5,000 (unofficial estimate)9 homeless in a total metropolitan area population of approx. 37m

Sources1. Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR (CSD). Women and Men in Hong Kong - Key Statistics, 2014. http://www.statistics.gov.hk/pub/B11303032014AN14B0100.pdf.

2. Society for Community Organization (SoCO). 香港非綜援露宿者研究報告. 2012

3. CSD. Annual Report on the Consumer Price Index, 2013. http://www.statistics.gov.hk/pub/B10600022013AN13B0100.pdf).

4. SoCO. 香港非綜援露宿者研究報告. 2012.

5. SoCO. 香港非綜援露宿者研究報告. 2012

6. https://www.bowery.org/homelessness/

7. Indicative statistic based on national NGO forum report. http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Around_Town-Around_Town/8942/Reporter-Begging-in-Shanghai.html.

8. http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/shanghai-population/

9. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/08/23/editorials/homeless-risk-attack-tokyo/#.VN7eqfmUdMc

Other readingThe Hong Kong Council of Social Service. (2012) 露宿者的房屋需要. http://www.hkcss.org.hk/uploadfileMgnt/0_2013725162711.pdf

Legislative Council, HKSAR. (2011) LC Paper No. CB (2)1177/10-11(01). http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr10-11/english/panels/ca/papers/ca1220cb2-1177-1-e.pdf

Sam Ip Year 2

Hong Kong Shue Yan University You have little or no income so you have no fixed address. Without proof of address, Hong Kong’s welfare safety net will only provide you with HK$1,500 a month.

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The government levy1 on plastic shopping bags means that shop customers pay HK$0.50 for each one. So far, the scheme has generated HK$26.5 million, much less than the expected HK$200 million.

Is the scheme working well so far? The good news is a 90% reduction in the number of bags handed out by supermarkets. Conscientious shoppers take empty bags with them and many brand name retailers give away attractive reusable bags. The environmentally aware save these bags. In fact, many of us have far more than we need.

Does this help? Maybe not. The soft bags many of us now carry in our backpacks and briefcases are known as “non-woven bags” and despite the fact that they appear to be cloth-like, they are actually made of plastic. We use them for longer, but they require even more resources to make than the old kind of plastic bag.

Annual income from the government levy is equivalent to the 51 million plastic shopping bags at HK$0.50 each, but that represents only 14% of the bags still being disposed of. This will change from 1 April when all traders are included in the scheme, up from 3,500 to 100,000.

Bring Your Own Bags

We think this means everyone will want to make the best use possible of their old bags. To encourage this, HKFYG has a pilot scheme

for shopping bag sharing. The scheme is run with the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) at three HKFYG Youth SPOTs. The goal? Maximum reuse of bags, reduction of ad hoc purchase of bags and more space for you at home when you clear out your bag drawer!

The project runs till mid-April 2015. Help us make it work. You can drop a bag off or pick one up.

Hong Kong supermarkets have been charging a levy on plastic bags for five years. Now phase two of this scheme is imminent, but how well did the first phase work?

Environmental or not? According to a survey by Green Sense, a Hong Kong charity, 30% of people do not know what the new-style non-woven bags are made from. In fact, their production involves many types of plastic and chemical solvents. 40% of those surveyed said they had more than 10 such bags at home not in regular use2.

Sources1. http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/psb/en/index.html

2. http://www.greensense.org.hk/plasticbag/subpage4b.php

Shopping bag sharingby William Wong, Environment Officer, HKFYG

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EP_School_Directory_197x144.pdf 1 3/3/15 11:41 AM

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Have spare bags? Need one? Drop-take-shareHKFYG Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth SPOT, G/F, Restaurant Block Ping Shek Estate, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.

Tel 2325 2383 Opening hours

Monday

2pm - 6pm

Tuesday to Saturday

2pm - 10pm

Jockey Club Verbena Youth SPOT Podium Levels 1 and 2 Block 2, Verbena Heights, 8 Mau Tai Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories

Tel 2997 0321

Tsuen King Youth SPOT G/F & 1/F, Block 10, Tsuen King Garden 76-84 Tsuen King Circuit Tsuen Wan, New Territories

Tel 2498 3333

Further detailsHKFYG GoGreen website : http://gogreen.hkfyg.org.hk/HKFYG GoGreen Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HKFYG.GoGreen

A few years ago, Youth Hong Kong reported on voluntary English teaching in the HKFYG Tin Shui Wai

primary school. Always partnered charitably by HSBC, it is now into its fifth year and going strong.

The Volunteer English Teaching Programme at the HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School (LSKPS) in Tin Shui Wai relies on the generously given time of a group of expat spouses and partners from HSBC. “It has gone from strength to strength,” says Mrs Camay Wong, the scheme’s initiator and inspiration. “Motivating the ladies was the first step, but the programme really got into its stride quickly and has been more rewarding than I could ever have dreamt.”

Principal Mr Kenneth Law Yue-kwan is delighted with its success. As he says, “The children treasure the chance of meeting the volunteers and are inspired to do better. This is of great significance in their overall development.”

Mrs Carolyn Feeney, who has been directing the programme since 2013, says‚ “It is wonderful to see the children’s confidence grow. With the encouragement of the volunteers they gain a sense of success with every session. We have certainly come a long way since 2010 when there were two volunteers and 12 students. Last year we achieved 616 volunteer hours with 3,724 student contact hours!”

Making a difference in Tin Shui Wai

p Mrs Carolyn Feeney in class

p Principal, Mr Kenneth Law and Mrs Camay Wong overlook the students.

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This very worthwhile programme is a fine example of what can be achieved as a result of the combined efforts of a dedicated group of energetic people in close partnership with one another. HKFYG thanks HSBC sincerely for supporting the logistics which enable the programme to continue and hopes the fruitful work will continue for many years to come.

What the pupils say

Before, there wasn’t much chance to speak English. Now, we always get a turn and we can practise. A few months

ago I had my secondary school interview in English. I was offered a place at that school. I feel so lucky!

Vicky Ng, 6B

The opportunity to speak English has really helped me become confident. Like Vicky, I could practise

with the HSBC programme and when I did my secondary school interview I didn’t get stuck once!

Sam Liu, 6C

The volunteers always tell jokes in English. They use interesting ways to explain diff icult words. It makes

me much more curious about learning English!

Kelly Wong, 5B

I can practise my English vocabulary easily in these sessions and so I remember the words much better when I need to use them in written or oral exams.

Edwin Lam, 5A

I felt scared when I did my f irst presentation in English, but after a few tries I relaxed. Instead

of forgetting my vocabulary I practise, and learn new words too. With many English words in my

brain it is much easier to f ind the right one!

Eunice Heung, 5A

The children practise with each other as well as with their volunteer teachers. It is a rare opportunity and helps them prepare for challenging situations, such as interviews for secondary school admission.

Vice-Principal Ms Pelly Ng Pui-yee emphasized the extraordinary nature of the opportunity, so rare in Tin Shui Wai: to speak and read English in a kindly, encouraging environment. “The children could never otherwise have known what it is like to speak naturally to native English people. Now, they are not afraid of making mistakes. For some, this is an unforgettable experience. p Mrs Carolyn Feeney in class p Vice Principal, Ms Pelly Ng

p Principal, Mr Kenneth Law and Mrs Camay Wong overlook the students.

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What the volunteers say

“This programme benefits everyone, including the volunteers! It makes our day, and the gratitude from the teachers, parent helpers and students is humbling.”

Mrs Helen Peirce-Finken

“To have made a difference to so many young people’s lives has actually made a difference to my own as

well. I will remember this experience forever.”

Mrs Diane McKeown

“I expected it to be nerve-wracking but in fact I enjoy every minute. The children are so well behaved and a credit to their school.”

Mrs Kate Stafford

“That our English teaching has helped improve the school’s success rates is wonderful. Long may it continue!”

Mrs Andrea Angel

“I’d had no teaching or child-rearing experience and was quite nervous! But the students are impeccably polite, enthusiastic, engaging and eager to learn.”

Mrs Clare Drummond

“Seeing these diligent children change from being shy and reserved to comfortable and confident in their English after a few sessions

is testimony to the immense value of the programme. ”

Mrs Kavita Singh

“My motivation is the children’s reaction. We see gratitude written all over their faces at every session. It’s good for the soul.”

Mrs Mel Banks

“I am proud and honoured to be running this inspirational programme that has helped so many children and has been supported by so many volunteers over the years.”

Mrs Carolyn Feeney

Mrs Camay Wong is the wife of Peter Wong Tung-shun, JP, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Asia-Pacific. The other ladies quoted above have been volunteers for several years. Most volunteers come from England, although a few are native English-speakers from countries such as India.

Summing up, Mrs Camay Wong said, “Seeing the smiles on the faces of the students, volunteers, teachers and parents, I know I made the right decision five years ago when I suggested to my husband that I would like to start this special volunteer programme.”

For the ladies who volunteer, the experience of visiting a school in the Northwest New Territories of Hong Kong was enlightening. Their heart-felt comments bear witness to the rewards of taking part.

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Ten thousand galloping horseslinking a master of yesteryear with children of today

This year is the 120th anniversary of Xu Beihong’s birth and the 130th anniversary of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s establishment. Both are famous for their relationship with horses, the inspiration behind the creative “Ten Thousand Galloping Horses, United With One Heart” project.

To celebrate the anniversaries, HKFYG is hosting an installation art and education project with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as main sponsor. It uses Xu Beihong’s Galloping Horse as a blueprint for 10,000 papier mâché eco-horse sculptures, decorated imaginatively during the Year of the Horse by pupils and social celebrities at over 100 schools, art studios and Youth SPOTs. Members of the public in Hong Kong, Taiwan and on the mainland also took part.

The work of Xu Beihong (1895 – 1953) provides the concept of a link between the “master of yesteryear and the children of today.” Xu combined Chinese brush and ink techniques with western perspective and methods of composition, integrating firm and bold brush strokes with the precise delineation of form. As an art teacher, he advocated the subordination of technique to artistic conception, emphasizing the importance of the artist’s experiences in life.

Exhibition venues for decorated horses2-5 April, at Concourse, HKJC Sha Tin Racecourse

11-24 April, at Sky Dome Atrium. Discovery Park, Tsuen Wan

The top 100 will go forward as installation art and the best eight will receive awards.

Announcement of winners 2 April Concourse, HKJC Sha Tin Racecourse

協辦主辦主要贊助

策略夥伴支持機構

日期： 2015 年 4 月 3 日至 4 月 5 日地點：沙田馬場 * 展示多幅徐悲鴻真跡畫作及一萬件青年創意藝術作品

日期： 2015 年 4 月 11日至 4 月 24日地點：愉景新城 Sky Dome * 展出四千件青年創意藝術作品

香港青年協會裝

置藝術及教育計劃

賽馬會﹁萬馬奔騰．萬眾一心﹂

M21.hk/10000horses裝置藝術展覽時間表及場地

PartnersCo-organizing partner: Xu Beihong Art Committee

Supporting Organizations: Education Bureau and Home Affairs Bureau, HKSARG

Strategic partners: M21, easyvolunteer.hk, Discovery Park, Tsuen Wan, Dah Sing Life, Weshare

Enquiries Rex Chan tel 3755 7021 / 2130 4000 web m21.hk/10000horses

Inspired by Xu Beihong

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Innovation

The new 8,000 square–foot HKFYG Social Innovation Unit will be launched soon in Wong Chuk Hang at the Genesis Building. It has a reserve of HK$2 million for seed funding and has co-working space at the low monthly rent of approximately HK$1,000 available for 70+ entrepreneurial social innovators aged 18-35. Those with business ideas and business plans are eligible to apply for seed funding and co-working space now. Shortlisted applications will be invited for interview by the end of May.

Focus points } Education

} Health

} Environmental protection

} Ageing issues

} Promotion of Social Cohesion

Main characteristics of the Centre’s work include:

P Advocacy of social innovation for problem-solving

P Incubation of entrepreneurial ideas to nurture growth

P Professional networking to widen business support

Address: 11/F Social Innovation Centre, Genesis Building, No 33-35 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong More details www.facebook.com/hkfyg.sic Enquiries 3755 7062

1 Entrepreneurship

The Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK) programme of the Federation provides interest-free loans, professional guidance and business networking support. Since it was established ten years ago, a cumulative total of more than HK$9 million has been granted in loans to help 257 young entrepreneurs with 155 businesses.Young people aged 18-35 can apply now for support.

Focus points } Enhanced, expanded support for young entrepreneurs

} New Young Entrepreneurs Chamber of Commerce bringing exciting opportunities

} Maximum interest-free loan raised from HK$100,000 to HK$150,000 and number of supported businesses increased to 30

} YBHK, as partner of the Qianhai Authority, nominates eligible young entrepreneurs to join the Qianhai E Hub and develop mainland businesses

} Five new social enterprise projects in Tin Shui Wai creating over 110 local jobs with expansion to other districts expected

} Education and enrichment of information about entrepreneurship including annual large scale career expo

More details ybhk.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries [email protected]

2

Co Create Hong Kong

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Creativity

M21 is a youth-oriented, interactive, multimedia web platform which connects with school and community networks and encourages youth in self-expression through participation in multimedia production.

Focus points } Understanding development in the context of global megatrends via sponsored multimedia production programmes centering on Hong Kong, mainland China, the Asia-Pacific region and the world

} Multi-media production competition on social policies to be launched as a channel for discussion on resolving social problems in October 2015

} Basic Law learning resource kits created by teachers and young people with interactive and practical multimedia tools

} 48-hourvideo-making with three annual competitions for the best video made in 48 hours by about 120 sponsored teams, focusing on value education

} Youth Speaker programme hosted by 10 invited speakers on social issues for 5minutes every last Saturday of the month

More details m21.hk Enquiries 3979 0000

A think tank will be established by 100 young participants of HKFYG leadership training programmes to help strengthen research and advocacy. By putting emphasis on analytical thinking and participation by the younger generation, it is expected that new ideas and suggestions on youth-related affairs will be put forward through an exchange of views and in-depth discussions. Research reports will be published on a regular basis.

Focus points } Youth Research Community with advisors, researchers and young leaders forming a unique platform to foster exchange of views

} Research areas:

� Economic development, employment and competitiveness

� Governance and constitutional development, relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China

� Education, social innovation and manpower training

� Housing needs, poverty and social development

More details syrc.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries 3755 7022

3 4

The HKFYG “Indicators of Youth Values 2014” revealed upward trends in young people’s confidence levels, in their potential creativity and ability to find employment or set up a business. Active youth participation and engagement are more evident too, although the

survey revealed a lack of self-efficacy to achieve change in public policies and a decreased sense of belonging. In response, four important elements of the Federation’s work are being brought

together in a new plan of action called Co Create Hong Kong. The keys are Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Creativity and the new Research & Youth Think Tank.

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Research & Youth Think Tank

Highlights � December Speaking

Enhancement Workshops

� December Winners-to-Winners Practice Sessions with Sir TL Yang English Language Ambassadors

� January Preliminary & Revival Rounds

� February Semi-finals

� 28 February Grand Final cum Awards Ceremony

� March 21stCentury•LenovoCup National High School & Primary School English Speaking Competition, Henan, China: two from each division representing Hong Kong

� May 2015 English-Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition, London: Edward Mak, Champion, EPS Senior Division 2015, to represent Hong Kong

Organizer The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

Co-organizer The English-Speaking Union (Hong Kong)

Sole Sponsor Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited

Supporting Organizations � Education Bureau, HKSARG

� Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR)

� Toastmasters International

� The Law Society of Hong Kong

� Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce

� Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence (HKACE)

� British Council

� 30SGroup

Effective Public Speakingat Hong Kong’s LARGEST English Public Speaking Contest

When I began public speaking I wanted to overcome my nervousness and push myself beyond my comfort zone. I’ve improved my skills and gained friends along the way. The other contestants gave me insight. Their diversity of topics in the early rounds was an eye-opener. I realized that good public speaking is not simply about fluency but is also about the originality and persuasiveness of your ideas.

Edward Mak, 16 King George V School　Champion, Senior Division

The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Standard Chartered Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest builds confidence and increases

fluency. Some of the 2015 winners say why.

There’s a good chance that one day you will have to make a speech, whoever you are. Many people fear it but I enjoy persuading a large audience to see an issue from my perspective. I don’t just want to win; I love public speaking and this contest has provided me with a platform.

Nusky Shazia Syeda, 15 Diocesan Girls’ School　Champion, Junior Division

This is one of the most demanding public speaking competitions in Hong Kong. It has taught me how to look at social issues from different perspectives and understand that the key is not just practice, or a well-written speech, but also confidence and effort.

Marcus Chow, 16 La Salle College　

2nd runner-up, Senior Division

This competition has improved my presentation skills and spoken English, an international language used in the political and commercial world. The 15-minute impromptu speech in the semi-finals seemed an impossible task but, through training and practice, impossible became possible!

Jasper Cheng, 13 PLK Choi Kai Yau School　

1st runner-up, Senior Division

I joined this competition to widen my horizons and learn from my fellow contestants and was honoured to have the opportunity to join the Sir TL Yang English Language Ambassador Programme. I can teach students with the best of the best — other top-notch winners of this competition.

Lo Kwan-yiu, 14 La Salle College　

2nd runner-up, Junior Division

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Cappella has evolved as fast as it has been adopted, in Hong Kong and around the world. Try a taste at the 2015 HKFYG Jockey Club Hong Kong International a cappella Festival, on now, and running till mid-April.

SLIXS (Germany) are well known for their unique style. It sets them apart from any genre clichés. With a powerful mix of jazz, pop

and funk, classical and world music, these six multi-talented voices rock audiences at concerts and festivals across Europe and Asia. Extensive international acclaim rates this sextet currently as one of the best vocal ensembles in the world. Acclaim includes Best Jazz Song of the Year (2008), Best Folk/World Song of the Year (2013) at the CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award), and two Ward Swingle Awards and three Golden Diplomas at “Vokal Total” (2006) in Graz, Austria.

EXIT (Korea) is a contemporary a cappella group whose name came from the idea that they want to free themselves and their

audiences from boring daily life through their performances. These five male singers won prizes in the 2012 Asian Cup a cappella Competition and the 2012 World Contemporary a cappella Competition. They offer themselves as role model to other young a cappella groups in the region with their vastly varied cross-genre repertoire that ranges from powerful hip-hop to soft ballad.

Jabberwocks (US) is an all-male a cappella group from Brown University that sings everything from 50s doo-wop,

to 60s Motown to contemporary pop. Aside from regular on-campus appearances, the Jabberwocks have sung everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Lincoln Center. They travel extensively, both at home and abroad, to cities such as Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Seoul, as well as making this second visit to Hong Kong. Numerous awards include tracks on the Best of Collegiate A Cappella (BOCA) albums and honours in the Contemporary A Cappella Recording (CARA) awards.

anytime, anywhere

The Hong Kong Melody Makers (Hong Kong) is a youth choir

established in 2004 by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups with sponsorship from The Dragon Foundation. Its aims are to reflect Hong Kong’s vivacity and give voice to the city’s cosmopolitan spirit. Choir members are dynamic young people with outstanding artistic talent who are guided by Mr Patrick Chiu, the group’s Artistic Director. Their shared passion for music can benefit the entire community and enrich Hong Kong’s cultural life by promoting choral and a cappella music.

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Rajaton means "boundless" in Finnish and the style of this six-voice a cappella

ensemble from Finland explains their name. They give about 100 concerts a year, at festivals, concert halls and churches. In their native Finland, Rajaton is a bona fide pop phenomenon, successfully bridging the gap between classical and mainstream. Of 13 albums to date, the last three are on the group's own record label, Boundless Records and last autumn, Rajaton celebrated 17 years of music-making with one double platinum, three platinum and eight gold sales are approaching 400,000 copies. Always seeking new challenges, they have performed with many other a cappella artists, including The King’s Singers and The Real Group, as well as in productions with film directors and choreographers. Their infectious energy, ability to entertain, passion for their art, and generosity of spirit have won acclaim from audiences and critics everywhere.

� Soprano: Essi Wuorela

� Soprano: Virpi Moskari

� Alto: Soila Sariola

� Tenor: Hannu Lepola

� Baritone: Ahti Paunu

� Bass: Jussi Chydenius

Official website http://www.rajaton.net/en/frontpage/

Listen at http://www.last.fm/music/Rajaton

Watch at http://goo.gl/6qeT25

App-cappella

Enroll Rehearsal Tools

Event Highlights

Download “app-cappella” from App store or Google Play

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is a producer, composer, arranger and mixing

engineer as well as vocalist. Hanjin has released five albums and written over 500 songs. He is a household name across Southeast Asia and Greater China, earning numerous prestigious titles such as the best singer/songwriter, outstanding musician, the best songwriter and the best jazz/blues artist. Time magazine described his singing as a "larger-than-life channelling of the already larger-than-life Sammy Davis Jr."

View at youtube.com/watch?v=MvoZz2DYIl8&index=3&list=PLIz7OWUAEHOGE3mxxxn

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Ambassador Hanjin Tan

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Programme

21 March 2015　4:00pm Piazza C, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

International a cappella Marathon A Cappella Relay from the East to the West

Admission free

22 March 2015 　4:00pm Sha Tin Town Hall Plaza

a cappella @ Sha Tin Town Hall PlazaYour daily-life a cappella

Admission free

23-25 March 2015 Live tour

Mobile a cappellaLet’s move with a cappella!

27 & 28 March 2015　8:00pm Queen Elizabeth Stadium Arena

International a cappella Extravaganza with pre-performance guided interactive talk

Tickets HK$100

11 April 2015　8:00pm Hong Kong City Hall Theatre

The Hong Kong Melody Makers ConcertDat’s Your SongOpen dress rehearsal before the show

Tickets HK$220, HK$150

13 April 2015　7:00pm GR1, Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Rajaton MasterclassDeadline Wednesday 1 April 2015

Apply at acappella.hkfyg.org.hk

14 April 2015　8:00pm Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall

Rajaton a cappella Master Series See back cover for ticketing

The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

“HKFYG Jockey Club a cappella Education

Programme” and the 2015 HKFYG Jockey Club

Hong Kong International a cappella Festival

have major sponsorship from The Hong Kong Jockey

Club Charities Trust.

• Secondary School a cappella demonstrations and training courses

• Leadership Training Scheme

• Hong Kong International a cappella Contest

• a cappella Workshop for Music Educators

• a ca-félla: a series of concerts in a cosy café environment

• a cappella Stage-for-Six: for individual singers to meet one another

• a cappella library: free loans of a cappella music scores and books, over 300 items in the collection

• a cappella Equipment Rental Service: high-quality amplifiers, wireless mikes, mixers and speakers

More details acappella.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries HKFYG Cultural Services Unit　　 tel 2395 5753　　email: [email protected]　　 facebook.com/fygaca

HKFYG Jockey Club a cappella Education Programme

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Programme Enquiries 節目查詢

March 28 - April 13

Soy-ink is made from soybeans and is both environmentally friendly and sustainable. Soy-ink is biodegradable and non-toxic.

Publisher :

The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups 香港青年協會 www.hkfyg.org.hk．www.m21.hk．www.u21.hk

Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong

Tel : 3755 7084．3755 7108．Fax : 3755 7155．Email : [email protected]．Website : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk

MARCH 21-APRIL 14

yhk 7 1 exploring options work and study in hong kong and the mainland

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