On 2 June 2006, the award ceremony for UN internship
in China was held in Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor
Edward Chen, Kwan-yiu, President of Lingnan University,
will host the ceremony as the Convener of HUCOM (Heads of
Universities Committee). This was the first time that graduate
students from Hong Kong have been accepted by the United
Nations Development Programme for internship in Beijing.
Guests of Honour: Dr. Patrick Ho, Secretary for Home Affairs,
representing the Hong Kong SAR Government, and Mr, Xie Xiaoyan,
Deputy Commissioner, representing the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Central Government. The Peace and Development
Foundation will be represented by its Chairman Miss Kathy
Chiu, JP, Cavaliere, Chairman of Prime Investment Group;
Joint Vice-Chairman Mr. Daniel R. Fung, SBS, SC, QC, JP;
Chairman of Broadcasting Authority; Joint Vice-Chairman
Mr. Charles Brown Chairman of Lake House Group, and representative
of Ms. Pansy Ho, Managing Director of Shuntak Group.
It has been a process of 5 months’ coordination supported
by the Bureau of Education and Manpower, conducted by the
Heads of Universities Committee, whose Convener for 2005-2006
was President Poon Chung-kwong of the Hong Kong PolyU.
Mrs. Fanny Law at the Bureau of Education and Manpower,
Ms Charmaine Wong at the secretariat of the University Grants
Committee (UGC), Mrs. Dorinda Fung, Rainbow Leung, and Ms.
Celia Wong in particular at the Student Affairs Office of
PolyU, coordinated with the 8 universities, the Peace and
Development Foundation and UNDP to make it happen.
Mrs. Fanny Law wrote the following upon receiving the news
of 159 applicants during the selection process for the UNDP
summer internship programme:
“I am very pleased to know the overwhelming response from
the universities. This
is indicative of the fact that young people today see the
need to learn more about the mainland and value the experience
of working in the mainland. Hopefully, more internship places
would be offered in future.”
The Peace and Development Foundation that signed an agreement
with UNDP last year as the official Hong Kong partner and
will sponsor the monthly subsistence for the first batch
of Hong Kong interns to UN in China for working experience
and career opportunities.
The Cathay Pacific generously provided the air tickets
to sponsor air travels of the interns to and from Beijing.
Over the past five months, the applicants have won through
a series of selection procedures, first recommended by their
universities, interviewed by the Peace and Development Foundation
and chosen by the UNDP China Office to go to Beijing.
They are part of Hong Kong’s tomorrow and some went to
Beijing for the first time in their life. Each one has an
interesting and unique story for their aspiration and adventure:
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