Message from OHKF President - December 2020

Bouncing Back in 2021 after Hitting a Low   

‘Hong Kong is resilient’, people used to say. As year 2020 draws to a close, it is clear that we would need a big dose of resilience in the new year. To me, resilience does not simply mean the crude ability to tough it out during hard times, but also the wisdom to turn adversity into opportunities and grasp them.    

Year 2021 will be a watershed for Hong Kong to bounce back after hitting a low in 2020. We will embrace new possibilities amidst adversity. Under the national ‘Dual Circulation’ growth model, Hong Kong, as our country’s most international city, will have a key role to play as a connector and facilitator in China’s continuous opening-up. Hong Kong’s integration with the economic development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) will create vast opportunities, putting us firmly on the high-speed train of our country’s national development.    

This is the spirit set out by OHKF Chairman Mr C.H. Tung in his keynote address on ‘Towards a New Golden Age in the Face of Adversity’ at the OHKF virtual meeting on 17 December. He made a passionate plea for Hong Kong people to cast away our differences and rally behind our shared aspirations of creating a new golden age for Hong Kong. Please visit here for the virtual meeting.        

In the year ahead, on top of our ongoing efforts in public policy research, advocacy, and building consensus, the Foundation will also launch a series of new initiatives including a report on gerontechnology development, for which we would team up with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Our new initiatives will also cover Hong Kong-Shenzhen technological cooperation and digital finance; allocation of medical resources; improving primary medical care services and GBA medical services, as well as research on green finance and education system. Please visit here for the OHKF work video.   

‘Our China Story Online Platform’, an online channel established under the China Institute, has just been soft-launched in early December. The Platform offers diverse news and expert views to audiences, allowing them to understand the country's opportunities at a time of mega changes. For more details, please visit the ‘Our China Story Online Platform’ here.     

In the 12th ‘INSIGHT FORUM’ webinar, we are honoured to invite Dr Victor Fung, Group Chairman of Fung Group, to speak on ‘Global Supply Chain Normalisation, Trade Regionalism and the Implications for Hong Kong’. He called upon Hong Kong to move quickly towards becoming a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest plurilateral trade agreement. You can view the full webinar here. The next ‘INSIGHT FORUM’ is scheduled for 12 January, 2021, featuring Professor Hsin-Kang Chang, President-Emeritus of City University of Hong Kong, who will speak on ‘Vibrancy of Civilisations─ Historical Perspectives and Future Way-out’.     

Our public policy researchers were invited to speak at the Housing Conference 2020 organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (REHDA) Institute on 27 November, on the topic of ‘Lessons on Urban Planning and Housing Development from a Post-Covid-19 Era’. Our researchers exchanged views with global audience on the changes and challenges on housing development under the new normal.         

Mr Ryan Ip, Head of Land and Housing Research, was named Young Surveyor of the Year by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for his outstanding performance. The Young Surveyor of the Year Award is specifically reserved for those under the age of 35. Ryan stood out from a total of four finalists and was awarded the winner of the award this year. Congratulations!       

To help young people understand the entrepreneurial environment in the Greater Bay Area, OHKF and the Torch Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology co-organised a Mainland Expedition on Entrepreneurship & Technology (MEET) Webinar on 15 December, offering insights on the policies, incubation service, and development opportunities in Zhongshan and Dongguan High-Tech Zones.    

You will be pleased to know that in the ‘Hong Kong Youth Employment and Greater Bay Area Development Index 2020’ released in early December, OHKF MEET Programme was ranked first as the most well-known youth start-up/employment scheme among seven civil society start-up/employment schemes in Hong Kong. Over 40% of interviewed youth have either participated in or heard of our programme.  

The OHKF Internship Programme has concluded on 11 December. Under the guidance of over 70 experts and speakers, the interns completed eight working modules, including public policy research, land-use planning at brownfield sites, Hong Kong’s heritage trails, and dialogues with business heavyweights.        

The VR Learning Kits on ‘Living in China’ and 360-degree panoramic images on Chinese urban and rural areas launched by the Academy of Chinese Studies are well appreciated by schools. The Academy has been granted the Quality Education Fund from Education Bureau for developing multiple VR teaching kits for Chinese History and for Life and Society.    

After a year of unrelenting efforts, the first volume of Hong Kong Chronicles, Overview & Chronology, was launched in both print and e-book formats on 28 December. Officiating guests included Mr Bernard Chan, Professor Chack-fan Lee, Professor Joseph Ting Sun-pao, and Professor Lau Chi-pang. HKSAR Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam, President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of China’s Steering Group for Local Chronicles Mr Xie Fuzhan, and Hong Kong Chronicles Institute Chairman Mr C.H. Tung shared their video congratulatory messages to mark the launch. The website of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute was also launched in parallel to promote this historic publication. Please visit the website here.   

Last but not least, I am pleased to present to you our Annual Report 2019/2020 themed ‘Reinvigorate’. The tangram on the cover page presents a puzzle that symbolises the Foundation’s ongoing commitment. Please click here to find out more: e-Report.  

Please take care and stay healthy, and wishing you a prosperous 2021.   

Eva Cheng
President
Our Hong Kong Foundation