HONG KONG - A ceremony was held here Saturday to mark the founding of Hong Kong STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Education Alliance, which aims to foster the development of STEM education and innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong.Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Carrie Lam, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR Wang Zhimin and some other guests officiated at the ceremony.Through liaising with people who support, promote and lead the development of STEM education in Hong Kong, the alliance aims to enhance students' interest in science and technology and strengthen students' necessary knowledge.Speaking at the ceremony, Lam said that the Hong Kong SAR government puts a lot of emphasis on nurturing innovation and technology talent. In her latest policy address, she proposed to provide, starting from the 2019/20 school year, a new recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant with an annual provision of 900 million HK dollars (about $115 million).Lam said the grant will support schools to take forward, on the present foundation, life-wide learning with enhanced efforts through organizing more out-of-classroom experiential learning activities in various curriculum areas such as STEM education, so as to broaden students' horizons and foster their overall development.Tsui Lap-chee, president of the alliance said that for the purpose of Hong Kong becoming an international innovation and technology center, the alliance will train a huge number of scientific and technological talents with creativity and comprehensive, collaborative and problem-solving skills.The alliance will also promote STEM activities and organize STEM competition to support STEM education in Hong Kong.The 1st Hong Kong STEM Education Forum was also held by the alliance on Saturday, with the attendance of more than 700 experts, teachers and students. (1 US dollar = 7.82 HK dollars) pink rubber band braceletscustom wristbandetsy personalized braceletbracelet montre silicone orangesilicone band
The national and Hong Kong SAR flags flutter outside the Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station. [Photo provided to China Daily] HONG KONG - It is a constitutional obligation for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to safeguard national security in successfully implementing the principle of one country, two systems, officials have said at a symposium here. The successful implementation of 'one country, two systems' is impossible without national security. Here in Hong Kong, we must always keep the special administrative region's constitutional obligation close at heart, Wang Zhimin, director of the central government's liaison office in HKSAR, said at the symposium on Monday to mark China's fourth National Security Education Day. Also speaking at the symposium, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that national security is the corner stone of a country's stability and the best guarantee for its people's well-being, and Hong Kong, as an integral part of China, has the responsibility to safeguard China's national security. In the new era of China's reform and opening up, Hong Kong needs to take a more active part in the country's national governance, and make efforts to improve its citizens' national security awareness, Lam said. The HKSAR government bears the constitutional responsibility for local legislation on national security in accordance to the Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, Lam said, adding that her government will continue its efforts for a favorable social environment for the legislation. Before the completion of the local legislation, the HKSAR government will not turn a blind eye to any deed violating the national constitution and the Basic Law and jeopardizing national security, she stressed.
