CTF Education Group’s community affiliate, Jennifer Yu Cheng Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) that aims to draw female secondary school students to the field of Innovation and Technology (“I&T”), promote gender diversity in the industry, and empower women to become influential figures promoting Hong Kong as an international I&T hub.
The partnership will involve designing, organising, and conducting various I&T-related activities to allow female secondary school students to experience first-hand the opportunities made available by Hong Kong's I&T ecosystem. The hope is that such exposure spurs more young women to pursue I&T-related tertiary courses and careers in these industries.
In one of their first collaborations, HKSTP and JYCGIF will hold a special "Ideathon," scheduled to launch in the summer through November 2023. Under the guidance of leading entrepreneurs, female secondary school participants will compete in groups to propose innovative end-to-end solutions involving planning, prototype production and marketing to address specific challenges in society. The programme aims to nurture greater understanding and interest in I&T, new industrialisation, and entrepreneurship among female students.
Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF, said: “Hong Kong is poised to develop into an international I&T hub. Considering the opportunities ahead in the changing landscape of the future world of work, there is an urgency to level the playing field for women across industries and sectors, particularly in I&T fields. Through our new partnership with HKSTP, we hope to help teen girls map out their educational and extracurricular goals leading to future careers, particularly in I&T. By empowering teen girls today, we are working together build a strong pipeline of future women talents motivated to drive the development of Hong Kong as a world-class I&T hub.”
Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said: "We have entered a golden era of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, providing a platform for young people to realise their full potential. Within HKSTP's thriving I&T ecosystem, many of the founders or senior management of Park companies are women, demonstrating exemplary contributions made by women in the industry. I sincerely hope that this collaboration with JYCGIF will enable more female students to experience what Hong Kong's I&T sector has to offer to attract them to become advocates for the city’s innovation scene, and thereby contribute to Hong Kong becoming an international I&T hub."
Archireef Co-founder and CEO, Vriko Yu, shared her insights along her journey in innovation and technology during a panel discussion: "Many people have stereotypes about women in the workplace in which they would perceive women to be mostly work in nursing and teaching. However, by sharing my experience, I hope we can see that young women can also become CEOs of I&T companies. Furthermore, I wish for female students to be able to discover and develop their strengths through the innovation experience, as well as to explore the limitless possibilities."
Witnessed by Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF (back row, right) and Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP (back row, left), Ms. Cecilia Hon, Executive Director of JYCGIF (front row, right) and Mr. Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP (front row, left) signed the MoU to strengthen talent development and draw more female students to Hong Kong’s thriving I&T ecosystem.
Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF, believes that in order to adapt to an ever-evolving world of work, teen girls need to build future ready skills through I&T-related learning opportunities.
Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said in his opening speech that many of the founders or senior management of I&T companies within HKSTP's thriving I&T ecosystem are women, demonstrating the potential for exemplary contributions by women in the field.
Mr. Chu Ka Tim, Vice-principal of Hong Kong True Light College (left), said the school observed markedly increased enthusiasm for STEM among students after participating in JYCGIF programmes.
Ms. Vriko Yu, Co-founder and CEO of Archireef Limited, shared her experiences as an entrepreneur, and hopes that female students will be able to discover and develop their talent for innovation.
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Ms. Cecilia Hon, Executive Director of JYCGIF(right) and Ms. Fanny Wong, Head of Talents & Human Resources of HKSTP(left), highlighted the essence of their new collaboration. The two organisations plan to hold an "Ideathon” from summer to November, to allow female students to deepen their understanding and interest in I&T, new industrialisation, and entrepreneurship through group competitions under the guidance of leading entrepreneurs.