Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) recently signed agreements with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Guangdong) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Incubation Base (GBA-Guangdong Incubation Base) and Sun Yat-sen University Science Park (SYSUSP). These agreements will facilitate exchanges between HKMU students and local talent, enhance the students' understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape in the Mainland, and provide better support for HKMU students and graduates for their innovation and entrepreneurship development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Ms Adele Wan Tik-lam, HKMU Director of Student Affairs, and Mr Francis Chan, President of the GBA-Guangdong Incubation Base, signed an agreement on 16 December to strengthen collaboration and support HKMU students in their internships, employment and development in innovation and entrepreneurship in the GBA. HKMU was officially designated as a “Hong Kong Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Service Station” to provide student services, such as policy introductions and information about incubation bases in the GBA, employment and entrepreneurship guidance, and support for their learning. The aim of the initiative is to support young people who aspire to embark on their innovation and entrepreneurship journey to explore opportunities.
“We hope that by collaborating with HKMU, we can actively build an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the GBA to enhance mutual understanding of the demand for talent in various industries and how to meet the students' needs, so that industry and education can be integrated to jointly promote long-term development,” said Mr Francis Chan.
“We sincerely hope that this cooperation will facilitate the establishment of the innovation and technology (I&T) projects of students, alumni, and academic and R&D staff in the Incubation Base. With its full support, we believe these projects will achieve excellent results, promoting I&T development in the area and telling good stories about HKMU,” said Ms Adele Wan Tik-lam.
Earlier, HKMU signed an agreement with SYSUSP. Under the agreement, the Student Affairs Office will nominate students, graduates or project teams to set up in the Foshan Hong Kong-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Centre, operated by SYSUSP, and recommend students and graduates work in companies and project teams based in the Centre. Both parties will regularly organise exchanges, training and talent networking activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship development.
“We look forward to working with the Centre to help students and graduates gain a better understanding of Foshan and its entrepreneurial landscape, as well as explore opportunities for personal development and for innovation and entrepreneurship in the GBA,” said Mr Edward Chan Ka-kong, Head of Industry Partnerships and Career Development of HKMU. “The Foshan Hong Kong-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Centre will support young people from Hong Kong and Macao in areas such as technology commercialisation, tech start-up incubation, innovative talent cultivation and open collaboration to help them realise their entrepreneurial dreams in the GBA,” said Mr Kong Wen-hao, Deputy General Manager of SYSUSP.
In recent years, HKMU has stepped up its efforts to cultivate students' interest in innovation and entrepreneurship through various channels, including expanding its cooperation with the Guangdong provincial “1+12+N” Hong Kong and Macao youth innovation and entrepreneurship incubation platform, to help students and graduates embark on their entrepreneurial journey in the GBA. This year, the SAO signed memoranda of understanding with the Youth of Guangzhou and Hong Kong Association, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cooperation Platform of Zhongshan City, opening up a broader array of potential business networks for students and alumni.
