The YMCA 120th Anniversary Professional Symposium is a Hit!
Applying innovative technology to people-centric services: positioning and preparation
Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong strives to keep pace with the times by embracing innovative methods and technologies when to provide services to our user groups. In order to gather knowledge and expertise from across society and explore ways to apply innovative technology in our people-centric services – especially social and educational services – the Association held the YMCA 120th Anniversary Professional Symposium (“the Symposium”) on 22 October 2021. The Symposium was conducted under a theme of “Lead Youth for social good: Application of Technology”.
Keynote speakers at the Symposium included
Mr Alfred Sit Wing-hang, JP, The Secretary for Innovation and Technology Bureau, HKSAR;
Prof. Gabriel M. Leung, GBS, JP, Dean of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong;
and Mr Takuya Nomura, the CEO of Superstation International Ltd., a Japanese creative project design company.
The Symposium consisted of two parts: the first was a series of speeches that were held at The Cityview and live-streamed to an audience; while the second part consisted of a thematic sharing session and interactive exhibition that took place at YMCA College Of Careers. The three keynote speakers each delivered speeches of about 20 minutes in length.
Mr Karl Lau Chun Chuen, General Secretary of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, kicked off the Symposium by saying, “This year marks the 120th anniversary of YMCA, and today’s Symposium fully manifests the slogan of YMCA anniversary: ‘To Share the Love of Jesus by Serving our Community for 120 Years; to Establish Healthy Living with the Application of Technology for a Better Future’. We hope to take this chance to enhance the industry, our peers and young people’s understanding of the latest policies, technologies and services, and inspire the public to use technology so as to respond to social needs and achieve social benefits. I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the Association to Mr Alfred Sit Wing-hang, Mr Gabriel Matthew Leung and Mr Takuya Nomura for their support.”
Thematic sharing and interactive exhibition
The keynote speeches were followed by the thematic sharing session and the interactive exhibition at YMCA College Of Careers. Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation and the Hong Kong Productivity Council each sent experts to take part in the sharing session. The Association was pleased to welcome booths at the interactive exhibition from a number of participants, including AME Station, Motive Force Technology Limited, YMCA College of Careers, Chinese YMCA College, Chinese YMCA Secondary School and Chinese YMCA Primary School. Their interactive booths focused on showcasing the latest technology that is either in use or will soon be in use in various social services. The response was overwhelming on the day, and participants were able to experience different technologies.
Program review: Click Here
This year’s YM Volunteer Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 3 October at Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Centre. The event was live streamed to allow the public to participate in the ceremony and thank our many volunteers. This year, approximately 700 volunteers received awards.
Coinciding with YMCA’s 120th anniversary, the ceremony echoed the theme of our anniversary celebrations – applying technology for a healthy life and a better future – and emphasised the importance of persistence when conducting volunteer activities. Speakers and special guests encouraged our volunteers to continue their volunteer activities and help the Association as we work to provide innovative services to all sectors of society.
The awards ceremony welcomed several special guests: Mr Ho Kai-ming, the Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare; the Rt. Rev. Dr Thomas Soo Yee-Po, JP, Chairman of the Christian Ministry and Membership Affairs Committee of Chinese YMCA; and Dr Bonson Lee, the Deputy General Secretary of Chinese YMCA, who presided over the ceremony and presented awards to the volunteers.
This year marks the eighth Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition, organised as usual by Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Magna Education Centre and the Hong Kong Micro Movie Institute. This year's competition has an appropriate theme, “Post Pandemic• Our Future”, and all secondary school students from across Hong Kong are welcome to take part. Participants must submit the application form, a link to their mini-movie and a brief self introduction online on or before 31 January 2022. To help guide would-be movie makers, a creative sharing session will be held on 13 November 2021 from 3pm to 4:30pm with a special guest, versatile actor Mr Chiu Sin Hang, as the guest tutor. Students get free admission – this is an opportunity you do not want to miss!
For registration and details, please visit the event website.
https://www.ymca.org.hk/zh-hant/minimovie2021
For inquiry, please contact School Social Work Office via 2857 7700
In September and October, the Association held a special YMCA Bridges Street Centre guided walking tour. The event was supported by Arup, a global architectural environment consultant. The company dispatched a team of professional engineers who also happen to be heritage conservation enthusiasts. During the tour, they shared their knowledge of conserving important elements of historic heritage, and provided guided interpretation and training for docents, demonstrating their professionalism and enthusiasm for preserving Hong Kong’s priceless architectural legacy.
Mr Michael Kwok, the Chair of Arup East Asia, visited YMCA Bridges Street Centre and took part in the docent training; he shared his experiences in building conservation and his childhood memories of the Bridges Street Centre, a building that is very meaningful to him.
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