This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.

      Time really flies! As Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, this is also my 15th year in this big family. The past 15 years have been the golden years in my life, and I never regretted dedicating my time to the Association . All because I could take part in the rapid development of “New Generation” and witness the growth of countless young people from which I had built up valuable and unforgettable friendships with them.

     Looking back at the 35 years of history of Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association, you will see that ‘striving forward with time’ and ‘enhancing innovative qualities’ are the two distinguishing characteristics of the Association. The period of 1970s was a decade of student movement around the world and the time young intellectuals were awakened. A group of local scholars and students who returned from their overseas studies established the “Student Times Press” in 1974, which aimed at providing healthy and fulfilling essential reading materials for young people and students in the 1970s. In 1984, the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed, and Hong Kong entered the transitional period of the Reunification with China. In response to the change in our society, the “Student Times Press” was renamed Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association. Since then, besides from publishing the bi-weekly magazine, “Student Times”, the Association was also devoted to organizing a variety of activities and programs for young people to help them build up positive views of life and strengthen their sense of belonging and responsibility towards the country and the Chinese nation. In the first 12 years of the establishment of our Association, it was our primary task to publish and provide young people with the essential reading materials.

     In the next 12-year period from 1986 to 1998, the Association went into an era of diversified development. We organized different types of activities to meet the following goals: (1) To stimulate young people’s potential, in particular all-rounded development in leadership and creativity skills. (2) To assist young people in establishing their own character and developing a sense of recognition towards their Chinese national identity. (3) To nurture a sense of responsibility towards the country, the Chinese nation and the society among youths. (4) To nurture young people with a worldwide perspective, creative thinking skill and the ability to master the latest innovation & technology.

     Over the years, we have published 52 issues of the bi-weekly/monthly magazine, “Student Times” and a series of other publications; arranged various exchange visits, life experience camps, summer/winter science camps; organized science talks; launched the “Hong Kong Secondary School Student Post Contest”; designed a series of young leadersship training activities; promoted civic education; organized “The Top 10 News of the Year voted by Hong Kong Secondary School Students”, the “First Hong Kong Student Festival” and a series of celebration activities for the reunification of Hong Kong with China; co-organized the “China Youth Science Talent Contest” with the Mainland; led winning teams from “Hong Kong Joint School Science Exhibition” to participate in exhibitions in the Mainland and Taiwan; launched the “Joint School Chinese Debating Contest”, “Chinese Debating Contest for Students in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau”, “New Generation IQ Contest” and “Inter-city IQ Contest (Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Zhuhai)”; started up the investigation and research on various specific subjects; and organized the “New Generation Multi Intelligence Contest”. The wide variety of activities have far-reaching effect as they helped young people to show their potential, increase their knowledge, strengthen their will and establish their positive views of value and life.

     During the 12-year period from 1998 to 2010, the Association embarks on a new journey towards the new century. It is also a period the Association develops its services at a fast pace. The Association is devoted to nurturing talents with our motto ‘vision, innovation, erudition and responsibility’ in order to provide young people with all-rounded learning opportunities from different perspectives and at different levels which are beneficial to their up-bringing. The major activities organized by the Association include: science activities, creativity education, leadership training, national education, investigation and research projects, liberal studies education, exchange visits and joint school activities.

     In promoting Chinese national education, the Association had organized more than 100 exchange tours with the Mainland which were held in different parts of China whereby we had developed a range of popular activities, for example, “My Motherland: Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Students Exchange Camp” and “Tsinghua University National Education Program for Future Leaders”. Through a wide variety of activities, including visits, talks, forums and seminars, the students were able to widen their vision, build up friendship, learn to think independently and from different perspectives, develop personal virtue, enhance their knowledge about their motherland and their sense of belonging and responsibility towards the country and the Chinese nation.

     In respect of the innovation technology education, the Association had helped young people develop their abilities in innovation technology through a series of competitions and activities. The Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association Science Innovation Centre had organized the “Hong Kong Youth Science and Technology Invention Competition”, which is the largest competition of its kind in Hong Kong and we are also the official appointed organizing body which are responsible for selecting and leading Hong Kong students to the many of largest science competitions in our country and around the world. These competitions included the “China Youth Science and Technology Invention Competition”, “China Youth Robot Contest”, “Little Scientists of Tomorrow Reward Scheme”, “Intel International Science and Engineering Fair”, “Taiwan International Science Fair” and “Danish Science Contest”. Through these contests, Hong Kong students were able to be rooted in Hong Kong and facing their motherland with a worldwide perspective. Our Association has successfully nurtured 4, what our media has named ‘Sons of the Star’ for Hong Kong. These 4 young scientists all have minor planets in our Solar System named after them by the International Astronomical Union. They are planet ‘chanyikhei’ (20780), planet ‘kakinchan’ (23165), planet ‘lautakkin’ (25065) and planet ‘lautakshing’ (25073). Furthermore, the Science Innovation Centre organized “Future Young Scientists Program”, “Future Young Inventors Program”, “Training Camps for Scientifically Gifted Students”; as well as various workshops, talks and exhibitions on science & innovation. Together with the strong support and collaboration from all schools, our Science Innovation Centre received great accolade from all sectors of the society.

     In respect of the liberal studies, the Association had organized the “Tsinghua University Liberal Studies (National Education) Training Programs for Teachers” for six times for the Hong Kong secondary school principals and teachers. More than 800 Hong Kong principals and teachers had benefited from the Program. The Association had also co-organized various study programs with the National Education Centre, including the “Liberal Studies Classroom - Pearl River Delta Study Tour”, “Tsinghua University National Education Training Program” and “Ethnic Minorities Cultural Study Tour” etc., which provided field trip study opportunities for high school students and teachers and also added new elements to the liberal studies program of the new senior secondary curriculum. In addition, the Association had organized the “New Generation Civic Ambassadors Training and Promotion Program” for 8 consecutive years, arranged the one-year Assistance Teaching Program in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province for university graduates of Hong Kong for 2 consecutive years, organized the “Leadership Navigation Scheme” for 6 consecutive years, and organized the “Political Talents Training Program and Commentators Training Program” for 3 consecutive years. These activities had contributed positively to the growth of young people and professional development teachers.

     The establishment and development of the 6 sub-organizations, namely, “Hong Kong New Generation Friends”, “Hong Kong Tertiary Students Forum”, “Hong Kong New Pulse”, “Hong Kong Science Talent Society”, “Hong Kong Science and Creativity Society”, and “Hong Kong Tsinghua Future Leaders Alumni”, had added sustainable energy to Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association and provided further development of the affairs of the Association. It is very encouraging that these sub-organizations have provided professional and helpful services to different targets through different positions which had nurtured excellent talents of various kinds for Hong Kong. The sustainable growth and development of the Association in the past 35 years was attributed to the care and support of people from all sectors of society, as well as the contribution of the selfless and dedicated colleagues, directors, advisers, the Science Innovation Centre Management Committee, the Sub-organizations Management Committee, committee members of the sub-organizations and volunteers of the Association. I would hereby like to express my sincere gratitude to all the aforesaid people. In addition, I would like to thank the schools, institutions and the people from all sectors of society and the government departments who have been providing support to the Association, as well as the institutions and people who had sponsored our projects, including the Education Bureau, the Quality Education Fund, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Drs. Richard Charles & Esther Yewpick Lee Charitable Foundation, Intel Corporation, Amway China Company Ltd., Chiang Chen Foundation, Ann Chiang Foundation, Aristo Educational Press Ltd., Association For Celebration of Reunification of Hong Kong with China Charitable Trust, Commission on Youth, and Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education.

     In looking forward to the future, we will at all times maintain a clear vision, uphold our mission and strive forward with time so as to honor our pledge of nurturing excellent talents and providing assistance to the professional developments of teachers. We will continue to strengthen our relationship and collaboration with people from all sectors of the society and the government departments in order to create more learning and training opportunities for teachers and students. We will do our best to nurture more talents for the society. Thomas So Chi-kei Executive Director Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association September 2009.

Thomas So Chi-ki Executive Director
Hong Kong New Generation Cultural Association
September 2009

This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.

This article provides Chinese version only.