Symposium explores business opportunities along Belt and Road
Distinguished scholars, leading figures from the industry and professional bodies, as well as government officials shared their insights at a symposium titled “Global Connectivity, Opportunities and Challenges: Hong Kong and ETCZs along B&R (Belt & Road)” that was organised by the Research Centre for Sustainable Hong Kong (CSHK) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 7 January.
The event, which was attended by over 220 guests and participants in person and online from around world, was funded by the HKSAR Government under the “Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme” (PASS) and is a collaboration with various professional bodies.
CityU promotes knowledge transfer and interdisciplinary collaborations that foster social and economic development. Despite the pandemic, knowledge exchange has not been hampered and we have adapted to the new normal to connect scholars and business associates worldwide via the internet.
Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman of CityU, extended a warm welcome to guests at the opening of the symposium. “The CSHK PASS Workshop Series, which aims at exploring potential development opportunities via exchange of ideas and sharing of analysis, is a timely and excellent initiative that will directly benefit Hong Kong and beyond,” he said.
Dr Bernard Chan Pak-li, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, said in his keynote address that in the face of unprecedented challenges brought on by Covid-19, it was crucial to join hands with economic partners and look for new opportunities and “growth engines”, in particular those unleashed by the B&R Initiative.
The symposium served as a platform for local enterprises, professional service leaders, expert scholars and government officials to share insights on opportunities for, and considerations of, Hong Kong business and professional services participating in overseas projects, with topics ranging from staff management, accountancy and legal services to opportunities brought by urban planning and construction.
The Q&A and discussion among speakers, guests and online participants covered topics including Environment, Society and Governance (ESG), corporate social responsibilities, the Greater Bay Area, small-and-medium enterprises, and career development among Hong Kong’s young professionals.
In addition, the CSHK will hold six professional workshops and a closing forum between February 2021 and March 2022. For details, please refer to the CSHK website.