Since 2020, the university-wide mentorship programme “INSPIRE” has been dedicated to enriching holistic education experience and facilitating all-round development for our students – both undergraduates and postgraduates – across all Faculties or Schools. This programme has been a great success through these years, thanks to the role models and prominent leaders from the robust network of the PolyU community.
Building on previous outcomes, the fifth and sixth rounds of “INSPIRE” were successfully held in 2022/23, bringing the accumulative numbers of Mentors and Mentees to 275 and 1,150 respectively. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the unremitting efforts made by the exceptional pool of “INSPIRE” Mentors, which comprises the University’s Council and Court members, University Fellows, outstanding alumni leaders and strategic partners, as well as friends and supporters from Hong Kong and Mainland China. Through a wide range of engaging activities, which include coaching sessions, forums and outings, jointly organised with other PolyU units, our students are thus led to achieve personal, academic and professional growth.
The second Annual Gathering of “INSPIRE” was held under the theme “Celebration for Futurists” on 6 January 2023 at Hotel ICON to celebrate the continued success of the programme and show appreciation for the Mentors’ contributions. With the support of more than 250 Mentors and Mentees attending the function, the gathering featured sharing sessions hosted by Mr Vincent Tam, Head of Talent Management of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, and Mr Vincent Wu, People Partner – Hong Kong, Macau & Indonesia of Marsh, who offered the “INSPIRE” community their insights into the “Future Talent Trends”.
The gathering aside, an enhanced version of the “INSPIRE@PolyU” mobile app was also launched in January, in the hope of further strengthening the connection between Mentors and Mentees. It added new features that enable users to connect via the app’s web version and share noteworthy mentoring moments on social media.
Under the theme “Connecting with Employers to Nurture Future Talents”, the PolyU Career Fair 2023 – the second to be held in hybrid mode – began on 28 March 2023 at Logo Square, PolyU. In the presence of Guests of Honour, the fair’s opening ceremony was officiated by Prof. Ben Young, PolyU’s Vice President (Student and Global Affairs), with tokens of appreciation presented to long-term participating employers as well as those supporting diversity and inclusion.
The physical fair was held successfully from 28 to 31 March on campus, with the virtual one running from 28 March to 30 April. Featuring some 1,200 job openings offered by nearly 280 employers from different sectors and industries, the fair also presented over 30 career talks and senior executive sharing sessions. These enabled students to gain industry insights and career information from organisations such as the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resources Management, the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. More than 40 career advising sessions were also conducted to help students optimise their job hunt strategies and CVs.
Together with the first hybrid fair held in November 2022, the fairs were supported by over 500 industry-leading employers with more than 14,000 job vacancies opened for students’ applications.
Work-integrated Education Programmes & Kick-off Ceremony 2023
The mandatory Work-Integrated Education (WIE) component, a unique feature of PolyU’s undergraduate curriculum, offers students work-based learning experiences in a context that is related to their chosen future profession. SAO strives to support Faculties or Schools in providing students with internship opportunities in Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas to fulfil their WIE requirements and acquire necessary professional competencies.
In 2022/23, non-local WIE internship opportunities arranged by SAO spanned across some 20 overseas countries – including those along the Belt and Road such as New Zealand, Poland and South Korea, as well as others like Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom – and around 10 cities in Mainland China, including Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Xi’an and those within the Greater Bay Area.
On 18 May 2023, SAO held the WIE Kick-off Ceremony 2023 at Hotel ICON, marking the start of summer WIE 2023. With more than 130 student participants taking part in SAO’s non-local WIE programmes, the event prepared them for a successful internship journey through team-building activities and departure briefing sessions. Team-building activities prepared students for the workplace by nurturing their team spirit, allowing them to bond with other WIE participants. To arouse the students’ awareness of the importance of safety and adaptability when working and travelling outside Hong Kong, departure briefing sessions were also conducted during the ceremony.
