 THEi is delighted to share this inaugural issue of our newsletter, THEiconic. It is our sincere hope that this e-publication will serve to inform you about the latest news and events at THEi and the recent achievements and success stories of our staff and students. We thank you for your interest and trust that you will come to value and contribute to THEi community as we continue to – Celebrate Innovate Excel – in this our 10th Anniversary Year.  As we commemorate the 10th Anniversary of our founding, a series of events and activities have been planned for 2022, including the industry seminar series, professional development symposium, NFT Creative Competition, BIM Competition, Vlogging Competition, and much more. Please do visit our 10th Anniversary webpage on THEi website (link) for more information.———— Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Horticulture, Arboriculture and Landscape Management will become an Applied Degree Programme starting from AY2022/23 The Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Horticulture, Arboriculture and Landscape Management (HALM) will be launched as an applied degree programme starting from the academic year 2022/23. A total of 252 hours of Work-integrated Learning (WIL) will be offered to students through two WIL modules and work-based learning will be embedded into several arboriculture-related modules. The HALM is one of the four degree programmes selected for the “Pilot Project on the Development of Applied Degree Programmes” by the EDB in December 2020. The main features of an applied degree programme include, a more flexible admission requirement, an applied focus blending theory and practice, and strong industry involvement in the programme development and delivery. Associate Professor Allen ZHANG, the Programme Leader of HALM, shared the details of the applied degree programme in the live talk “Putting Knowledge into Practice – Applied Degree Programmes” of Virtual Information Expo on Multiple Pathways 2022 organized by the Education Bureau (EDB) on 27 May 2022. The playback of the live talk is available here (from 24:56).  To explore collaboration opportunities with the industry, Assoc Prof ZHANG also conducted a sharing session at the meeting of the Arboriculture and Horticulture Industry Training Advisory Committee (A&H ITAC) to introduce the applied degree programme in June 2022. The meeting was attended by various representatives of the A&H industry.  Student of the Faculty of Design and Environment, Fashion Design Programme, won the Fashion x AI: 2022 International Salon A Year-4 student from the Fashion Design programme, Siu Chin Wan, Irene, was one of eight winners of the Fashion x AI 2022 International Salon. The event organised by AiDLab, was the region’s first research platform that focuses on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with design. AiDLab was jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Royal College of Art (RCA) in the UK. The selected talents received a production fee of HKD$40,000 to produce a collection for four outfits, training on how to use the AiDF (AI-based Interactive Design Assistant for Fashion) system, and fashion mentorship sessions with leading fashion designers. Irene’s Spring and Summer Womenswear/Unisex collection was entitled “Water is in everything, the soul is in the water.” Her collection will be showcased in the region’s first Fashion x AI Fashion Show at M+ in December 2022. Her work will also be exhibited in a touring exhibition with venues in Hong Kong and the UK between October 2022 – December 2023.   THEi Food Innovation Centre Opening Ceremony | 23 July 2022 THEi Food Innovation Centre (FIC), is a newly established centre funded by the Trade and Industrial Organization Support Fund (TSF) of the Trade and Industry Department of HKSAR Government. The FIC Opening Ceremony was held at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, Hong Kong Science Park on 23rd July 2022, witnessed by a member of the Executive Council of the HKSAR, Dr KO Wing Man, VTC Chairman, Mr Tony TAI, JP, Deputy Chairmen, Dr Daniel YIP, JP and Mr Paul CHONG, BBS MH, Executive Director, Mr Donald TONG, GBS, THEi President, Professor Christina HONG, as well as partners and friends from the food industry. The Ceremony was followed by a technical conference on Innovative Food Product Development Trend and Sensory Assessment, where four internationally renowned food specialists were invited to share their views. FIC supports the local food and beverage industry, including food manufacturers, caterers, food traders and wholesalers, in developing new and innovative food products. The advanced taste sensing and analysis and shelf-life stability tests are carried out with professional and innovative equipment such as the Electronic Sensing System – E-tongue. FIC is the first of its kind in Hong Kong to provide a full range of taste sensing analysis in both quantitative and qualitative methods, assisting food companies to improve their existing products and production processes in a highly competitive market. To know more about the Centre’s facilities, please refer to FIC Website.   THEi launches the first Professional Diploma Meister Programme in Hong Kong | 23 June 2022 With the staunch support from the VTC (IVE and Pro-Act Centre), and the Hong Kong Government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Lift & Escalator Contractors Association (LECA) and the lift and escalator industry, the two-year part-time Professional Diploma Meister programme in Lift and Escalator Engineering (PDM-LEE) was officially launched on 23 June 2022. The new PDM-LEE programme, housed within the Faculty of Science and Technology and led by Professor PUN Kwok Leung (Dean of the Faculty) and Ir Dr Roger NG (Programme Leader), aims to nurture registered lift and escalator workers who have at least 8-years of post-initial qualification experience to become a Lift and Escalator Meister (aka Skills Masters/Industry Masters) to suit the needs of the industry. The programme is based on the German Meister vocational education system and aims to train in-service practitioner-students to demonstrate occupational, managerial and pedagogical competencies through a problem-solving model in the full range of lift and escalator specialisms.   THEi Second Professional Development Symposium: Futures of Learning and Teaching | 21 June 2022 The School of General Education and Lanugage (SGEL)’s Second Professional Development Symposium took place virtually on the 21st June 2022. This year, the symposium theme “Futures of Learning and Teaching” attracted 254 participants from around the world and participants from various sectors of secondary and tertiary education. The programme featured 14 talks on topics, including, project-based learning, students as tutors, teacher resilience, practical skills training in online environments, metaverse in teaching sustainability. Special features of the symposium this year include: – Organization by a multidisciplinary team that included School of General Education, English Team members as well as representatives of THEi’s three Faculties. – Featured a panel of industry experts who shared their views about the competencies and skills that are required of young professionals these days. They highlighted the need to be humble and open to opportunities, develop abilities to listen to and engage with others, and the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. – Three of the talks were delivered by educators in collaboration with students. It was great to have student voices represented at the symposium and to hear them talk about the benefits and challenges of being student tutors, the use of no-code tools in education, and the personal, often uncomfortable, journey of facing own deep emotions when becoming a writer. – Through collaboration with the Research Office (RO), Learning Commons (LC), and Brand, Marketing and Communication Office (BMCO), a video highlighting THEi profile, history and student achievements was developed and played for participants during the lunch break. – This symposium was organized as part of THEi’s 10th Anniversary celebration events. The participants were happy to leave a few birthday wishes. Videos of the symposium talks are now available on SGEL’s YouTube channel: Link We look forward to hosting the next professional development symposium in June 2023.   THEi 10th Anniversary: BIM Competition: Designing a Smart and Sustainable Chai Wan Campus | 4 June 2022 To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of THEi and to echo THEi’s strategic plan focus on greening and sustainability, a BIM student competition on designing a smart and sustainable campus for THEi Chai Wan campus was successfully organized on 4 June 2022. Over 50 students presented their great design works in the competition. Eight honorable guests from the local construction and engineering industry, including Mr Paul CHONG BBS MH, the VTC Deputy Council Chairman, and Ir Victor CHEUNG and Ir Thomas CHAN, both are the HKIE Past Presidents, joined us to vote for the best design. The feedback from the judges was highly encouraging. Event highlights are available here: Link   THEi students obtained excellent results in CIC BIM Competition 2022 Good news! In the CIC BIM Competition 2022, THEi students from Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering and Surveying programmes were awarded the 1st runners-up (the highest prize awarded in the competition this year) and three merit awards among 59 groups and 278 students from different local tertiary institutes and universities. The competition theme this year was “Modularity & Adaptability in Transitional Housing Design with Use of BIM”. The excellent results obtained by our students in this inter-institutional competition show that our construction-related programmes uphold quality education in building design using advanced BIM technologies and produce BIM ready graduates for the smart city development of Hong Kong.    THEi and Schneider Electric sign MoU to nurture professional energy management talents and accelerate digital and sustainable transformation in Hong Kong | 29 August 2022 Data centres are playing a huge role in supporting disruptive technologies including 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) to create a smarter world. To support the smart city development of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the data centre sector has been growing fast in the city in recent years and it is foreseeable that the demand for data centres in the coming years will continue to increase. Energy management and engineering talents are currently strongly required by the industry to ensure the data centres are being operated as energy efficient and sustainable as possible, while ensuring always on resiliency, without compromising the future of our next generation. Schneider Electric is a worldwide leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, bridging progress and sustainability for all. In response to the rising demand for professional energy management talents to support the resiliency and sustainability of data centres in Hong Kong, with the full support from Schneider Electric on curriculum development and teaching facilities, THEi will offer lifelong learning short courses which cover the various innovative, industry-tailored and customized solutions that can increase power availability, efficiency, and systems uptime of mission critical infrastructures, accelerating digitization and sustainability in data centres to satisfy the urgent needs of the industry. Riding on the MoU between THEi and Schneider Electric, more collaboration on research development, student internship and job opportunities, solution sponsorships and industrial visits will soon be launched.  THEi and Microsoft Hong Kong Sign MOU to Jointly Nurture Work-Ready and Future-Ready Professionals | 18 August 2022 THEi and Microsoft Hong Kong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 18 August 2022 to jointly uplift the digital competency of its students and staff members, and to enable THEi to become a data and artificial intelligence (AI) driven academic research and development (R&D) institution driving innovation across industries. Under the collaboration, THEi has become a Microsoft Certification Exam Centre in which THEi students can obtain industry recognized Microsoft certifications in various scopes of technology free of charge for the first time. Staff members of THEi can also apply for a subsidy to cover the examination fee for Microsoft Certification. It will strengthen the digital application skills such as cloud computing and applications of smart platforms among students and staff members of THEi. Students of THEi can also master professional knowledge and skills through the Microsoft Learn online platform, as well as other Microsoft resources, while staff members can be empowered by Microsoft Learn for Educators (MSLE) Program by exploring digital skills training resources and integrating them into their teaching materials and curriculum. Furthermore, Microsoft provides AI and related tools to support THEi’s academic R&D projects by providing researchers with regular technological knowledge and tools update so as to lift the efficiency of academic research. The MOU signing ceremony was held at Chai Wan campus of THEi where Professor Christina HONG, President of THEi and Cally CHAN, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong and Macau signed the MOU. News Coverage: 星島日報, Microsoft HK News Center  Memorandum of Understanding Signing with Rosewood Hotel Group | 14 June 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the VTC and Rosewood Hotel Group (RHG) on the 14th of June 2022 to launch the RHG’s first global internship programme offering exciting opportunities for local youth to gain first-hand experience at various hotels managed by RHG in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas. The programme aims to nurture a new generation of industry talents and broaden their global vision, as well as enhance the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong’s hospitality and tourism industries. The agreement between the VTC and RHG opens the door for THEi to explore various mutually beneficial opportunities and initiatives with RHG in the future.  Memorandum of Understanding Signing with China Gingko Education Group Company Limited | 6 July 2022 THEi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Gingko Education Group Company Limited on 6 July 2022. The MoU will provide a framework for providing opportunity for articulation pathways, educational exchanges and internships between Gingko Education Group Company Limited and THEi. The collaboration will kick off with Hotel Operations Management and Culinary Arts and Management degree programmes and may potentially be expanded to a wide range of other THEi Programmes. The MoU Signing Ceremony took place in the Learning Commons, THEi Chai Wan campus.  Memorandum of Understanding Signing with CLP | 5 July 2022 In response to the rising demand for power electrical engineering talents for the smart city development of Hong Kong, the VTC and CLP Power Hong Kong Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-develop a top-up degree programme which covers the latest professional power electrical engineering knowledge like smart grids and green energies, and will be offered by THEi. With the full support from CLP on curriculum and teaching facilities, the programme will provide sub-degree engineering graduates with a seamless articulation pathway as a power electrical engineering talent. Students of this new programme will be provided with workplace training under the credit-bearing Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) scheme. The MoU Signing Ceremony took place at the Exhibition Hall of THEi Chai Wan campus on 5 July 2022 and was witnessed by distinguished guests from the VTC, THEi and CLP.  THEi x HKJC – MUSS Football Programme 2022 The Sports and Recreation Management programme has connected with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS) to provide football training programme for the SRM students since 2019. This year, the training programme has been successfully held in THEi Chai Wan campus from 26 April to 17 May 2022. News Coverage: 香港01, The Hong Kong Jocky Club  Memorandum of Understanding Signing with Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) THEi and the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in April 2022 to offer post-secondary progression pathways to those retired athletes or those who are planning to retire. This partnership will provide diverse supports to retired athletes by offering flexible study arrangements. News Coverage: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China  |