CTF Education Group’s community affiliate, JYC Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”) that aims to draw female secondary school students to the field of Innovation and Technology (“I&T”), promote gender diversity in the industry, and empower women to become influential figures promoting Hong Kong as an international I&T hub.
The partnership will involve designing, organising, and conducting various I&T-related activities to allow female secondary school students to experience first-hand the opportunities made available by Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. The hope is that such exposure spurs more young women to pursue I&T-related tertiary courses and careers in these industries.
In one of their first collaborations, HKSTP and JYCGIF will hold a special “Ideathon,” scheduled to launch in the summer through November 2023. Under the guidance of leading entrepreneurs, female secondary school participants will compete in groups to propose innovative end-to-end solutions involving planning, prototype production and marketing to address specific challenges in society. The programme aims to nurture greater understanding and interest in I&T, new industrialisation, and entrepreneurship among female students.
Mrs. Jennifer Yu Cheng, Founder of JYCGIF, said: “Hong Kong is poised to develop into an international I&T hub. Considering the opportunities ahead in the changing landscape of the future world of work, there is an urgency to level the playing field for women across industries and sectors, particularly in I&T fields. Through our new partnership with HKSTP, we hope to help teen girls map out their educational and extracurricular goals leading to future careers, particularly in I&T. By empowering teen girls today, we are working together build a strong pipeline of future women talents motivated to drive the development of Hong Kong as a world-class I&T hub.”
Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said: “We have entered a golden era of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, providing a platform for young people to realise their full potential. Within HKSTP’s thriving I&T ecosystem, many of the founders or senior management of Park companies are women, demonstrating exemplary contributions made by women in the industry. I sincerely hope that this collaboration with JYCGIF will enable more female students to experience what Hong Kong’s I&T sector has to offer to attract them to become advocates for the city’s innovation scene, and thereby contribute to Hong Kong becoming an international I&T hub.”
Archireef Co-founder and CEO, Vriko Yu, shared her insights along her journey in innovation and technology during a panel discussion: “Many people have stereotypes about women in the workplace in which they would perceive women to be mostly work in nursing and teaching. However, by sharing my experience, I hope we can see that young women can also become CEOs of I&T companies. Furthermore, I wish for female students to be able to discover and develop their strengths through the innovation experience, as well as to explore the limitless possibilities.”