ASTRI successfully grooms young talents for Hong Kong's technology development

As one of its core missions to nurture the next generation of innovation and technology (I&T) talents, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has successfully conducted two summer programmes this year, namely, “Undergraduate Summer Internship Programme” and “FinTech Future Leader Academy”.

From over 2,400 applications from 28 renowned universities globally, including  MIT, Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and more, 50 interns were selected for these 8-week programmes. Students were assigned to different technology divisions, gaining hands-on research and development (R&D) experience, and diving deep into the I&T process and FinTech development in Hong Kong.

At the ceremony marking the official completion of the internship on August 19, Dr. Denis Yip, CEO of ASTRI, remarked that, apart from imparting technological skills to the participants, the programmes allow them to gain insight into different stakeholders’ efforts in driving I&T development in Hong Kong.

The programme arranged for students to visit organizations in the finance and technology industries, including IBM, Microsoft Hong Kong, Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), and more, to learn about the actual I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong. Yip is pleased to note the personal involvement of Professor Dong SUN, JP, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, in the programmes, and the government’s strong support.

Raza Mohammed Nayaz, majoring in Electrical Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, shared his most valuable take from the internship. “Before the internship, I used to think that NFT is no more than pictures and JPEG images that you have copyright to,” he says.

“But after the internship, I have learned that in the future, there will be a blockchain system where an artist can keep track of who has purchased the art or like who has purchased his music, so that they can prevent plagiarism or piracy. People who work in the technology industry can also develop a block chain where we can inhibit the piracy of different artworks.”

Yip notes that students from the two summer internship programmes have amply demonstrated their enthusiasm for I&T, with many expressing the wish to work for Hong Kong’s technology development upon their graduation.

Nicholas Chiu, majoring in Politics and International Relations at University College London, says, “Hong Kong’s FinTech industry is a booming industry and is constantly changing, so there are plenty of new opportunities.”

“For example, in my field trip to Microsoft, I was astounded to learn that they have come up with new technologies every single week,” he enthuses. “This vibrant development certainly opens up exciting possibilities in Hong Kong’s FinTech industry.”

Nicholas Ng, majoring in Geography and Social Data Science at University College London, has developed a very positive view of Hong Kong’s technology development, and detected a growing level of interconnection in the technology ecosystem among government departments, NGOs and the private sector. “This close collaboration bodes well for young talents who want to make a career in this dynamic industry,” he observes.