Hong Kong has drawn over 230,000 professionals from various sectors worldwide to work and develop in the city through its talent admission schemes as of August this year, according to Hong Kong Talent Engage.
This came as the office organized a lantern-making workshop, inviting incoming talents and local residents to gather at the Blue House in Wan Chai for activities like lantern painting and community decorations before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The initiative was part of the Talent+ Volunteer Programme, designed to bridge incoming talent with local communities.
As hundreds of lanterns illuminated the historic Blue House in Wan Chai in anticipation of the full moon, 26-year-old British biomedical researcher Mahir Taher found himself not only enjoying the festivities but also immersing himself in the local culture.
"I always wanted to leave the UK because I want to try settling somewhere else and also want to try a culture shock," Taher shared.
Having arrived in the city last December through the Top Talent Pass Scheme, this marked his first Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong.
During the workshop, Taher painted the Chinese characters "Fa Ho Yuet Yuen" – a phrase using the full moon as a metaphor for family harmony – after practicing only a few times.
“My parents are Bangladeshi," he explained. "I came from an Asian culture growing up so a family-oriented culture is still quite nice to be surrounded by."
In addition to cultural workshops, Taher had the opportunity to tour the Grade I historic building, learning about Hong Kong’s traditional “tong lau” shophouses, neighborhood life, and the revitalization of local heritage.
“This experience has opened my eyes not only to the streets but also to the Government’s efforts to encourage community engagement,” Taher remarked.
With a PhD in interdisciplinary biomedical research, Taher also shared his good news about settling into the city with a new job at City University, where he is involved in cancer therapy research.
He described Hong Kong as offering “a lot of funding opportunities in research,” noting that he has met colleagues who achieve impressive results with innovative and commercialized projects.
"I do not have a formed long-term plan, but I do want to stay here,” he said.
Since its launch last year, the Talent+ Volunteer Programme has organized various activities including "fai chun" writing workshops and Putonghua classes, with volunteer opportunities planned for November's National Games.
Anna Au Suet-man, Deputy Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, explained the program aimed to help participants enhance their understanding of the community and Hong Kong’s history while fostering closer ties with local residents and other volunteers.
It is believed that the enlarged social network could help the newcomers to foster a sense of belonging to Hong Kong, Au added.
