|
The "Science in the Public Service" Campaign has entered its second year in a wink. In the past year, partners joined hands in a series of public activities, including:
Launch Ceremony and Joint Exhibition
The campaign was inaugurated by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, at the Exhibition Galleries of the Hong Kong Central Library on 13 January 2006. All partner departments actively demonstrated to the public their scientific work in the joint exhibition that followed. Guided tours were specially arranged for primary and secondary school students to enhance learning outside the classroom. The event attracted coverage by local and mainland media organizations. The number of visitors topped 10,000 showing that the event was indeed a success.
Popular Science Talks
In tandem with the exhibition, a number of scientific lectures were held at the Lecture Theatre of the Central Library. Altogether 10 partner departments introduced their work to the public. Thereafter, monthly scientific talks were held, with a total audience of over 2,500. A number of topics also attracted media attention and were featured in several newspapers. These included findings on the risk of high-temperature cooking and how the structural 'health' of bridges was monitored.
Symposium
Over 300 people, including some from the tertiary sector, attended the symposium at the Science Museum in late April. Co-organized with the Hong Kong Institution of Science, the symposium was officiated by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr Joseph Wong Wing-ping. Fifteen colleagues from various departments presented their scientific work. The audience was very enthusiastic in raising questions, and the symposium overran.
Visits to Government Facilities
Visits to government departments' facilities were arranged to allow the public appreciate the operation of various departments. These included visits to: Hong Kong Planning & Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery; Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's Tai Lung Experimental Station; Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Conservation Laboratory of Central Conservation Section; Census and Statistics Department and Hong Kong Observatory. The response was overwhelming with over-subscription many times.
Talks and Roving Exhibitions in Schools
Talks and roving exhibitions were arranged for more than 20 participating schools. These gave civil servants the opportunity to leave the office and directly reach out to students as they explained their scientific work and exhibits. An estimated total of over 20,000 students had benefited from the activities.
Essay Competition
In collaboration with the Hong Kong Education City, an essay competition was organized comprising 4 categories: Chinese and English, for juniors and for adults. The competition was aimed at enhancing public understanding of the application of science and technology to the provision of public service in Hong Kong, as well as encouraging the exploratory and inquisitive mind. More than 300 entries were received and the winning ones were all of high quality.
Radio Programme
Radio Television Hong Kong's radio programme, "A New Scientific Hong Kong", was produced in the form of drama and interviews to introduce the work of various departments. A total of 18 episodes were produced involving 12 departments. Those interested can access the RTHK website for a replay.
Commemoration of the 1st Anniversary cum Awards Presentation for the Essay Competition
Prof Tsui Lap-chee, Vice-chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, officiated at the Commemoration of the 1st Anniversary and presented awards to prizewinners of the essay competition in January 2007. After the ceremony, the prizewinners had lunch with renowned scientists.
Looking Ahead
In this coming year, ten more bureaux and departments join the campaign, making a total of 42 partners. In the future, we will continue to conduct events with specific foci, so that the public awareness towards science and its implications on daily life can be further enhanced. We believe the campaign will continue to flourish, and the idea of "Advancing Science, Advancing Service" will become ever more popular among the public.
Details of the Campaign activities can be found at http://www.science.gov.hk.
Hong Kong Observatory
16 February 2007
|
