With the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, this is an opportune time for Hong Kong youth to explore opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. The Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation (“The Foundation”) announced that it will allocate over HK$12 million this year to support young Hong Kong people in understanding the latest developments in the cities of the GBA through a variety of exchange programmes. Over 10,000 Hong Kong youths will benefit. Key projects funded by the Foundation include the 2023 Guangdong Exchange Programme, GBA Walker exchange programme, Support You employment and internship programme, GBA Further Study Programme, Wish Builder Programme, GBA experiential tour for the For Our Future Scholarship awardees, Set Sail for GBA – Scheme for Financial Leaders of Tomorrow 2023, GBA Walk Around for the Foundation’s YO PLACE members, visits for Hong Kong high school students to the Mainland universities in the GBA and exchange programmes in collaboration with other organisations and travel agencies. All these projects designed to assist Hong Kong youth to further their studies, careers and entrepreneurial development on the bigger stage of the GBA.

 

Mr Daryl NG Win-kong, Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, said, “ Hong Kong and the Mainland have resumed normal travel. The Foundation actively supports and encourages young Hong Kong people to gain first-hand experience in the various cities of the GBA. We are promoting extensive contacts, all-round exchanges and in-depth integration so they can discover the latest developments and the cultural life in the GBA. This will help them understand the opportunities in the GBA and to become more integrated into the overall development of the nation.”

 

The Foundation launched the 2023 Guangdong Exchange Programme to fund exchange activities to other cities in the GBA by Hong Kong youth service organisations and educational institutions. Through this programme, Hong Kong youth will learn the latest developments in technology, academia, culture, the economy and lifestyles in the GBA. The first phase of applications, which has now closed, received an enthusiastic response. The second phase of the application will open soon. Altogether this programme will benefit over 4,000 people.

 

For young Hong Kong people who like independent travel, the GBA Walker exchange programme encourages young Hong Kong people to form small groups and plan short trips to the Mainland cities in the GBA where they can learn about the local culture, history, customs and lifestyles. Successful applicants can each receive a HK$1,000 subsidy after completing the trip and submitting documents, up to 1,000 subsidies are available.

 

In addition, YO PLACE will organise trips for over 500 members on its GBA Walk Around programme to cities in the GBA starting this month. The first group of 80 people will depart for Qianhai, Shenzhen – the Silicon Valley of China, on March 24. On the itinerary are the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, Entrepreneurship Centre, innovation and technology enterprises etc.

 

The Foundation’s 2023 New Life in the GBA programme also provides subsidies in other areas. Among which is the Support You employment and internship programme that encourages young people in Hong Kong to start a new career by taking full-time work or an internship position in the Mainland cities of the GBA, while the GBA Further Study Programme provides subsidies for studying in the GBA. Both programmes offer HK$1,000 subsidies per person for up to 1,000 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

The Foundation will also organise GBA experiential tour this summer for the awardees and applicants of the For Our Future Scholarship programme. These outstanding students will visit major cities in the GBA as well as companies, universities, innovation and technology parks, and arts and cultural centres to learn about the latest developments and have exchange with the young people there. 100 students will take part in the tour.

 

In partnership with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Shenzhen Municipal Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, the Foundation is organising the Set Sail for GBA – Scheme for Financial Leaders of Tomorrow. This Programme will offer internship opportunities in Shenzhen as well as a trip to the GBA for 50 local university students taking business and finance-related bachelor’s degree courses. It will help them to learn about the local financial industry and accumulate work experience.

 

In addition, the Foundation will co-organise the 2023 Summer Internship Program in Shenzhen with the Office of Students Affairs Career Centre of Hong Kong Baptist University. It will give 30 Hong Kong students the opportunity to explore their career development in other cities in the GBA.

 

As more Hong Kong students further their studies in Mainland cities in the GBA, subjects such as Chinese medicine and engineering are becoming more popular. To meet with the demand, the Foundation will launch the Greater Bay Area Mainland University Visiting Programme for Hong Kong high school students to visit universities such as Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University and the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, to deepen their understanding of the educational opportunities there. Around 500 students will benefit from this programme throughout the year.

 

The Wish Builder Programme 2023-24 has been set up to support young Hong Kong people in their study, internship, exchange, career, and entrepreneurship in the GBA. The foundation provides funds to Hong Kong y service organisations to organise diversified training programmes. Application is now open until the end of March 2023. Over 400 people will benefit from the programme.

 

Besides, through the collaborations with other organisations and travel agencies, the Foundation supports exchange activities for young Hong Kong people in the Mainland cities of GBA. Diverse themes include the economy of the GBA, innovation and technology, sports, art and culture. It is expected that 2,000 people will benefit from this programme throughout the year.

 

Photo captions

1) The Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation will organise an in-depth experiential tour to the mainland cities in the GBA for the For Our Future Scholarship awardees this summer.

 

2) The Foundation will launch the Greater Bay Area Mainland University Visiting Programme to encourage Hong Kong high school students to visit universities in the GBA.

 

3) Sponsored by the Foundation’s Wish Builder Programme, participants of the Dream Brewer- Pacific Coffee x HKET@GBA Entrepreneurship Training Programme took up internship in Shenzhen earlier.

 

4) YO PLACE will organise trips under the programme GBA Walk Around for members to travel around the GBA. The first group will visit the Silicon Valley of China, Qianhai in Shenzhen.

 

5) The Foundation launched the 2023 Guangdong Exchange Programme to help young Hong Kong people understand the latest developments other GBA cities such as Nansha.