Attendees pose for a group photo at the opening ceremony. They include guests, representatives of Shenzhen enterprises, Hong Kong universities, and students who are taking part in the program. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
A six-week internship program in Shenzhen and a four-day trip to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will enhance Hong Kong university students’ understanding of the Greater Bay Area’s financial market, and prepare students for careers in the city-cluster area’s financial industry.
The launch ceremony of “2023 Set Sail for GBA — Scheme for Financial Leaders of Tomorrow” Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Internship Programme in Finance was held on June 5 in Hong Kong.
The internship program is co-organized by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau, and the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation.
The program aims to enable talented youth from local universities to gain a better understanding of the Greater Bay Area’s financial market, experience the way of life and culture in the city-cluster, and develop their social networks, which will lead to deeper exchange of ideas and integration.
“Hong Kong and other cities of the Greater Bay Area have room for more and deeper cooperation and innovation in the areas of renminbi business, investment and financing, asset management, green finance, financial technology, and risk management,” said Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in a speech at the launch ceremony.
“This will definitely provide more employment and development opportunities for young people of both places who are interested in joining the financial sector,” the finance chief added.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po gives a speech at the opening ceremony. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Echoing Chan’s expectation, He Jie, director at the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau, said, “We hope that the program can help young people of Hong Kong to have a better understanding of Shenzhen, of the Greater Bay Area, and of the national development. At the same time, we look forward to the wider perspectives and new energy to be brought to the Shenzhen financial sector to stimulate more innovative, productive and creative thinking.”
Daryl Ng Win-kong, chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, told the forum that, “This scheme provides Hong Kong youths with an in-depth experience of the financial institutions in Shenzhen and enhances their understanding of the mainland’s financial industry.”
“Besides helping them learn more about the mainland’s workplace culture, the program also enriches the students’ work experience and social skills, preparing them for their future careers and personal development,” said Ng.
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said: “As the core cities and engines for the GBA development, Hong Kong and Shenzhen can collaborate and complement each other’s advantages in promoting the sustainable development of the GBA financial industry. This program can nurture financial talent and enlarge the talent pool not just in Hong Kong but the entire Greater Bay Area, laying a solid foundation for advanced development in the region.”
Other distinguished guests who attended the launch ceremony included Xu Weigang, director general of the Economics Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Salina Yan Mei-mei, Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) of the HKSAR, and Song Lai, first-class inspector and deputy director general in the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR. They were joined by representatives of the relevant Shenzhen enterprises and Hong Kong universities, including students who will participate in the program.
Government officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Chinese mainland officiate at the launch ceremony of “2023 Set Sail for GBA — Scheme for Financial Leaders of Tomorrow” Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Internship Programme in Finance. They include (from left) Song Lai, first-class inspector and deputy director general in the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Salina Yan Mei-mei, Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services) of the Government of the HKSAR; Christopher Hui Ching-yu, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Government of the HKSAR; Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of the Government of the HKSAR; Xu Weigang, director general of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office; He Jie, director at the Shenzhen Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau; and Daryl Ng Win-kong, chairman of the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Around 40 university students in Hong Kong from business, finance, economics, mathematics, computer sciences and other related disciplines have been selected for the program. These students will join a four-day trip to the Greater Bay Area from June 14 to 17. They will visit different enterprises, youth hubs, cultural sports and natural attractions, for fostering understanding of the region’s latest development and connecting each other.
The students will start their internships in Shenzhen from June 19 to July 28 and work in areas such as financial analysis, compliance, data analysis, actuarial assessment, strategy development, software development and credit approval.
The partnering financial organizations in Shenzhen include banks, insurance companies, and securities and fund management firms.
Insurance industry players such as PICC Health Insurance Company, Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance Company of China, Taiping General Insurance Co, and Taikang Life Insurance Company (Shenzhen) have offered internship positions to students.
Securities firms such as CITIC Securities Company, Ping An Securities Company, China Great Wall Securities Co, and First Capital Securities Co also joined the internship program.
Other participating financial institutions in Shenzhen included CSCI Pengyuan Credit Rating Co, CCB Wealth Management Co, Shenzhen Capital Group Co, Bosera Asset Management Company, and Huaxia Bank Co.
With all these ingredients, the internship program is set to nurture young elites who are knowledgeable about the financial markets in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
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