The Industry Day organized by CBME in mid-April was a tremendous success with faculty members, students and industry leaders all acknowledging the value of the event.

Participants of the event included an excellent mix of industry managers and students, leading to many interesting and informative discussions. More than 30 managers attended, including those from Dunwell Enviro-Tech, ERM-Hong Kong, Dow Chemical and Air Products Asia.

The day was kicked off by Professor Edmond Ko, Acting Head and Adjunct Professor, who expressed appreciation to industrial partners for their support, provided an overview of CBME and conveyed a desire to seek collaborative opportunities of mutual interest.

This was followed by a lively round-table session on how best to develop productive partnerships in the future. During this forum, many aspects of the industry, capabilities of the students, and internship and employment issues were raised. The key points expressed were that:

¡P Communication channels should be strengthened, with the department being more pro-active in informing the industry of its activities and capabilities.

¡P Intern students need to have clearer understanding of their own career paths and goals, be willing to learn and take initiatives, and realize the importance of Putonghua.

¡P Students should become involved with professional societies and work towards professional qualifications, with the view to strengthening their knowledge base and widening their vision.

¡P Students could also gain working experience by visiting plants in mainland China.

¡P When hiring, companies look for candidates who can come up with creative solutions, possess strong professional skills, thrive in multi-cultural environments, are willing to travel, and demonstrate a broad global outlook.

Several managers also praised the high standard of the students who have, in previous years, been taken on as interns by their companies.

This round-table discussion was followed by insightful poster presentations by PG students of their work.

Professor Ko said: ¡§We're very pleased with the Industry Day and all that it achieved. The advice to students who will be entering the job market was invaluable, and we feel we have a stronger relationship with the industry which we can build on for our mutual benefit.¡¨

The industry partners were also very positive and found the forum useful in communicating their needs and expectations of students and in learning more about the department. With such positive feedback and reception to continuing dialogue with the department, similar outreach events are planned for the future.