Hong Kong will host the inaugural Global Talent Summit and a career expo on May 7 and 8, offering both insights and opportunities for aspiring professionals seeking a career in the city.
Hong Kong Talent Engage, a government office for drawing high-end professionals, said on Tuesday that nearly 100 companies, government departments and public bodies and over 20 political and business leaders will attend the two simultaneous events, to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
Many leading companies and public bodies will take part in the expo, such as the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, MTR Corp Ltd, and the Hospital Authority
Speaking at a news conference, Anthony Lau Chun-hon, director of the office, said the two-day event will be divided into three parts — a forum on the trend of flow of professionals on the global stage; a conference features the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s high-quality talent development; and the career expo, to be held on both days.
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While the forum and conference facilitate the exchange of experiences and discussion of trends in talent development, the expo will enable international, local and regional strategic enterprises and counterparts to present to participants and global talent the opportunities of Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland as well as development prospects of various sectors, Lau said.
Many leading companies and public bodies will take part in the expo, such as the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, MTR Corp Ltd, and the Hospital Authority.
Job-seeking agencies and platforms will introduce to the participants positions in areas that include financial services, innovation and technology. Professionals who have difficulty relocating to Hong Kong can get tailor-made advice from some exhibitors.
Lau said issues that concern most incoming professionals are job opportunities, housing, children’s education, and the learning of Cantonese, and his office will continue to provide assistance in these areas.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu sees talent attraction as a priority of the government’s work, and he has introduced many initiatives, including the establishment of the talent office and launch of the top-talent pass program, to achieve the goal since he took office in 2022.
In 2023, Hong Kong’s various talent attraction programs had received over 224,000 applications, and over 90,000 professionals had arrived in Hong Kong, well above Lee’s target of bringing in at least 35,000 professionals a year.
Some incoming professionals shared their views at the news conference.
“So far, it’s been fantastic. We love it here,” said Robert Lay, who has settled down in Hong Kong under the top talent pass program with his wife and two children. He is satisfied that his family got everything resolved — including finding jobs, getting visas and hiring domestic helpers — in six months.
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Lay’s wife, Emma Li, said she values Hong Kong’s education. The couple said they believe their children can get an education with an international prospective and all-around development in local schools.
Zheng Nan, who arrived in Hong Kong in October as a dependent of her husband — a professional from overseas — said people like her working in the internet and technology fields would like to look for opportunities in Hong Kong.
