Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS or the Society) is dedicated to building a dynamic life sciences ecosystem in Hong Kong and attracting, cultivating and retaining talents in local life sciences and biotechnology sectors. With the aim to nurture local life sciences talent and foster technology development, Life Sciences Summer Internship Program, one of the key programs of HKLSS, has been held for two consecutive years. Life Sciences Summer Internship Program 2021 is now officially open for application, continuing the mission in offering students with internship opportunities for cutting-edge life sciences research and development.  Broaden Industry Horizons and Practice Theoretical Knowledge HKLSS has always been adhering to cultivating talents and actively providing a platform for students to learn, communicate and practice. The Life Sciences Summer Internship Program is a crucial part in fulfilling this commitment. Through the 8-week program, participants are given the opportunity to expand their skills and horizons at a biotech start-up, venture capital firm, healthcare or pharmaceutical company in Hong Kong or mainland China, and engage with sector specialists through networking and presentations, exploring other career directions of biotechnology and life sciences. The Life Sciences Summer Internship Program was first launched in 2018 and has gradually gained recognitions. Throughout the internship and the series of talks and activities hosted, participants not only deepen their understanding of local life sciences trend and future directions, but also successfully establish and expand the interpersonal network in the industry to lay a solid foundation for future career. Life Sciences Summer Internship Program 2021 is now accepting online applications and is open to senior-year undergraduates and postgraduate students in Hong Kong. This year, participants will visit medical, pharmaceutical or biotech start-ups in Hong Kong, Beijing or Shanghai to learn practical skills, relevant information and know more about the career path within biotechnology and life sciences industries. In addition to Life Sciences Summer Internship Program’s application, our Mentorship Scheme 2021 was inaugurated earlier in January. The one-year Scheme assigns each participant to a mentor, who is dedicated to help them discover their strengths and realise their potential. HKLSS has built up close relationships with industry leaders through continuous effort, which successfully established a strong network of over 100 mentors and mentees, including Mr. Antony Leung, Chairman & CEO, Nan Fung Group, Professor Dennis Lo, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Mr. Tony Yung, CEO of Take2 Health Limited. Each mentor will be assigned to not more than two mentees, allowing both parties to have a close and engaging relationship to facilitate mentees to build their own network, develop their communication skills and prepare them for a life sciences career.  Seize industry opportunities and become an all-rounded talent The latest Policy Address indicated a number of favourable policies for the development of the life sciences industry in Hong Kong. For example, the expansion of Stock Connect allows eligible pre-revenue biotech companies in Hong Kong to be included in southbound trading. Moreover, the government plans to launch Global STEM Professorship Scheme to attract overseas talents to start their business in Hong Kong. With the introduction of Chapter 18A of the Listing Rules by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, allowing non-income biotech companies to list in Hong Kong, more than 150 pharmaceutical companies have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, adding up to a market value of over HKD 2.6 trillion, making Hong Kong the world's second largest financing center for life sciences enterprises. Mr. Vincent Cheung, Chairman of Hong Kong Life Sciences Society said: "With the enormous medical demand, complement by active policy reforms, sufficient funds and outstanding talents, China has now entered the golden age of life sciences development. Moreover, the latest Policies Address and the policies of the Greater Bay Area provide Hong Kong with historic opportunities in life sciences development. With rapid growth of the industry, the requirements for life sciences talents in both China and Hong Kong is getting higher and higher.If we want to seize development opportunities, we should establish a T-shaped system with knowledge from different areas and gain skills in technology, business and legal policies fields." HKLSS is moving towards the goal of cultivating all-round talents. Through activities like Life Sciences Summer Internship Program and Mentorship Scheme, we hope students will get out of the laboratory, learn knowledge of all walks of life, and equip themselves with the working ability required by the industry and the society.   

As Asia’s largest and the world’s second largest biotechnology fund-raising center, Hong Kong has world-class infrastructure and resources for life sciences industry development. The latest Policy Address 2020 outlined various measurements to foster the development of Hong Kong’s life sciences industry. Together with Hong Kong’s unique role as an International Financial Centre and it being a home for diverse international talent pool, allowing government, corporations and academia to have full confidence in the future development of the local life sciences industry. Unleash Life Sciences Industry Potential with Government-Business Collaboration Policy Address 2020 introduced a number of measurements to foster the development of the life sciences industry in Hong Kong, including the expansion Stock Connect that allows eligible pre-revenue biotech companies in Hong Kong to be included in southbound trading. This initiative will add a bright spot to the mutual access of the financial markets of Hong Kong and Mainland China, boosting up the development of local life sciences industry. The government has increased funding for local postgraduate students and cultivation of technology professionals substantially over the past few years, attracting a lot of overseas innovation and technology talents to develop their career in Asia, especially Hong Kong. In addition, the government will invest $2 billion in a five-year Global STEM Professorship Scheme to attract overseas in starting their business in Hong Kong. What’s more, the government will launch the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, providing younger generation with more career opportunities in the innovative and technology industry.  Strengthen Life Sciences Ecosystem in Hong Kong with HKLSS Internship Program As an active force in building Hong Kong's life sciences ecosystem, Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS or the Society) is committed to nurture and retain life science talents in Hong Kong, and to promote knowledge exchange and talent collaboration. HKLSS actively launches various programs and activities, including Summer Internship Programs, Mentorship Scheme, hosting webinars, lecture sharing and workshops. As one of the key programs of HKLSS, the Summer Internship Program aims to provide a platform for local students studying in life sciences or related disciplines to learn and communicate within the industry, and to assist companies in recruiting talents. One of the interns from Summer Internship program 2019, Kobby Ng, was arranged to work in Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals in Shanghai for a month. She said, “The Manager in my department was willing to share with us different perspective and ideas. I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge outside classrooms in this Internship Program.” Participated companies of the Program also spoke highly of the program and the interns. Eddy Wu, Founder and CEO of Arctic Vision said, “Summer interns had the opportunity to attend meetings, contribute their ideas, present their findings and making connections with colleagues in our scientific research, clinical development, commercial planning and business development units.” In addition, Mr. Vincent Cheung, Chairman of HKLSS said, “We hope the establishment of HKLSS could create positive synergy among industry representatives, investors, government departments locally and internationally. We also hope that Hong Kong will become world-class life sciences industrial cluster through talent nurturing and cultivation.” For this year’s Summer Internship Program 2020, HKLSS has selected 16 students from 160 applicants to intern at various biotech start up,  pharmaceutical or venture capital firms to learn latest industry knowledge and skills which will be applicable in their career. The participating companies all agreed that the interns performed very well, some of the employers have expressed their eagerness to hire the interns after the completion of internship program which undoubtedly affirmed the effort of HKLSS in talent cultivation. Another key program, Mentorship Scheme 2021 have invited 43 industry elites including Ms. Irene Chu, Head of New Economy and Head of Life Sciences of KPMG China, Professor Yuen Kwok Yung, Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, and Professor Dennis Lo, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, as mentors to guide about 80 selected mentees. Meetings will be arranged between mentors and mentees throughout the program, mentors will offer advice to guide mentees on their career direction based on the mentee’s preference, strengths and developmental needs as well as skills, values and interests. In addition to Summer Internship Program and Mentorship Scheme, HKLSS also holds many online and offline activities that are dedicated to promoting the comprehensive development of the students, such as Webinar Series on Coronavirus, Beyond Global Cities Dialogue Series 2020, Workshop on Data Science Fundamentals and so on. HKLSS devoted to encourage the communication between academia, industry and business sectors and help students to equip themselves in keeping pace with the rapid development and to seize numerous opportunities within life sciences industry.  

Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS or this society) aims to attract, cultivate and retain talent in Hong Kong’s life sciences and biotechnology sectors. As one of the signature programs of HKLSS, the Mentorship Scheme sets to provide university students and young industry practitioners with opportunities to share their challenges, listen to their mentors, and work together to find a solution to a workplace or study issue. By the end of the mentorship, mentees are expected to equip themselves with a study or career plan, workplace knowledge and the soft skills that many life sciences employers look for in candidates. All our mentors take the lead to work hand-in-hand with their mentees to set goals in initial meetings and offer useful advice to the mentees’ overall development. Gather Industry Leaders to Strengthen the Mentorship Experience Our mentors belong to industry leaders, spanning across consulting, data analysis, investment, finance, healthcare, law and compliance and non-profit organizations. Mentees are carefully selected and encouraged to step out of the laboratory, sharpen interpersonal communication, and unleash their potentials. During the scheme, every mentor will be guiding not more than two mentees, ensuring the effectiveness and the quality of the mentoring relationships. On top of that, networking events including kick-off ceremony also provide mentees with a platform that enables them to meet with more industry experts,  practitioners, and researchers. It creates opportunities for mentees to expand their network, not only with the biotech experts but also the peers within the industry.  To keep both sides on the right track during the whole process, three to four meetings between mentors and mentees will be scheduled. Mentors will offer advice to guide mentees on their career direction based on the mentee’s preference, strengths and developmental needs as well as skills, values and interests. It is worth mentioning that our Mentorship Scheme is also available for e-mentoring.  If the assigned mentor is not usually residing in Hong Kong or the mentee is studying abroad, e-mentoring can be an effective and ideal solution for both sides. The Mentorship Scheme last year invited industry experts including Mr. Vincent Cheung, Chairman of HKLSS, Mr. Antony Leung, Chairman and CEO of Nan Fung Group, Professor Yuen Kwok-Yung, Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Dr. Chun Wu, Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group, Professor Tom Cheung, SH Ho Associate Professor of HKUST’s Division of Life Science, and Ms. Irene Chu, KPMG Partner, Head of New Economy and Life Sciences Hong Kong as our mentors. Mr. Vincent Cheung, Chairman of HKLSS, said: “As one of the fastest-growing industry clusters in Mainland China and globally, biotech is well-placed to give new impetus to the development of Hong Kong, providing our young people with new horizons and ample career opportunities. The Mentorship Scheme is not simply a career counseling program. Through the regular communication between mentors and mentees, mentees will be able to obtain professional insight and experience imparted from mentors, allowing mentees to understand various career options in the life sciences industry.” Positive Feedback Received and the Mentorship Scheme 2021 is Now Open for Application The Kick-off Ceremony of the first Mentorship Scheme was held in The Annex, Nan Fung Place in Sheung Wan in January 2020 which attracted more than 50 mentees, 20 mentors, and 10 advisory board members of HKLSS. The mentees from the first cohort said that one-on-one guidance laid a good foundation for career development, and their relationship expands the professional network for mentees. Gege Yang, a mentee of the Mentorship Scheme 2020, said: “My mentor gave me useful career advice and suggested several pathways I might take before my PhD graduation which gave me a clear direction and benefited a lot.” The Mentorship Scheme 2021 now accepts online application from 5 October until 20 November 2020. The Scheme is open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students, aged 18 or above, who are studying life sciences or a related academic discipline. Fresh graduates will also be considered on an individual basis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone and everywhere, impacting our daily lives in an unprecedented way. Whilst many industries and businesses have seen a downturn, increase in demand for research and development has been seen in industries such as medical care and devices, and COVID-19 vaccines offers hope for the longer run. Some researchers have pointed out that DNA sequencing technology has helped in accelerating the development of vaccines, which demonstrated the importance of life sciences in controlling the global pandemic situation and the growing demand for talents.  Increased Awareness of Life Sciences Maximizes Candidates’ Career Options The outbreak and prevention of COVID-19 has demonstrated the increased importance of life sciences industry and its prosperous future, providing DSE candidates diversified choices to cater to their different interests. In recent years, local life sciences industry has been enjoying the abundant resources, favourable scientific research environment and strong support from the government. Together with the diversed pathways and degree choices, graduates are able to achieve their career aspirations in medical, financial, technology, and science industries.  As a talent cradle for local life sciences industry, Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS or the Society) has always been committed to attracting, nurturing and retaining life science talents. It also aims to build a dynamic life sciences ecosystem in Hong Kong and strengthen communication with the young generation. Moreover, HKLSS organizes its Summer Internship Program every year, offering the next generation a platform to connect with the industry, as well as to train up the students' work-related skills and adaptability, laying a solid foundation for their future development in the industry. The Summer Internship Program Kicked Off with Exciting Online Happenings After months of preparation and careful selection, HKLSS Summer Internship Program 2020 officially kicked off. Despite the impact of COVID-19, the internship program has nevertheless received 160 applications, 16 interns successfully stood out through layers of selection. In the coming months, they will be interning at life sciences companies including pharmaceutical and venture capital companies to learn more about operational knowledge of the industry so as to expand their network and widen their horizons. On 15 July (Wednesday), HKLSS celebrated the inauguration of its Summer Internship Program 2020, allowed interns to visit the extensive network and resources of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) virtually. Mr. Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP and Professor W John Kao, Head of the Biomedical Technology Cluster, HKSTP, have also shared their thoughts of the industry’s latest trend and development with the interns. In addition, the interns also took the opportunity to learn about the products and services of three biotechnology companies including Opharmic Technology, ACT Genomics and Belun Technology. This year’s internship program takes place in Hong Kong, allowing interns to go deep into learning and mastering the comprehensive knowledge in areas including research and development, communications, data analysis and investment within the life sciences industry. What’s more, an online dialogue was held on 1 August (Saturday), partner companies were invited to share with students about technology and entrepreneurship, as well as discussing the trends and prospects of local life sciences scene. HKLSS will also invite two partner companies in Shanghai to share more with the interns about the current status and development of the life sciences industry in the Mainland China on 8 August (Saturday), including their career stories, so as to maximize the platform for knowledge sharing.

Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS) has been dedicated in nurturing Hong Kong into a vibrant world-class life sciences industry cluster through talents cultivation. With the mission of maximizing the impact of the endeavours through building a strong and sustainable talent pipeline in Hong Kong, HKLSS has connected a committed team of top scholars and professionals to foster the development of life sciences industry in Hong Kong. Since the official inauguration in June 2019, HKLSS has been nurturing and gathering local life sciences talents through a wide range of activities including Summer Internship Program, Mentorship Scheme, bench talks and workshops, dialogue series, webinars and public engagement activities. Strengthen Knowledge and Experience Sharing on COVID-19 Combat In the combat of COVID-19, internationally experts in Hong Kong successfully demonstrated they are ahead of the curve and shared their expertise and experience. As the core members of HKLSS Advisory Board, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung from the University of Hong Kong, Professor Leo Poon, Professor and Division Head of Public Health Laboratory Sciences and Professor Keiji Fukuda, former Assistant Director-General for WHO, and currently Director of HKU’s School of Public Health have contributed tremendously in addressing the COVID-19 crisis. As one of the core members of the HKSAR Government Expert Advisory Group Professor Yuen and Professor Fukuda have offered critical advice by sharing the knowledge and experience from fighting with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). These valuable comments help in improving public’s understanding of the causes and risks of the pandemic. In addition, Professor Poon and his team have successfully developed rapid nucleic acid amplification tests within six days after the genomic sequence was released to help identify COVID-19 confirmed case earlier. The test a have been sent out immediately, offering support to over 70 countries. The outbreak of COVID-19 has raised public awareness about the importance and the contribution of life science development. To further strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration between life sciences practitioners HKLSS has launched a series of global webinars on Coronavirus with sharing from experts in different fields, offering young talents and interested parties the opportunity to exchange and share ideas with experts. The next webinar will take place on 10 June (Wednesday) with Professor Denis Wirtz from Johns Hopkins University as the speaker. Please visit the link here for more webinar details and schedule. Two Key Programs in Nurturing Talents to Foster Industry Development HKLSS has been continuously expanding life sciences ecosystem and recruiting talents to bolster the development of local life sciences industry – summer internship program, mentorship scheme, webinars, talks and workshops – to explore latest industry development and trends and widen the horizon of young talents. Summer Internship Program is one of the key annual events of HKLSS. The first internship program has attracted large corporations and bio-tech companies to participate and has successfully competed in Shanghai last year. In response to the global pandemic situation, HKLSS has confirmed to hold the Summer Internship Program 2020 in Hong Kong this year with a determination to continue in supporting and creating more opportunities for young talents during this unprecedented time. Interns will have the opportunities to work in local life sciences companies including start-ups, venture capital and pharmaceutical companies in Hong Kong. During the internship, HKLSS will conduct various interactive talks and networking activities for interns to understand the development and prospect of life sciences industry in a more comprehensive way. In addition to the internship program, HKLSS’ Mentorship Scheme also helps to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills, and to expand their social network. Participating mentors are all experienced industry experts, young entrepreneurs and senior managements including HKLSS Vice- Chairmen Mr. Anthony Leung, HKLSS Advisory Board members, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, Professor Keiji Fukuda, offering mentees valuable industry experience and networking resources, providing them the support needed in building their career in Hong Kong and Greater China. Connecting Industry Experts and Younger Generation to Foster Development As the communication bridge to connect life sciences industry experts and new generation, HKLSS has been dedicated its constant effort in offering a platform for industry updates and experience sharing to arouse young talents in joining the industry force.