Hong Kong Life Sciences Society, established in September 2018, aims to attract, cultivate and retain talents in the local life sciences sector through knowledge exchange, collaboration and engagement in order to establish a dynamic life sciences ecosystem in Hong Kong. HKLSS is also dedicated in providing a platform to connect local life sciences talents with Mainland and international companies.

Government and Industry Join Hands to Foster Local Life Sciences Development

Hong Kong has a lot of outstanding scientific research talent and institutions. The fundamental research, clinical research and capital markets have all developed maturely. Hong Kong is blessed with a strategic location, robust intellectual property protection and unique role as a global business and financial centre, making the city an ideal location for biotech companies and start-ups to invest and collaborate. Nevertheless, the continuous development of the life sciences sector is a collective effort from the industry, business sector and the Government. “We hope to foster the inter-disciplinary collaboration between industry leaders, investors, the Government, local and international organizations through the establishment of HKLSS. We will continue to dedicate our effort in nurturing talents, which helps develop a world-class life sciences cluster in Hong Kong,” said Mr. Vincent Cheung, Chairman of the HKLSS Board of Governors.

HKLSS has debuted its first Summer Internship Program in 2019 with the backing of venture capitals and pharmaceutical companies, including Morningside Venture Capital, AstraZeneca, WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics. The summer internship program has fully demonstrated HKLSS’ support towards the next generation in realizing their passion in life sciences industry for the betterment of society, which also laid a solid foundation of the development of HKLSS.

Promote Talent Exchange and Development via Summer Internship Program

HKLSS has been working closely with industry practitioners to nurture younger generation, provide new exposure and visions, and to establish a shared network of resources and talents with China’s life sciences industry.

Riding on the success of the previous summer internship program, HKLSS will launch its Summer Internship Program 2020, offering participants unique opportunity to expand their skills and horizons at biotech startup, venture capital firm, healthcare or pharmaceutical company in Shanghai. Intern positions will cover R&D, communications, data analysis and investment. During the internship program, participants will be given the opportunity to engage with sector specialists through workshops, presentations and networking activities, and to explore their career directions in biotechnology and life sciences. The Summer Internship Program 2020 is now open for online application until 30 April 2020.

Explore Wide Array of Industry Hot Topics through Events and Activities

HKLSS has been continuously dedicating its effort in organizing a series of exciting activities for life sciences talents in different fields and stages, such as our Mentorship Scheme. The Mentorship Scheme is designed to cultivate young students in these industries, by equipping them with workplace-ready knowledge and soft skills, as well as the ability to network and make relevant connections with industry leaders, young entrepreneurs and senior executives from a wide range or professions related to life sciences and biotechnology. HKLSS also encourage further exchange and collaboration between academia, industry practitioners and students through a series of bench talks, workshops and inter-disciplinary dialogues. Looking forward, HKLSS will continue in dedicating its effort and resources to provide an effective channel for interested talents to learn more about life sciences.

Dedicated Effort in Fulfilling the Aspirations and Missions of HKLSS

In order to build a strong and sustainable talent pipeline in the sector, HKLSS has been gathering and connecting top-notch professionals from different areas in the life sciences sector to join the Board of Governors to exchange insights and industry updates.

Among them are Professor Nancy Ip, Vice-President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Professor Dennis Lo, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Both of the top international bioscientists who have made significant contributions to biotechnology are also the Vice-Chairmen of HKLSS. Dr. David Ho Da-I, who is credited with inventing the combination antiretroviral therapy, popularly known as cocktail therapy, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong and Professor Leo Poon, virology experts and division head of HKU’s Public Health Laboratory Sciences are also core members of HKLSS Advisory Board.

Life sciences has a decisive influence on the development of humankind, covering wide range of aspect including medical, agricultural and food industry. HKLSS will continue its effort to provide a communication platform young talents and scientists through various programs and activities and to foster the development of life sciences industry.

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.

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.
 

The Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS, the Society), was officially launched on 6 June. Supported by the Nan Fung Group, it is the first youth organisation specifically established to build a dynamic life sciences ecosystem in Hong Kong. The launch ceremony was held at The Mills with Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the officiating guest.

Cultivating Talent

HKLSS was established in September 2018, with the aim of attracting, cultivating and retaining talent in Hong Kong’s life sciences sector through knowledge exchange, collaboration and engagement. The Society is currently doing its utmost to develop national, international and inter-disciplinary collaboration to promote Hong Kong as a hotspot for the life sciences. To this end, it is striving to obtain input from various stakeholders including the Hong Kong Government, higher education institutions, researchers, investors, and the new generation.

Summer Internship Program

This year HKLSS will launch the Summer Internship Program 2019, which will provide Hong Kong students with life sciences workplace learning and networking opportunities. It will also strengthen exchange and cooperation with the life sciences industry on the Mainland, and offer unique opportunities for Hong Kong young talent to experience the boom in life sciences taking place in China.

The officiating guest at the launch ceremony, Mrs Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong said, “Building a vibrant and diversified economy is one of the chief goals of the Hong Kong Government. We place great emphasis on our young talent especially in the areas of innovation, technology and the development of the sciences. Working hand in hand with the commercial sector has helped to foster this development, and thus contributed to a brighter future for Hong Kong and our people”.

Utilising the Energy of a New Generation

Mr Vincent Cheung, The Chairman of the HKLSS Board of Governors and Managing Director and COO of Nan Fung Group said in the ceremony, “The life sciences is essential to the development of humankind. The main objectives of establishing this society are to nurture young local talent, strengthen communications with China’s life sciences industry, and build a strong and sustainable pipeline of life sciences talent for local development.

“Hong Kong has a lot of outstanding scientific research talent and institutions. The fundamental research, clinical research and capital markets have all developed maturely. The establishment of One Country, Two Systems has created favourable conditions for the development of the. life sciences in Hong Kong. We can build a promising future with good collaboration with the Government, other practitioners, we, the investors, and of course our young people. At HKLSS we strongly believe that nurturing the next generation will bring an innovative breath of fresh energy to the sector and contribute to the scientific development of Hong Kong.”

Top Professionals

An Advisory Board was set up with top-notch professionals from the life sciences sector, to provide professional advice and suggestions to the Society. Among the international experts are:

• Prof Nancy Ip: Vice-President of Research and Development, HKUST, and The Morningside Professor of Life Science. She is well-known for her seminal discoveries in the biology of neurotrophic factors, which are proteins that promote the survival, development, and maintenance of neurons in the nervous system.

• Prof Dennis Lo: Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, the Chairman of the Department of Chemical Pathology, and the Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine and Professor of Chemical Pathology of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is one of Hong Kong’s foremost innovators in the realm of medical science and is one of only two Hong Kong scientists elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

• Dr Gerald Chan: Co-founder of Morningside Venture Capital and Director of the Morningside Foundation. He is a member of Harvard University’s Global Advisory Council, the Dean's Board of Advisors of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Harvard China Fund. He has been actively involved in the private equity venture capital industry for more than 20 years. The Morningside Foundation, led by Dr Chan, made the biggest donation in Harvard University’s 400-year history, handing over US$350 million to its school of public health. The school renamed the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health after the late tycoon Chan Tseng-hsi, the father of Dr Chan.

• Prof David Ho: Taiwanese-American medical doctor, Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Centre, and the Irene Diamond Professor at Rockefeller University in New York City. He has made many innovative state of the art scientific contributions to the understanding and technological treatment of HIV infection, notably his invention of cocktail therapy, and the combination anti-retroviral therapy.

• Prof Malik Peiris: Co-director of the WHO H5 Reference Laboratory at HKU, Chair of Virology, School of Public Health, at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of HKU. He serves on many standing committees and ad-hoc advisory committees of international agencies such as the WHO and FAO. He is a clinical and public health virologist with a particular interest in emerging virus diseases in the animal-human interface. Together with Prof Dennis Lo, Prof Peiris is also one of the only two Hong Kong scientists elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

• Prof Leo Poon: School of Public Health, the LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU Division Head of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU. He specialises in the basic biology of RNA viruses and developing molecular diagnostic tools for infectious diseases.

Life Science Summer Internships

New knowledge and technologies are constantly changing the landscape of the life sciences and its many branches. To address the practical needs of emerging talent in the field, the Society is launching an internship program that will provide workplace learning and networking opportunities for our Hong Kong students. Current senior-year undergraduates and postgraduate students aged 18 or above, with an academic qualification in the life sciences or a related discipline are eligible to apply.

The program started its first recruitment in February this year and received over 220 applications. 30 finalists were selected following individual interviews with a panel including Mr Vincent Cheung, The Chairman of the HKLSS Board of Governors, and Ken Wong, the Executive Director of HKLSS.

The internships will be fully sponsored by the Nan Fung Group and will take place over four consecutive weeks in Shanghai in the Summer of 2019. They will offer a unique opportunity for the selected students to explore cutting-edge research, technology and the future of life sciences.

Participants will be able to expand their skills at various life-science related bodies including healthcare or pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca, WuXi AppTec and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals; biotech start-up companies like Oncologie; venture capital firms such as Morningside Venture Capital, Vivo Capital and Pivotal bioVenture Partners China. They will also be able to engage with sector specialists and practitioners through networking and presentations. Intern positions will cover R&D, communications, data analysis and investment.

Coaching Activities

Apart from the Summer Internship Program, the Society will be organising a series of coaching activities in the coming years to encourage young talent to take up careers in the life sciences. Activities will include visits to life science faculties in Hong Kong universities, networking events, inter-disciplinary dinner talks, mentorship scheme, a Bench Café and a mega event: the Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS) 2020 Conference.

Read more:

Mentorship Scheme

Visit to HKU’s LKS Faculty of Medicine

Visit to HKUST’s Division of Life Science

Visit to CUHK's three academic schools

Visit to Career Centre in HKBU