Hong Kong Life Sciences Society (HKLSS or the society), established in September 2018, aims to attract, nurture and retain talents in the local life sciences sector through knowledge exchange, collaboration and engagement to build and a dynamic life sciences and biotech ecosystem. Summer Internship Program is returning for the third year and has almost come to an end, over 30 selected interns will be completing their six-week internship in mid-August. 

The program includes internships in a number of biotech start-up, venture capital firm, healthcare or pharmaceutical companies, as well as a series of visits and activities organized by the Society to allow interns to broaden their horizons and gain a deeper understanding of the development of the local life science and biotech ecosystem.

Overwhelming Responses Received in 2021 Summer Internship Program

Since its debut in 2019, HKLSS Summer Internship Program has gradually achieved positive feedbacks and support from the industry.  It has also been highly regarded by life sciences undergraduates and post-graduate students in Hong Kong and overseas. Stepping into the third year of the HKLSS Summer Internship Program, overwhelming responses of 250 applications from more than 30 institutions in Hong Kong, United Kingdom and United States were received this year. After rounds of interviews and selection, more than 30 interns were selected for the program. HKLSS plays the role to offer the best internship match between employers and interns, based on the interns’ academic profile and preferences, whilst fulfilling the needs of the participating companies. More than 20 renowned life sciences companies and local start-ups were participating this year, including Sanomics, Novus Life Sciences Take2 Health, Belun Technology and, Opharmic Technology (HK). Interns will be arranged to one of the business units in the assigned company during the internship program, including research and development, business development, investment, policy research, regulatory and marketing, to learn and experience outside the classroom for more comprehensive development in the industry. 

Series of Laboratory Visits and Guest Talks Broadens Intern’s Horizons on the Latest Developments in Life Sciences and Biotechnology

Series of guest talks, laboratories visit, exchanges, and workshops are another key highlight of the summer internship program which allow students to have a better understanding of the biotech ecosystem. This offers valuable opportunities for the interns to connect with professionals and broadened their horizons on the latest developments in life sciences and biotechnology industry. The opening ceremony of the Summer Internship Program and the Hong Kong Science Park visit was successfully held on June 29. HKLSS was honoured to invite Mr Eugene Hsia, the Chief Corporate Development Officer of Hong Kong Science Park for giving a welcome speech. Representatives of ACT Genomics and HiFiBio Therapeutics were also invited for introducing their latest research directions and business developments. As to facilitate the understanding of the contribution of HKSTP in the life science and biotechnology industry, interns were given the opportunity to visit a series of latest establishments including the InnoCell, Biomedical Technology Support Centre and Experience Centre. Interns also visited the Centre for Eye and Vision Research, a research collaboration between The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Various biotechnology panel discussions were also held in July, Dr Eddy Wu, Founder and CEO of Artic Vision and Mr Stanley Sy, CEO of Sanomics were invited to share their insights and unforgettable journey as a bioentrepreneur. HKLSS has also invited Dr Wilson Wong, CEO & Co-Founder of Novus Life Sciences, and Ms Yan Chan, Deputy General Manager (Business Innovation) of Nan Fung Group in another panel discussion to share with the interns, their insights on the importance of innovation in developing and reinforcing a business. Interns had also taken the opportunity to visit the production space at Mills Fabrica and joined the guided tours in the Mills, to learn about the integration between innovative technology, business development and the local community.

Infusing New and Postive Energy into the Industry

Jennifer Tsui, master’s student majoring in Ophthalmology from the University of Hong Kong, who joined the internship program again this year, mentioned that in addition to the day-to-day routine of her job duties, different activities hosted by HKLSS has enabled her to have deeper understanding of the industry and allow her to establish industry network, which is very beneficial to her future career development. She also hopes that through the program, she can learn more about different aspects and possibilities of the life sciences industry. 

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. 
 

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.

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.

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