The 2020-2022 biennium Programs started amid in Covid, even 5 waves of pandemics couldn’t stop us by hosting 10 successful programs: 5 webinars, 5 luncheon talks of which 2 in hybrid format joined by sister Zontians clubs.
We are honored to have influential senior government officers, academics, and industry leaders coming to share with fellow Zontians on a wide range of topics. Our biennium program began on works on online education, then covered hot topics that impact our livelihood: financial protection for aging population, Covid and future, Smart City, 5G technology, then we evolved into Hong Kong’s art development, Chinese philosophy, elderly care, climate change, and finished our biennium program on city planning. Please enjoy the recordings.
1. Divide, Social Divide and Online Learning” Insight From Research Before and During the Pandemic (Dr. Nancy Law, 10 Nov, 2020)
We kicked off our biennium Program on 10 November 2020 by hosting a luncheon talk entitled “Divide, Social Divide and online learning: insight from research before and during the pandemic” by Dr. Nancy Law, Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, at the China Club. The research study by Dr. Nancy Law forms the basis upon which our current advocacy and service project “Project ABC” was organized. The talk was attended by more than 30 club members.
Luncheon talk on 10th Nov 2020 by Dr. Nancy Law 
Ms. Shirley Chan, Ms. Carman Kan, Ms. Kathy Yip, President Nora Leung, Dr. Nancy Law, Ms. Fan Lee, Ms. Lui Tong
2. Insurance Outlook and Trends for Aging Population (Ms. Ivy Po Po Tong, 26 Jan, 2021)
On January 26, 2021, Ms. Ivy Po Po Tong, Executive District Director, AIA Insurance International gave a talk on the “Insurance Outlook and Trends for Aging Population”. She also shared on how agile the insurance industry has adapted to the need of coverage for vaccination side effects. In light of the ongoing pandemic social distancing requirement and we began our first webinar program. The talk was attended by over 40 members.
3. Past, Present and Future of Covid (Prof. Benjamin John Cowling, 23 Feb, 2021)
By Feb 23, 2021, just as Hong Kong going through our 3rd wave of Covid, we were privileged to have Professor Benjamin John Cowling, Professor and Division Head, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong to share with us “Past, Present and Future of Covid” through a webinar format. As the world began to vaccinate, we had a lively exchange and Q&A session with Professor Cowling to understand the benefit and implications of being vaccinated.
Professor Benjamin John Cowling and Ms. Lui Tong
4. Smart City Blueprint Hong Kong 2.0 and You ( Mr. Tony Wong, JP, 30 Mar, 2021)
Many said the world had sped up the digitization process by 4-10 folds since the pandemic. On March 30, 2021, we were honored to have Mr. Tony Wong, JP, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer, The SAR Government of Hong Kong, to share with us on Hong Kong SAR government’s initiatives in the Smart City Blueprint, titled “Smart City Blueprint Hong Kong 2.0 and You”. It was enlightening how much effort there has been in the past 3 years, building Hong Kong top be a connected city: Smart Mobility, Living, Environment, People, Government, Economy, and Use of I&T in Combating Covid-19, and Smart Village Pilots to name a few. The event was published on the HKSAR government’s OGCIO site.
Mr. Tony Wong, Ms. Lui Tong and President Nora Leung
5. Relevance of 5G: To You and The Success of Enterprises’ Transformation (Mr. Kenny KOO Sing Fai, 29, Jun, 2021)
Global commitments in shaping a connected world intensified with the implementation of the 5th generation technology standard for mobile networks and the need for Covid’s new normal. On June 29th, 2021, Mr. Kenny Koo Sing-fai, Executive Director & CEO, Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong Holdings enlightened our horizon on the Relevance of 5G: To You And The Success of Enterprises’ Transformation. We heard how the 5G is a leading way to boost user experience and transform the way we connect, how it impacts individuals and how businesses from diverse industries could leverage 5G transformation to achieve sustainable business goals.
Ms. Lui Tong, Mr. Kenny Koo, President Nora Leung, Ms. Kathy Yip, Ms. Fann Lee | Mr. Kenny Koo
6. M+, a Gift for Hong Kong (Shirley Surya, 28 Sep, 2021)
In a milestone moment for the cultural landscape in Asia, while waiting for the much-anticipated M+ museum to open its doors on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour waterfront on 12 November 2021, we were privileged to have Ms. Shirley Surya, Curator for Design and Architecture at M+ to be our distinguished speaker and took us on a close look at M+, and learn how its manifestation could be a “gift” for Hong Kong. M+ is set to become a destination for local, regional, and international visitors, M+ seeks to foster dialogues between Hong Kong and the global community of artists, designers, architects, and filmmakers. Takeaways include how M+ as a museum for visual culture relates Hong Kong to the world, how it has manifested its distinct vision since 2012, what are the key principles guiding the building of the M+ Collections, particularly in the area of Design and Architecture, and last but not least, how will all of the above be presented at the museum’s opening.
Ms. Lui Tong, Ms. Shirley Surya, President Nora Leung, Ms. Fann Lee | Ms. Shirley Surya and Zonta Club of HK board
7. “I Ching, 易- 是書？是文化？還是智庫？” (Dr. Dorothy Ng, 26 October 2021)
On Oct 26, 2021, we invited our own Zonta Club HK member, Dr Dorothy Ng to speak to us on I Ching “易- 是書？是文化？還是智庫？”. Dr Ng is a seasoned scholar in Chinese Language Study for over 30 years and a retiree from Hong Kong University as a professor in the Education Faculty.
She conducted a very lively talk to us in Cantonese to introduce what is I Ching, and explained how I Ching has evolved over the past 30 centuries in Chinese history to become today’s form.
The luncheon talk was attended by almost 40 members from our club, together with Zontians from Sister Clubs via Zoom Meeting online. The active Q&A session demonstrated a vast genuine interest from our Zontians on this topic and many indicated the interest to pursue more in-depth understanding and study into I Ching!
吳鳳平博士為資深語文教學研究學者。退休前任教於香港大學教育學院。從事中文老師師資培訓三十多年，桃李滿門。近年致力推廣香港的文化藝術的發展。先後為- 香港藝術發展資詢委員會委員- 香港非物質文化遺產評審委員- 粤劇發展資詢委員會委員現任香港博物館專家顧問。希望疫情過後，再次遊起中國山河大地，品味華夏民族文化。
讓我們從歷史文化角度了解［易］作為中華傳統文化的核心，三千多年來，如何經過歷朝歷代的帝皇與精英知識分子的推廣與鑽研，發展成今天廿一世紀模式的「易」的模樣！
Ms. Fann Lee, Dr. Dorothy Ng, Ms. Lui Tong & President Nora Leung | Dr. Dorothy Ng
8. Current Social Challenges on Elderly Care (Dr. Lam Chin-Choi, 30 Nov, 2021)
Ageing is a major population problem worldwide. On 30th November 2021, we were privileged to have Dr The Honourable LAM Ching-Choi, SBS, JP, Chief Executive Officer of Haven of Hope Christian Service to be our distinguished speaker.
With better medical technology, people live longer. Life expectancy for men and women in Hong Kong was 81 and 86 years, regarded as the world’s longest-living population. Yet, when it continues to have low birth rates, longer life expectancy, chronic illnesses creating a huge demand in frontline workers and elderly services, these raise an alarming challenge to care for the growing ageing population. Dr. Lam shared a lively and candid session on the root problems in Hong Kong’s elderly care, the SAR government’s policy, and what and how an updated elderly care ecosystem society can build for a longer-term and more sustainable caring system.
Dr. Lam Ching-Choi Dr. C. C. Lam with Club Board Members
9. Climate Change and HKSAR Government’s Strategy (25 Jan 2022)
Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and it affects each and every one of us. Followed by 2021’s COP26, 151 countries submitted new climate plans to slash their emissions by 2030. On 25th January 2022, we were privileged to have Mr. Wong Kam-sing, GBS, JP, Secretary for the Environment to share with us on “Climate Change and SAR Government’s Strategy”.
We’ve learned The Environment Bureau’s tremendous efforts in enhancing climate action through the 4 key initiatives: Waste Blueprints, Clean Air Plan 2035, Roadmap on Popularization of Electronic Vehicles, and Hong Kong Climate Action Plan 2050 on reducing waste and promoting recycling, improving air quality and conserving nature. We discussed enthusiastically how private citizens and corporations can take part. You can find more recent work in a comprehensive plan to achieve carbon neutrality (碳中和) before 2050, published in the updated blueprint in October 2021 (Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 | 香港氣候行動藍圖2050) building a new community recycling network. Green@Community (綠在區區) regarding single-use plastic waste, launching a pilot scheme on reverse vending machines (入樽機), and the regulation of disposable plastic tableware. The webinar was well attended by distinguished Zontians across all Zonta Clubs in Hong Kong.
A glimpse of webinar participants, Mr. K.S. Wong spoke in his office, and met with our own Carman Kan the next day in Legco meeting.
10. Northern Metropolis and Hong Kong 2030+ (8 Mar 2022)
On March 8th, International Women’s Day and Zonta Rose Day, we were privileged to have Mr. Ling Kar-Kan, SBS, Strategic Advisor for Hong Kong/ Shenzhen Corporation, Policy Innovation and Coordination Office (PICO), HKSAR to be our distinguished speaker.
We were enlighted by the details in the “The Northern Metropolis Development Strategy”, and how it will make the city an international innovation-and-technology hub, as the introduction and flow of talent and introduction will be encouraged and barrier-free, now there will be $100 billion budget to be set aside to be expedited for the implementation of infrastructure works relating to land, housing and transportation within the Northern Metropolis. Experts said the Northern Metropolis to be HK’s ‘Silicon Valley’. It is formulated on the basis of the Hong Kong 2030+. The Zoom meeting was attended by distinguished Zontians across all Zonta Clubs in Hong Kong generated a lively discussion and Q&A session.
Mr. Ling Kar-Kan
Zonta Club of Hong Kong 