SED encourages students to learn from astronauts and scientists (with photos/videos)

SED encourages students to learn from astronauts and scientists (with photos/videos)
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     The Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng, today (August 11) encouraged students to model themselves on the visiting astronauts and scientists and strive to realise their own dreams.

     Mr Ng made the remark when he addressed about 1,400 primary and secondary students at their dialogue session with members of the Tiangong-1/Shenzhou-9 manned space docking and rendezvous mission delegation.

     Organised by the Education Bureau, the dialogue with the delegation enabled local students to have a better understanding of the development of aerospace science and technology in the Mainland. The session also offered the students an opportunity to learn more about the astronauts' training and their life in space. Attending today's session were the deputy leaders of the delegation, Mr Wang Zhaoyao and Mr Yuan Jie, and astronauts Mr Jing Haipeng, Mr Liu Wang and Ms Liu Yang.

     Commending the achievements of the astronauts and scientists, Mr Ng said, "With team spirit, a pragmatic work attitude, hard work, perseverance and devotion, they have scaled new heights in aerospace science and technology."

     He also encouraged students to learn from the Mainland aerospace science team their enterprising spirit in developing aerospace technology.

     During the dialogue session with members of the delegation and astronauts, students raised questions on the techniques involved in space docking and rendezvous, astronauts' life inside the capsule and the experiments they conducted, the feeling of being the country's first female astronaut, astronauts' family and training lives, and the country's future development plan in aerospace technology. The delegation members were actively engaged in sharing their experiences with the students.

     Today's session at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) was attended by teachers and students from 66 primary schools and 73 secondary schools. The Acting Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Betty Ip, and the Deputy Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li, also attended the event.

     In addition, Mr Ng hosted a lunch at the HKCEC for the delegation to meet with the higher education, science and research sectors of Hong Kong.

     Speaking at the luncheon, Mr Ng said that through co-operation with different scientific research organisations on the Mainland, these sectors have launched aerospace science and technology projects covering different areas including aerospace engineering and aerospace medicine, and he noted that some of the achievements have been remarkable.

     "I believe that with the success of the Tiangong-1/Shenzhou-9 manned space docking and rendezvous mission, the country's aerospace technological developments will be advanced. Hong Kong's higher education institutions will also capitalise on this valuable chance to further deepen their co-operation with the aerospace scientific research organisations on the Mainland in order to work together to open a new chapter in aerospace history."

Ends/Saturday, August 11, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:40

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