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Over 250 university students from 150 countries will share their vision on the future of the information and communications technology (ICT) at the coming Youth Forum at the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 in Hong Kong from December 3 to 8.
Organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Youth Forum offers a valuable opportunity for the young leaders to establish networks and to share knowledge on how ICT could be used to produce positive change in their community. Each ITU member state will nominate a male and a female university student to join the forum.
This is the first time that a WORLD Youth Forum is held in Hong Kong. Being the host city, Hong Kong has also selected two outstanding local university students to join the event. They are Mr Antony Tam from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Miss Amy Lau from The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Meeting the two Hong Kong delegates today (November 18), the Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mrs Marion Lai, said: 䩕The Youth Forum provides a valuable opportunity for the youth fellows from around the world to enhance their exposure and knowledge. Apart from sharing their visions on the future development of the ICT, they can also take the opportunity to exchange their views with the chief executive officers of international enterprises and senior officials from different governments and regulatory authorities.
䩕The People﷿s Republic of China is the major sponsor of the Youth Forum. As the host city, Hong Kong is working closely with the ITU to provide quality hospitality services and a variety of visit programme.蒅
During the six-day event, the youth fellows will be engaged in a series of interactive sessions and workshops covering three major cross cutting roles of ICT: using ICT to bridge the digital divide; using ICT to foster socio-economic development, and implications of digital society.
The discussions at the Youth Forum will enable the youths to explore the facts and experience gathered by the ITU and the telecommunication industries about ICT. As a culmination to the programme, the fellows will draft and present a Declaration of Action Plan conveying their global vision for expanding the benefits of ICT.
Apart from the dedicated Youth Forum sessions, the fellows will also have the opportunity to join the main Forum, visit the show floor of the TELECOM exhibition and enjoy a series of host city programmes for relax and to know more about Hong Kong.
To extend the hospitality of the host city to the youth fellows and to enhance the participation of local youths in the prestigious Youth Forum, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups has recruited more than 40 local university students to act as young ambassadors.
The ambassadors will receive the overseas youth fellows by providing pre-arrival guidance and companionship during the event period. They will also act as young reporters, contributing articles and photographs of the conferences and activities.
This year the list of participants includes, for the first time, fellows from Belize, Cuba, Gabon, Lao, Paraguay and Qatar.
Ends/Saturday, November 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:58
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