The Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy (the Programme), organised for the third consecutive year by the Silk Road International School of Engineering (SRISE) in partnership with power corporations from Mainland China and Hong Kong, was completed on 2 September 2020.
SRISE was set up jointly by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in 2017, to promote collaboration in higher education and scientific research among the Belt and Road countries and regions, Mainland China and Hong Kong, and to nurturing diversified talents for global development.
The theme for this year’s programme was “High-quality, Sustainable, Resilient Power Grid for Green and Smart Living”. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, a series of web-based activities including talks and interactive webinars hosted by experts from State Grid, XJTU, PolyU and HK Electric was launched in mid-August to replace field trips and seminars held before.
Despite participants being unable to visit the power facilities in person, they benefited from the convenience of the internet to connect and interact with speakers and participants, and to share the latest industry knowledge of power and energy.
A total of 12 talks and webinars were held during the eight-day training, attracting a record of nearly 150 industry professionals from 26 countries and regions, including senior executives from enterprises and government agencies, as well as veteran academics and researchers.
Since all activities were held online, we were able to accommodate more participants this year than in the past. Countries/regions that they represent include: Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau; participants from European countries included in the Belt and Road initiative, such as Romania, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Ukraine, as well as Brazil, Chile, Panama, Russia, South Africa and Nigeria also joined the event via the internet.
The three-year programme has generated over 5,300 hours of interaction, establishing a communication platform which connects power and energy managers from among the Belt and Road countries/regions. Additionally, the programme has contributed to nurturing future industry leaders and has facilitated the urban development of the countries/regions involved.
The Programme aims to support the Belt and Road Initiative and respective policies of the Nation and Hong Kong by strengthening relations, knowledge exchange and collaboration among the Belt and Road countries and regions; serving as a platform for technology exchange between industry professionals and researchers, and as a driving force to foster collaboration between governments and enterprises.
Moreover, the aim is to enhance the electricity infrastructure of the Belt and Road countries and regions to promote integration with international standards.
The Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government stated that in Hong Kong enterprises and professionals have been participating in several Belt and Road energy projects, both in the traditional electricity generation sector as well as in renewable energy production and smart grid.
The HK government is keen to see more of the city’s multi-talents joining hands with their Belt and Road counterparts. They are confident that there are ample opportunities for collaboration in the energy services sector and the wider context of capacity building.
The Dean of Faculty of Engineering of PolyU concluded the three-year programme stating that electricity is a major energy source; it is pivotal for a country or region to maintain its sustainability and stability. PolyU is committed to combining the expertise and industry experience of universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong, working towards effective knowledge transfer.
As the university excels in the engineering discipline, they will continue to contribute expert knowledge to support the training of professionals from the Belt and Road countries and regions.
The Vice President, Xi’an Jiaotong University remarked that the Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy’ was the debut university-industry collaboration project coordinated by the Silk Road International School of Engineering.
Over three years, more than 200 professionals in power and energy sector across the globe have been trained in both theory and practice.
The Managing Director of HK Electric stated that to combat climate change and promote a green future for Hong Kong, HK Electric will build 3 new gas-fired generating units with the first one already commissioned earlier this year. In addition, they have launched a ‘Virtual Reality Training Centre’ which simulates a real working environment by using virtual reality technology. Engineers can learn and share their experiences with industry counterparts from Belt and Road countries and regions through this year’s theme talks held online.
