Career Seminars

During the 1980s, HKABPW organised a very successful series of seminars to introduce students to a variety of careers, including those that many girls might have considered inappropriate or unavailable to women. Women working in these fields were invited to talk about how they entered their chosen career and the opportunities available to them. Careers ranged from architecture and accountancy through electronic engineering and information technology to radiography and urban planning. In 1980 Hong Kong was a very different place and sometimes, young women were denied the same opportunities in education as their male counterparts.

HKABPW members also provided opportunities for students to spend time and work in their companies during the summer holidays. This gave the students an opportunity to experience the business environment and thus be in a better position to choose a suitable career.

In the 1990s, HKABPW provided career seminars at City University, Hong Kong Baptist University and at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Bursaries

One of HKABPW’s aims is to encourage women and girls to acquire education and training. The Association provides financial support to students in need who are studying courses that are not traditionally pursued by females.

HKABPW first started awarding bursaries in 1981 and has continued to do so for the past 23 years. As of 2005, a total of over HK$287,000 (US$37,000) has been awarded to 58 young women.

The bursaries have been awarded to female university students on courses ranging in level from Diploma to Masters Degree and have covered such disciplines as: Surveying; Estate Management; Civil Engineering; Marine Engineering; Building, Technology and Management; Electronic Engineering; Manufacturing Engineering; Building and Construction; Computer Engineering; Quantity Surveying; Chemical Technology; Sound Engineering, and Global Supply Chain Management.

Range of non-traditional programmes studied by HKABPW bursary recipients over the past 23 years.

News from Chan Mei Fung, an Electronic Engineering bursary recipient

I am Chan Mei Fug, the HKABPW's bursary recipient in 1997 and 1998. I studied in a non-traditional field, Electronic Engineering, at City University of Hong Kong. I am very pleased that I can have a chance to thank BPW again for giving me the bursary for two years, which helped in making my university study a success. Instead of needing to work part-time, with BPW's bursary I was able to focus on my study. Also, it gave me the incentive to study harder. In my 3rd year of study, I was selected to extend my studies to four years and earn a Master's degree. My studies have given me a good foundation for my career as a senior software engineer in the largest smartcard company.

Apple Chu Ping Ping, who studied for a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) in Electronic and Communication Engineering at the City University of Hong from 2001 – 2003, has sent us the following message.

“I was a graduate student in Electronic and Communication Engineering of City University of Hong Kong in 2003. I received a bursary from The Hong Kong Association of Business and Professional Women in 2001. This bursary really helped me a lot in my University studies because I did not need to spend so much time working to pay for my course fees during my study. I could surely concentrate on my study and I finally got much better results in Year 2 and Year 3. Because of my knowledge of IT and engineering, I was offered the position of sales and marketing executive for an IT company. In my job, I promote the company’s products to major Hong Kong companies. “