Forum brings creative minds together to inspire innovation among young
Some of the world's most creative minds will be sharing their inspiration at a youth forum on creativity and innovation.
Those signing up for the three-day programme at the inaugural Make a Difference (MaD) Forum in January say they hope to meet like-minded people while also discovering more about themselves.
More than 20 creative leaders from seven countries will be taking part in the event from January 22 to 24. They include Ken Robinson, an expert in the development of innovation and human resources; scientist Dr Kevin Fu, who was named by MIT Technology Review as 2009's innovator of the year; Rhode Island School of Design president Professor John Maeda; and Tony Hsieh, founder of online shoe store zappos.com.
CreateHK is contributing HK$3.9 million towards the forum, part of the local MaD initiative launched by the Institute of Contemporary Culture along with consultancy companies InnoFoco and Imagination. The event is also receiving HK$1 million from the Jockey Club.
Organisers are selecting 800 people aged 16 to 30 from Hong Kong, the mainland and the region to take part in the series of lectures, seminars and workshops.
Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture founder and chief executive Ada Wong Ying-kay said it was up to young people to instigate change in order for society to evolve. She hoped the forum would become an annual event to inspire the young's creativity and passion for life.
About 100 have signed up so far and there have been inquiries from young people overseas.
Jessica Cheng Jing, 23, a theatre arts graduate from Cornell University in the US, said she had spent most of her time overseas since she was 15 and hoped to meet like-minded young adults at the forum while exploring her creative opportunities on the mainland.
Polytechnic University second-year student Bosco Ng Chung-lun, who plans to attend the forum, said it should not cover just creativity but also social entrepreneurship, which would make young people think about what they could contribute to society.
Ng, a double major in management and industrial systems engineering, admitted he was worried about finding a job after graduating, but hoped to find his passion.
'Once you manage to find something you are really passionate about and keep doing it, money will follow,' Ng said.
'This [forum] is a great chance for us to think about what we can do for society and the world, but it will require a lot of creativity to put this into practice.'
Forum attendance costs HK$600, but hopefuls can apply to have the fee waived. Those interested can apply online and must include a short passage, a picture, a video or a piece of music to introduce themselves.
