Hong Kong youth commission starts work, as teenager becomes youngest adviser to the government
HKUST student is one of three members of new youth commission selected to give policy advice
A high-level advisory body on Hong Kong’s youth development was set up on Wednesday, with an 18-year-old university student who recommended himself as a member becoming the youngest adviser to the government.
Alex Cheng Hong-wun, a year-one Global China Studies student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, was one of three members selected from 503 applicants who recommended themselves under a pilot scheme to involve the city’s youth in policymaking.
Cheng, along with Dr Chan Po-ling from the Hospital Authority and dance sport athlete Ng Sum-chun, will represent the younger demographic among the 34 non-official members of the Youth Development Commission chaired by Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung.
Announcing the set up of the new body, Cheung praised the trio as having a strong commitment to and abiding passion for the work of the commission.
Cheng said in a phone interview: “I have grown up in Hong Kong and studied in local schools. My attitude was about learning more than contributing when I applied.”