Youth on top of topics Top students from local secondary and international schools are meeting at the University of Hong Kong today to get to grips with weighty issues ranging from social welfare to health care to education. Some 120 students will attend the Hong Kong Youth Summit 2007 to focus on social affairs, leadership and economics. Organised by Hong Kong Outstanding Students' Association, the five-day conference is in its fifth year. The summit concludes today. Maths on their mind La Salle College beat 39 other schools to be crowned top mathematicians in the final of the 24th Hong Kong Mathematics Olympiad. Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Education's maths and sciences department and the Education and Manpower Bureau, the competition aims to promote interest in maths and foster inter-school co-operation. HKU chair professorships The University of Hong Kong this week presented five new chair professorships created through private donations. The new chairs in Buddhist art and culture, commercial law, economic development, jurisprudence and surgery are among 18 academic positions awarded in the university's second inauguration of endowed professorships on Tuesday. Baptist links up with Kent Baptist University will team up with the University of Kent in England to launch a double master's degree programme in operational research and business statistics, the first course of its kind in Hong Kong. The programme, which can be taken in one year full-time or two years part-time in the Department of Maths, will teach students how to apply advanced analytical techniques in industry research. The programme is subject to approval by the university's senate. Awards for entrepreneurs Bauhinia Cup Outstanding Entrepreneur Awards were presented to 14 businessmen last week. Organised by Polytechnic University, the prize aims to give public recognition to outstanding entrepreneurs from the private sector on the mainland. Winners from Hong Kong included Kenneth Ting Woo-shou, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Dr Lily Chiang, deputy chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, and PolyU president Professor Poon Chung-kwong. Kickboxing competition Baptist University and the Hong Kong Muay-Thai Association will play host to the city's first Thai Kickboxing Competition for students at the Pei Ho Street Sports Centre today. The competition will feature 26 fighters from 11 schools. Fighters will compete in 11 different divisions for men and women and bouts will last up to three rounds. Workshops on debating Four overseas debating champions flew in to Hong Kong last week to conduct the Persuasive English Debating Workshop for local students as part of the English Festival 2007. The workshop runs until April 28 in schools across the city.
