Despite the region's current economic woes and increased unemployment rates, CityU's science and engineering students have received 30 per cent more job training placements over last year at multinational corporations in the Pearl River Delta region this summer.

At least part of the reason for this success is CityU's Industrial Attachment Scheme (IAS), a nine-week, cross-border, real-life industrial training programme that allows students to experience various corporate work cultures. This year, electronics giant Philips has teamed up with about 50 major electronic and manufacturing companies to serve as partner companies. They will be offering close to 200 summer job placement opportunities in a wide spectrum of work areas for CityU's young engineers and scientists.

"Although this year is a very difficult year for industry, we have no reason to stop our investment in CityU's Industrial Attachment Scheme," said Mr Y T Poon, Industrial Infrastructure Manager, Philips Electronics Hong Kong Ltd.

Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), is understandably proud of the success of the scheme. "The IAS acquaints our students with real-life work settings, and gets them in tune with the industrial and economic culture," said Professor Wong. "The impressive performance of our students, favourable comments and responses from our partner companies, and the support and recognition given us by other departments within the University all prove that the IAS is indeed a success."

Said Mr K T Ng, Faculty Coordinator of the programme: "With additional resources, we may consider extending the scheme beyond southern China to emergent high-tech centres in the north, like Shanghai, Suzhou and Nanjing." The FSE is also planning to offer co-opt programmes in the next academic year.