Following the success of the Industrial Attachment Scheme (IAS), the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) has set up a Cooperative Education Centre to collaborate with its industrial partners. The Centre, headed by Professor C H Chan and three other associate directors, will introduce a Cooperative Programme this year that will give students a one-year placement in a partner company.

"The response from industrial partners has been most encouraging," said Professor Chan. Twelve industrial partners have promised to offer more than 40 job placements this semester. "They've even enquired whether we have students majoring in accounting, translation and commerce who could work for them too.

 

 

Work attitude, communication skills and academic results will count in the recruitment process. Students in the scheme will take part in a training programme and have their performance supervised and evaluated jointly by both the partner company and the University. Successful completion of the programme could lead to job opportunities. "Industrial training in a real-life setting can better equip our students in their job hunt, both locally and in the mainland," said Professor Paul Lam, the Centre's Associate Director (Academic Development).

 

 

Professor Y C Chan, Associate Director (External Relations), is responsible for laying much of the groundwork of collaboration with industrial partners and promoting IAS among professional bodies and associations. This summer, over 240 students were placed in some 60 industrial enterprises with plants in Hong Kong and the mainland. He attributes the scheme's success to close supervision and frequent visits to students during their IAS internship.

 

 

The job of handling liaison, logistic support and publicity goes to Mr K T Ng, Associate Director (Administration). To help handle his increasing workload, several staff members from FSE have been transferred to the Centre to carry out administrative tasks, such as transport arrangements, accommodation and interviews.

 

 

High praise from IAS industrial partners helped to bring the cooperative programme into being. Mr Raymond Leung, President of SAE Magnetics (HK) Ltd explained at the Centre's inauguration ceremony, "I felt that the time students spent on the IAS was too short, so I proposed to CityU that students should continue working at our company in their third year of study. I'm delighted that this innovative programme -- which will benefit everybody involved --has been introduced."