IT EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES 2006/07

The Sponsorship

1. This is an invitation for application on the Sponsorship Scheme of IT Exchange Programme in 2006/07 academic year. As the 'Secretary', the Cyberport IncuTrain Centre will serve as a focal point and contact for the sponsored event.

The Scheme

2. Since year 2000, the Government has been putting enormous effort in enhancing the supply quality of I.T. manpower resources, particularly students with desires to become I.T. professionals. To enhance the students with opportunities for international exposure to the digital world and for improvement in foreign language proficiency, the 'Sponsorship Scheme for I.T. Exchange Programme' (hereafter the “Scheme”) has therefore been sponsored on a yearly basis by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). Effort includes providing local students with opportunities for international exposure and for improvement in foreign language proficiency through exchange/internship programme, targeting at local students of I.T.-related UGC-funded programmes organized by local degree-awarding institutes.

3. The objectives of the Sponsorship Scheme are to:

(a) encourage exchange between Hong Kong and Overseas students; 
(b) improve the proficiency level in English and/or Putonghua of students; 
(c) widen exposure and international outlook of students; and 
(d) enhance I.T. competence of students through briefings, visits,  
     projects participations, etc. during the exchange programme period.

Scope of Sponsorship

4. Under the Scheme, the OGCIO will provide sponsorships for exchange programmes organised by departments or student societies of local degree-awarding institutes for students in I.T.-related UGC-funded programmes. The maximum amount of sponsorship of each programme is HK$64,000 for meeting the following expenses for participating students

· air tickets
· accommodation
· and local transportation in overseas countries or in the Mainland

5. In the case of programmes organized in collaboration with Mainland institutions, fares of land or sea transports, instead of air tickets, may be covered by the sponsorships as appropriate.

Eligibility

6. All academic departments which are in I.T.-related disciplines and belong to one of the local UGC-funded degree-awarding institutes are eligible to apply. Student societies and exchange offices which organize I.T.-related exchange programmes are also eligible to apply.

7. Participants of the exchange programmes shall be students studying in full-time I.T.-related disciplines of local UGC-funded degree-swarding programmes. The exchange programmes should commence and end within the 2006-07 academic year (including the summer of 2007). They should be organized in collaboration with overseas or Mainland higher educational insititutes but no limited to IT-related commercial organizations.

8. Sponsorship will NOT be granted to cover the following types of programmes or 
    expenses.

 (a) Programmes without exchange activities such as discussion or presentation 
      with local students, or project delivery or implementation.
 (b) Programmes do not attach to a project of participants (programmes that will not
      contribute in planning, implementing, managing and producing the result of the
      project.)
 (c) Expenses other than round trips fares of air, land or sea transports,   
      accommodation, and local transportation in overseas countries or in the      
      Mainland.
 (d) Expenses incurred in relation to the participation of academic or administration
      staffs of the institutes for supervision or administrative purpose.

9. The decisions of the OGCIO on the eligibility of proposed programmes for sponsorship  
and amount of the sponsorship are final.

Application and Selection

10. The Applicants should quote the monetary figures in Hong Kong and make sure that monetary figures quoted are accurate before submission. Under no circumstances will the Secretary accept any request for adjustment on the ground that a mistake has been made in the monetary figures quoted.

11. Any Applicants should complete the attached application form at Appendix A.

12. Any Applications should be submitted and send to the Secretary in a sealed envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL on or before 19 May 2007 (Note : The exchange programme concerned should not commence earlier than 1 June 2007.)

13. The application should be submitted in THREE printed copies.

14. The application form should be sent to the following address: 
 
           Cyberport IncuTrain Centre
           Unit 518, Level 5, Cyberport 3 (Core F)
           100 Cyberport Road
           Hong Kong 
           (Attn: Ms. Zoe Ng)

15. A separate application form has to be submitted for each exchange programme. The soft copy of the application form will be made available to the institutes by email and on the Cyberport IncuTrain Centre web site http://training.cyberport.hk/IT-Exchange.htm to download.

16. All applications from academic departments, student societies, and exchange offices of institutions must be endorsed by the relevant academic departments of the institutes. A vetting committee comprising representatives and professionals drawn from the Governement, the commercial and industry sector shall be to consider applications for sponsorship and to decide on the amount of sponsorship for each programme.

Announcement of Result

17. The Secretary shall notify the applicants of the decision of the vetting committee before 1 June 2007. 60% of the approved sponsorship amount shall be released to the successful applicants as advanced payment prior to the commencement of the exchange programmes. The remaining 40% of the approved sponsorship amount shall be disbursed upon received of the evaluation reports and the statement of accounts will certified true copies of receipts as supporting documents of the programmes.

Responsibilities of Successful Applicants

18. Successful applicants should -

(a) Ensure that the objectives of the Scheme set out in paragraph 3 above and in
     their applications are fulfilled;
(b) keep the Secretary informed of any changes/updates of the programmes at the
     earliest convenience;
(c) acknowledge the sponsorship of the OGCIO and the Secretary in all publicity
     materials;
(d) arrange and run experience sharing sessions after the completion of the
    programme for the benefits of other students in their departments/institutes;
(e) participate the experience sharing session organized by the Secretary after the
    completion of all programmes;
(f) prepare an evaluation reports in accordance with the prescribed format at
    Appendix B; and
(g) submit the statement of accounts with certified true copy of payment receipts 
     as supporting documents to the Secretary within one month after the 
    completion of the programmes for verification and release of the    
    remaining balance of the sponsorship. Failing that may result in the withdrawal
    of the OGCIO’s sponsorship and the requirement of repaying the sponsorship to
    the OGCIO in full.

Declaration of Interests

To ensure impartiality of the Scheme, all Applicants are required to declare on the application any relation, interest, or benefit which the Applicants may have or may receive from the collaborative partners of the programmes.

Cyberport IncuTrain Centre
April 2007

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