The Chinese University of Hong Kong has announced the launch of a new initiative to help women in science and medicine advance their careers.

The university said the Women in Science and Medicine Academy (Wise) initiative, seeks to develop Hong Kong into a regional hub for female talent.

Associate dean of research of CU Medicine Siew Ng, also the convenor of the initiative, said Wise will be kick-started in the second quarter of this year with an aim to recruit 100 participants in the coming five years.

She added that the initiative will offer career mentorship, leadership development, global exposure opportunities and a supportive environment to participants.

“We are targeting early career researchers because we believe this is the golden time of their lives. Between their early 30s to their 50s, they are trying to balance career, research, being a doctor, but also looking after their families,” Ng said.

“If we are successful with this, we believe Hong Kong could be a regional hub for a lot of women talents in biomedical science.”

Ng said Wise was developed because a majority of female scientists have been under-represented in senior and research leadership positions.

They have also been facing the challenge of balancing the demands of research and family responsibilities, as well as a gap in early-career support, she added.

Ng said the initiative would help local and overseas scientists, adding that Hong Kong has unique advantages in attracting global talent.

“[Hong Kong] has a very established research infrastructure. It is also very international in the academic environment. So this will help them settle in very quickly,” she said.

Ng noted that the initiative also aligns with the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan in innovation and talent development.



Edited by Aaron Tam