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Lazada and YesWeHack Strengthen Long-term Partnership by jointly hosting a live Bug Bounty event at HITBSecCONF2022 Singapore

Since launching their first private bug bounty program in 2020, the initiative has expanded into a two-day live hacking event focused on protecting Lazada’s consumer data

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce platform Lazada has concluded its latest live bug bounty with YesWeHack, a leading global Bug Bounty and Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP) Platform. The two-day live bug bounty program, which was held at the Hack In The Box Security Conference (HITBSecCONF 2022), resulted in 115 vulnerability reports being submitted by the several dozen researchers present at the event, including some of the best security researchers in the world.

After running a successful two-year Bug Bounty program with YesWeHack, Lazada scaled the program to the next level this year during the HITBSecCONF 2022. The event allowed Lazada to test their applications over the given period of time, while being able to meet with researchers to exchange on the discoveries—thus giving Lazada deep and exclusive insights to the vulnerabilities found.

Lazada wanted to use this live event as an opportunity to achieve in-depth security. To enable this, the company voluntarily disabled a number of security mechanisms for participating researchers and only for the period of the event, allowing them to extensively test the systems and applications. For instance, researchers were able to bypass Web Application Firewalls (WAF) throughout the length of the event—allowing them to hack into the eCommerce platform’s sites and services directly. Lazada had chosen to disable WAFs for the hunters, due to the fact that while they are able to block most of the attack, they are not infallible. In addition to WAFs, Lazada also disabled other security solutions that are typically used as a first line of defense, so as to offer hackers the chance to test their application in greater depth.

“Accomplishing a live program on this scale demonstrates Lazada’s commitment to security and progressive stance towards bug bounties. By engaging with the broader community, the eCommerce giant is placing an unprecedented level of trust in ethical hackers to better strengthen their security, transparency, as well as data privacy and protection. We are delighted to be able to contribute to yet another successful collaboration with Lazada,” said Kevin Gallerin, CEO APAC, YesWeHack.

“Securing customer’s data and protecting it from any future incidences is of highest importance at Lazada. Having some of the best security researchers in the world in the same room as us is an exceptional opportunity to learn and exchange—especially for our red team, who mounts deliberate attacks on our systems daily to identify and fix vulnerabilities,” said Bruno Demarche, who leads the Red Team & Security Testing Team at Lazada Group.

“The live bug bounty program was a rewarding experience for Lazada and YesWeHack alike. The teams have been able to uncover quality results, which has already given us ideas on how we can improve our internal testing processes for our application and services to ultimately better safeguard Lazada’s customers and partners,” said Yuezhong Bao, Head of Cybersecurity, Lazada Group.

Lazada’s partnership with YesWeHack began in January 2020 with a successful 18-month private bug bounty program. The partners then continued to expand the scopes of their collaboration, and Lazada opened its program to the public in 2021, with rewards of up to US$10,000 per bounty. Since then, the company has been working with over 45,000 ethical hackers to detect flaws within their application and systems to achieve maximum security and protection over their platforms.

The collaboration with Lazada has also allowed YesWeHack to further advance its community of cybersecurity experts and position the company as the leading player of bug bounties in Asia Pacific. Since 2019, YesWeHack has served more than 60 clients from its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, including large BFSIs, tech unicorns and government bodies. With a growing market demand being seen for the crowdsourced security model, 40 percent of YesWeHack’s security researchers are based out of Asia, with 30 percent of its clientele coming from Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Hashtag: #YesWeHack

About Lazada

Lazada Group is Southeast Asia’s pioneer eCommerce platform. For the last 10 years, Lazada has been accelerating progress in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam through commerce and technology. Today, a thriving local ecosystem links about 160 million active users to more than one million actively-selling sellers every month, who are transacting safely and securely via trusted payments channels and Lazada Wallet, receiving parcels through a homegrown logistics network that has become the largest in the region.

With a vision to achieve USD100 billion annual GMV, Lazada aims to serve 300 million shoppers by 2030, and be the best at enabling brands and sellers in digitalizing their businesses.

In 2022, the Lazada Foundation was set up to empower youths and women for the digital future, close the gender digital divide and uplifting communities by creating positive impact. More information can be found here .

About YesWeHack

Founded in 2015, YesWeHack is a global Bug Bounty and VDP Platform. YesWeHack offers companies an innovative approach to cybersecurity with Bug Bounty (pay-per-vulnerability discovered), connecting more than 40,000 cybersecurity experts (ethical hackers) across 170 countries with organisations to secure their exposed scopes and reporting vulnerabilities in their websites, mobile apps, infrastructure and connected devices.

YesWeHack runs private (invitation based only) programs and public programs for hundreds of organisations worldwide in compliance with the strictest European regulations.

In addition to the Bug Bounty platform, YesWeHack also offers: a creation and management solution for Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP), a Pentest Management Platform, a learning platform for ethical hackers called Dojo and a training platform for educational institutions, YesWeHackEDU.

Save On Car Insurance In 3 Simple Steps With MoneySmart

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – Drivers can now stretch their dollar further with three simple steps by MoneySmart on what to look out for when buying their car insurance.

Vehicle ownership in Singapore comes with additional costs, such as the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and motor insurance. With COE prices on the rise recently, buyers are feeling the pinch due to the higher costs of purchasing a vehicle.

One way to offset this cost is to get the best car insurance deal possible. Most individuals know that motor insurance is a necessary expense, but few realise how much money they could potentially save by following these three simple steps.

Step #1 Don’t renew the car insurance without thorough market research

Many drivers tend to continue their car insurance with the same company without considering whether there might be a better option. However, rates can change over time, and drivers may find a better deal when switching to a different insurance provider. Although it is not necessary to switch between insurance companies frequently, it’s recommended to compare the different options available in the market annually so drivers can be sure they are getting the best coverage for their needs.

Step #2 Get a minimum of three quotes when buying car insurance

If drivers wish to switch car insurance providers, it pays to do thorough research for the best premium and coverage. This allows drivers to see how the different companies stack up in terms of price and coverage. Consider using a free motor insurance comparison platform such as MoneySmart to obtain at least three quotes and find the lowest yearly premiums for comprehensive coverage. It is important to find a balance between cost and coverage. According to a recently conducted survey by MoneySmart in 2022, 79% of consumers are most willing to purchase a value-for-money insurance product instead of simply getting the cheapest option which may not provide adequate protection or the most expensive option, which may offer more coverage than drivers need.

Step #3 Customise the policy according to one’s needs

Car insurance premiums in Singapore are quoted on a case-by-case basis, influenced by factors such as the driver’s profile and track record as well as the type of vehicle driven. Consequently, there is no one-size-fits-all policy for drivers. Some may pay a higher excess or forgo overseas coverage for cheaper premiums. It ultimately depends on the number of risk drivers are willing to assume and how many add-ons they wish to have.

For more detailed information about what to look for when buying a car insurance, download MoneySmart’s Car Insurance Whitepaper here.

Hashtag: #MoneySmart

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About MoneySmart

Since 2009, has been helping individuals compare the very best personal finance products on the market, so they can apply for these products quickly and securely. Our also provides readers with tips, tricks, news, reviews and commentary on all things money-related. We also have a that gives readers access to some of the highest cashback rates, with more exciting benefits to come.

Social media channels:

58 Killed, 732 Injured in Road Accidents Across Laos in August

Over 1000 killed in accidents across Laos in 2020

According to the most recent data from the Lao Ministry of Public Security, 58 persons were killed and 732 others were wounded in road accidents in Laos in August.

The report provided by the ministry’s traffic police section, further stated that 798 vehicles were damaged in 438 road accidents documented nationally in August.

Vientiane, Laos’ capital, had the most road accidents, followed by Savannakhet and Champasack provinces.

The damage was projected to cost more than LAK 5.8 billion (about USD 369,000).

According to the survey, the primary causes of road accidents in Laos include speeding, intoxicated driving, rapid changes in direction, and general violations of traffic norms.

More than 800 people lost their lives to road accidents across Laos last year, with the majority of accidents caused by drunk or reckless driving.

WEnergy Global & Partners win biggest tender for smart and clean power grids in the Philippines, set to power over 30,000 people in Palawan

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – Palawan, a province in the Philippines known for its pristine beaches, clear waters, and natural wonders, is taking a step further in becoming the most sustainable island in the world.

ARC.jpg

Signing Ceremony shows PALECO Chairman Jeffrey Y. Tan-Endriga (8th from right) with WEnergy Global CEO and Board Director of CleanGrid Partners Atem Ramsundersingh (8th from left), Maharlika Clean Power Holdings President Quintin Pastrana (7th from left), PALECO OIC and General Manager Neriza Regal (7th from right) and Palawan Governor Dennis Socrates (6th from left). They are joined by the Board of Directors and Bids & Awards Committee of PALECO.

WEnergy Global, jointly with Maharlika Clean Power Holdings and Clean Grid Partners, collectively referred to as the Maharlika Consortium, through their Special Purpose Vehicle, Archipelago Renewables Corporation, have signed a Qualified Third Party (QTP) Service Contract to energize over 7,100 households and 300 small local businesses through 16 microgrids spread over 14 barangays in seven municipalities across the service area of the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) in Palawan.

The Consortium emerged as the winner of the recently concluded QTP tender of PALECO to support its mandate for total rural electrification in the province, meeting the stringent eligibility and renewable energy smart microgrid capability requirements set by PALECO and the Department of Energy (DOE) in a competitive selection process.

It will be replicating WEnergy Global’s award-winning flagship microgrid in varying sizes of microgrids, which has been providing 24/7 electricity to the households and businesses of Barangay Cabayugan, home to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New7Wonders of Nature.

Engaging the Private Sector in Rural Off-Grid Electrification

“This tender is unique for the Philippines. It is the first time in history that smart and clean microgrids have been packaged for a competitive selection process. It clearly demonstrates the urgency with which DOE, NEA and PALECO are enabling private sector engagement in rural off-grid and clean electrification. The Philippines still has over 10 million people with unmet access to electricity. The best technology to electrify the community and boost their productivity for the best tariffs and the lowest reliance on subsidies and dependency on fossil fuels was selected. With this milestone, we can provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to empower individuals, families, and enterprises in remote communities across Palawan,” said Quintin Pastrana, President of Maharlika Clean Power Holdings, Inc.

“The Consortium Partners were selected by PALECO through our Bids and Awards Committee and approved by our Board of Directors, because of their high-quality proposal, compliance, responsible ownership of off-grid power infrastructure, and excellence in planning, design, engineering, and technology selection, which are commercially viable and with the highest levels of social impact. They have also met the highest standards of clean power supply, transmission, distribution, and smart billing and collection services provided to households and businesses to support our mandate of total rural electrification in Palawan,” said Jeffrey Y. Tan-Endriga, Chairman of PALECO.

Filling the Gap in Southeast Asia’s Clean Energy Demand

Southeast Asia’s energy demand is among the highest in the world, growing by as much as 80% in the last two decades. It remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with coal, diesel and natural gas supplying 75% of the region’s electricity. However, approximately 100 million residents in the region still do not have access to electricity.

While the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has an articulated target of 23% renewable energy in its total primary energy supply by 2025, the region must overcome funding challenges, including limited private sector funding.

“Investors need to consider financing smart microgrids and build the right capacity within their institutions to understand such new types of infrastructure. Right now they don’t, hence they stay away and go back to business as usual. This includes IFC, ADB, FMO and commercial banks. A few local banks are working on such deals and they take a constructive and learning approach, which is essential. Because, Not only do microgrids facilitate access to electricity of rural communities, they also enable genuine sustainable development and resilience at the community level. The microgrids that we develop can be easily scaled and replicated,” stated Atem Ramsundersingh, CEO and Board Director of WEnergy Global. “Considering the unmet need across Southeast Asia, most especially in archipelagic countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia, private sector financing must be mobilized to meet the region’s SDGs beyond the level of just renaming existing old funds to be ‘ESG grade’.”

Powering rural communities through smart microgrids also makes financial sense for the Philippine government, especially at a time of volatility and uncertainty.

“The renewable energy in the grid mix is helping the government save PHP 7 million of subsidies from the Missionary Electrification Fund every year, which, for example, in a period of 10 years would be an equivalent of electrifying 1,000 households. Compared with traditional diesel-powered systems, this infrastructure will save more than 1.1 million litres of diesel fuel being burned per year, enhancing the energy security of Palawan and Philippines in general in these times of huge market volatilities. The remarkable leaders and proud citizens of Palawan elevate the province as a leader in clean energy to affirm its recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,” added Ramsundersingh.

Fostering Local Development and Uplifting Living Standards

The total investment to be made by the Consortium is estimated at PHP 1 billion (USD 18 million) to build a distribution network, consisting of approximately 175 km of primary and secondary power lines, that is energized by 3,800 kWp solar PV, 2,000 kW diesel generators, and batteries with a total capacity of 4,200 kWh.

“A true example of decentralized electrification is powered by more than 50% solar PV energy over its lifetime. Using smart technologies and monitored in real-time through satellite communications, these systems will produce stable quality of electricity in terms of voltage, current and frequency at an affordable cost,” said Fabian Weber, Director of System Design & Technologies with WEnergy Global.

“We believe in decentralized and smart microgrids because it is empowering communities with locally available renewable energy. Every family will be able to use electrical appliances and machines, including e-vehicles, and increase their income levels. Children will be able to study via online education. There will be continuity in healthcare services, including vaccinations during pandemics. Basic services such as streetlighting to increase safety and security can now be provided on a 24/7 basis. Palawan communities can now demonstrate the greenest lifestyles,” said Ochi Takaki, Board Director of CleanGrid Partners.

This development also affirms initiatives being taken to achieve sustainable development in Palawan.

“This is a firm, positive step that supports the Philippines’ commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Access to Affordable, Clean Energy and Climate Action. The Maharlika Consortium’s investment and operations will provide a catalyst to greater business and economic activity in our beloved home province. Beyond an increase in tourism investments and arrivals, the electricity infrastructure will spur the creation of more enterprises to improve the standard of living of Palaweños and make Palawan a true model for inclusive, sustainable development” said Dennis Socrates, Governor of Palawan.

Hashtag: #WEnergyGlobal #MaharlikaCleanPowerHoldings #CleanGridPartners

Brief Profile of Consortium Partners:

Maharlika Clean Power Holdings Corp. (“MCPHC”), is a Joint Venture Company based in Metro Manila, duly organized and incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. MCPHC is focused on advancing last mile delivery solutions for rural electrification across the Philippines, beginning with our pioneering investment and majority ownership (75%) of the world-class SREC microgrid in Sabang, City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, under the Philippine Government QTP rules and regulations. MCPHC has access to local and international technology partners and financing institutions aiming at contributing to the SDGs and supporting Climate Actions.

CleanGrid Partners Pte Ltd. (“CGP”), is a Joint Venture Company based in Singapore, duly organized and incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore. CleanGrid Partners Pte Ltd is established by industry leaders WEnergy Global Pte. Ltd. (Singapore), TEPCO PowerGrid Corporation (Japan), via Greenway Grid Global Pte Ltd (Singapore), and ICMG Partners Pte. Ltd. (Singapore). CGP is focused on investing, owning and operating off-grid power infrastructure electrifying rural communities, new townships and industrial estates using advanced storage systems and smart financing to create world class solutions for clean, reliable and affordable electricity for consumers, communities and host countries. CGP, as an investment company, intends to contribute to the Climate Change agenda and the SDGs in the ASEAN region with the development of a portfolio of USD 500 Million of clean power infrastructure. We refer to:

WEnergy Global Pte Ltd (“WEG”), a company duly organized and incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Singapore. WEG is a leader in development, designing, building, owning, financing and operating renewable energy power infrastructure, including power generation, energy storage and transmission and distribution systems. WEG has been the creator of SREC, ASEAN’s first clean microgrid comprising 14 km of transmission and distribution lines powered by a hybrid power generation system consisting of solar PV (1,400 kWp), Diesel generators (1,200 kW) and a 2,400 kWh Battery Storage System. WEG, jointly with and as shareholder of CGP, has been working with technical specialists of TEPCO PowerGrid on developing microgrids in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and WEG has carried several investments studies on the decarbonization of existing diesel-powered island grids through the use of solar PV and Battery Storage Systems (“BSS”) Indonesia townships on Pulau Sumba in Nusa Tenggah Tengara (NTT). WEG is also a key provider of several types of services related to rooftop solar for commercial and industrial clients in Philippines (through WEnergy Power Pilipinas Incorporation), Singapore and Indonesia. WEG won several international awards for sustainability and innovation, including its design and construction work for the off-grid illumination of the 23 km of ring road of the Bangkok International Airport, using solar PV, BSS and high-quality LED lighting that had zero defects in the past 7 years of being into operation. We refer to:

Jointly, the Consortium members have been operating their flagship investment – the Sabang Renewable Energy Corporation (SREC) in the World Heritage site of Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan, City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan under the same QTP program and under the auspices of PALECO since August 2019, and have even strengthened our commitment to 24/7 operations of our host community throughout the many challenges posed by the Global Pandemic and Typhoon Odette. The performance of the SREC QTP has more than surpassed the compliance requirements used to measure the performance of electric utilities in the Philippines.

Additional Videos of the Sabang Renewable Energy Corporation, the first full-compliant Microgrid in ASEAN and the Philippines:

SREC as the Winner of the Dr Albert Winsemius Award ’22 of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Singapore in the category of Outstanding Performance:

Powering Palaweños; Through Quick and Clean Off-Grid Electrification:

Laos Fails to Win Any Medals in the 26th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship

Japanese table junior tennis athletes received gold medals in the the 26th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship.

Lao junior table tennis athletes were unable to win any medals and the tournament’s champions were Japan, India, and Thailand.

Morgan Stanley Once Again Fully Recognizes Fosun International’s Solid Financing Capability and Reiterates “Overweight” Rating

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – On 8 September 2022, Fosun International Limited (HKEX stock code: 00656, “Fosun International”) received recognition from Morgan Stanley, a major international investment bank for its solid financing capability. Morgan Stanley reiterated its “Overweight” rating on Fosun International with a target price of HK$11.4.

Morgan Stanley issued a research report on Fosun International yesterday (7 September), pointing out that although Fosun International has recently announced a few small divestments in its core subsidiaries, which raised concerns about the company’s near-term stability, Morgan Stanley has confidence in Fosun International’s financing capability and believes the company can raise enough cash to handle its debts and withstand the recent market pressure, the company is deleveraging further to rebuild confidence.

Following Morgan Stanley’s release of research report on Fosun International’s interim results on 31 August, Morgan Stanley once again issued a research report within a short period of time to reiterate its “Overweight” rating on Fosun International. Morgan Stanley expressed that Fosun International’s 2022 interim results was within expectation. The firm pointed out Fosun’s financial position is solid, with ample and increased cash position. As at the end of the reporting period, the company’s cash, bank balances and term deposits increased by approximately RMB21.0 billion to RMB117.65 billion, covering 45% of its total consolidated debt position; the debt to capital ratio was 56.8%. It believes that the Group’s balance sheet still largely stable.

After Fosun International announced its 2022 interim results, in addition to Morgan Stanley, a number of investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Citi, Daiwa Capital Markets and CICC, issued research reports and unanimously assigned “Buy” or “Overweight/Outperform” ratings to Fosun International. Fosun’s interim results showed that in the first half of the year, Fosun achieved sustainable growth in its revenue, continued to develop in technology and innovation and strengthen its globalization strategy, its funds remained stable, and its capital structure continued to be optimized, demonstrating the resilience of sustainable development, as well as the transparency of the financial strategy of balancing investment and divestment, which have been recognized by many major banks.

On 30 August, Fosun International announced its interim results. In the first half of 2022, against the backdrop of the complex and volatile external environment, Fosun demonstrated the resilience of sustainable development of its Health, Happiness, Wealth and Intelligent Manufacturing segments. During the reporting period, the Group’s total revenue amounted to RMB82.89 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 17.7%; enterprise operation profit amounted to RMB2.33 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 35.5%.

Since 2020, the Group has continued to strike a balance between investment and divestment, and optimize its asset portfolio. Following the realization of an “investment-to-divestment ratio” of less than 1 in 2020 and 2021, the Group continued to achieve more divestments than investments in the first half of 2022. Under the premise of balancing investments and divestments at the Group level, the Group focuses more on industry operations and the development of subsidiaries. The Group supports subsidiaries to carry out strategic mergers and acquisitions with the goal of strengthening its development of industry operations. At the same time, the Group’s financial strategy focuses on rating management, and plans to steadily and orderly reduce debt year by year from 2022 to 2025, while enriching cash on hand with asset divestments to consolidate liquidity buffer, steadily optimize its credit indicators, and further enhance the Group’s ability to cope with external market fluctuations and navigate economic cycles.

Recently, Fosun International has continued to strengthen cooperation with domestic and foreign banks. Following the signing of the strategic cooperation agreement with ICBC on 19 July, Fosun International renewed its strategic cooperation agreement with HSBC China on 26 August, HSBC China will provide support for Fosun International and its subsidiaries in the aspects of global operation and investment capabilities, growth strategies, financial resources, etc. To date, Fosun and its subsidiaries have established partnerships with more than 100 Chinese and foreign banks around the world and have signed strategic cooperation agreements with many international banks and Chinese banks.

Fosun has been steadfastly fulfilling its mission of “creating happier lives for families worldwide”, strengthening its presence in four business segments: Health, Happiness, Wealth and Intelligent Manufacturing. It is also one of the few companies in China which has global operation and investment capabilities and has accumulated profound technology and innovation capabilities. Fosun maintained a stable leverage ratio, high risk tolerance with its multi-currency debts and stable debt maturity, and it is in a healthy financial position. At the interim results presentation held on 31 August, the management of Fosun International said that after entering the second half of the year, thanks to the Group’s long-term adherence to profound industry operations, the financial and operational indicators of companies in multiple segments have rapidly shown signs of a steady recovery.

Hashtag: #Fosun

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Fosun

Founded in 1992, Fosun is a global innovation-driven consumer group dedicated to providing high-quality products and services for families around the world in Health, Happiness, Wealth, and Intelligent Manufacturing segments. In 2007, Fosun International Limited was listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 00656.HK). As of 30 June 2022, Fosun International’s total assets amounted to RMB849.7 billion. Fosun International ranks No.589 on the 2022 Forbes Global 2000 List, with a MSCI ESG rating of AA.

Thai Opposition Fails to Strip Senate of its Power to Choose Next PM

Photo Courtesy: Thai Enquirer

Just short of eight votes, opposition parties in Thailand failed in their attempt to prevent the junta-appointed Senate of powers from electing the next prime minister before the national vote which would be held at the start of next year. 

PolyU hosts the first China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters in Hong Kong: The first Test in Hong Kong will be held in November ‧ Nurturing translation professionals through the promotion of nationally accredited qualifications

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 September 2022 – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) yesterday signed a cooperation agreement with the China Accreditation Test for Translators and Interpreters (CATTI) Management Center (CATTI Management Center) of the China International Communications Group (CICG). The agreement authorises PolyU to organise the CATTI test in Hong Kong, with a view to uplifting the professional standard of Chinese-English translation in the city. The first Chinese-English translation and interpretation tests will be held in Hong Kong on 5 and 6 November. Interested candidates can register from now until 10 October.

PolyU signed a cooperation agreement with CATTI Management Center on 7 September 2022 to organise CATTI test in Hong Kong. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President, PolyU (3rd from left) and Ms Min Yi, Director of CATTI Executive Office and Deputy Director of National Committee for Master of Translation and Interpreting Teaching Guidance, CICG (right screen, back row, 2nd from left), witnessed the signing by Prof. Li Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, PolyU (middle screen) and Ms Feng Jingyi, Vice President of CATTI Management Center (right screen, front row). The ceremony was joined by Prof. David LI, Head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies (CBS), PolyU (2nd from left); Dr LI Dechao, Associate Head of CBS, PolyU (1st from left); Mr YIN Yanqing, Director of Talent Development Division, CICG (right screen, back row, 1st from left); Mr WANG Shichao, Director of Tests Affairs Division 1, MOHRSS (right screen, back row, 2nd from right); and Mr JIANG Ping, President, CATTI Management Center (right screen, back row, 1st from right).

CATTI is the only language test incorporated into China’s national vocational qualification system. Divided into translation and interpretation categories, candidates who pass the test will obtain a Qualification Certificate of Proficiency issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) and CICG. The certificate is widely recognised by employers throughout the country. Last year, over 350,000 candidates took the examination.

PolyU has been a close partner of CATTI Management Center since the test’s launch in 2003. As a designated CATTI training centre for nearly 20 years, PolyU has been nurturing skilled translators and interpreters while also promoting and enhancing the impact of CATTI in both Hong Kong and Macau. Previously, candidates in Hong Kong wishing to obtain professional certification were required to take the examination in Guangdong or elsewhere in the Mainland.

Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU and Ms MIN Yi, Director of CATTI Executive Office and Deputy Director of National Committee for Master of Translation and Interpreting Teaching Guidance, CICG, the cooperation agreement was signed by Prof. LI Ping, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, PolyU and Ms FENG Jingyi, Vice President of CATTI Management Center, in a video conference.

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said: “PolyU is committed to connecting our education and research with the industry. We provide comprehensive language programmes to improve our students’ language proficiency for their professional development and to meet society’s needs, so that they can unleash their full potential and serve the community in a multilingual world. With PolyU organising the CATTI test in Hong Kong, we will further improve the competence of Hong Kong’s translators and interpreters and drive their career advancement with nationally recognised qualifications.”

Ms Min Yi stated: “PolyU has cultivated abundant talents in languages and translation. Leveraging the strengths of both organisations, we are putting the ‘Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macao Greater Bay Area’ into practice. Our partnership will help to nurture young translators who love our mother country and Hong Kong and to expand their global perspectives, while boosting the professional development of translation talents in Hong Kong. Furthermore, it will positively impact exchanges between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau in the field of humanities.”

Besides supporting professional development in Chinese translation and interpretation, PolyU has been proactively raising the Putonghua proficiency of its students, including through a newly launched sponsorship scheme to encourage students to take standardised Putonghua tests. All PolyU full-time students can apply to take these Putonghua tests at a discount. Additional sponsorship may also be offered based on their overall grades in the tests.

To further increase students’ interest and proficiency in Putonghua, PolyU’s Chinese Language Centre and the Hong Kong Tertiary Putonghua Recitation Society will jointly organise the PolyU 85th Anniversary Performance cum Putonghua Recitation and Demonstration Workshop. The event will be held on 19 November at the Chiang Cheng Studio Theatre in PolyU.

For more information about CATTI and PolyU’s Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, please visit:
https://www.polyu.edu.hk/cbs/cts/hk/catti/
http://www.catticenter.com

Hashtag: #PolyU