Mutual benefits: Hong Kong Observatory Director Lam Chiu Ying (middle) and the University of Hong Kong's Engineering Faculty Dean Prof Ng Tung Sang (second from left) shake hands after signing the cooperative training agreement.

The Hong Kong Observatory and the University of Hong Kong today signed a co-operative training agreement to provide practical training to students of the University's Department of Computer Science & Information Systems.

Apart from providing facilities and projects to train the students, the observatory will also assign staff to serve as tutors to guide trainees.

The two parties will share the projects' output, to their mutual benefit. 

Observatory Director Lam Chiu Ying said one of the department's missions is to work towards improving the community.

The most meaningful way to achieve this is to educate the next generation to equip them with the necessary skills and to familiarise them with the working environment so that they can better serve the community in the future, he added.

During the training period, the observatory will not only provide mentorship to the students in technology, but will also guide them in their personal development, cultivate their spirit to serve the community and encourage their quest for excellence.