Call for talent: Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang receives donations from industrial and educational sectors on behalf of the Government at the awards launching ceremony.

The Hong Kong Young Design Talent Awards 2005, which aims to support design capability building and nurture design talents, is now open for nominations.

Five awardees will be sponsored to undergo overseas training or work attachment. Details and nomination forms are available at www.designtalent.gov.hk and the deadline for submission is August 1.

Among the five awards, two are launched under the DesignSmart Initivative.Two promising young designers will be sent overseas, each with up to $500,000 sponsorship, for a maximum one-year training or work attachment to broaden their horizon. The other three are sponsored by the industrial and educational sectors, each with up to $250,000 sponsorship, for a maximum of six months overseas training or work attachment.

Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang said the Government's commitment has been acknowledged with goodwill from the industrial and educational sectors.

A nominee must be aged 30 or below, be a Hong Kong permanent resident, have at least one year full-time working experience in the design profession, be nominated by his/her employer or the employing company, a design education institution, a design or industry association, or a design professional. Nominees are required to submit a portfolio of design works and their nominations should reach the DesignSmart Secretariat at 20^th floor, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai by August 1.

A judging panel chaired by the Commissioner for Innovation & Technology and comprising top designers from major design disciplines, prominent industrialists and business leaders, will assess the nominations to decide on the awardees. The assessment criteria include the nominee's personal achievements and talent in his/her own field, his/her potential for further career pursuit in the design profession, and his/her possible contribution to the development of design and innovation in Hong Kong in future.

The awardees are required to sign an undertaking to contribute to development of design and innovation in Hong Kong by returning to work in Hong Kong and to share their experience in the training or attachment as may be required by the commission.