The Hong Kong Optical Engineering Society (HKOES), formerly the Hong Kong Chapter of SPIE, has been launched as a new, independent professional society.
The HKOES will focus on optics promotion in schools, establishing linkages between industry and education, and presenting optics seminars and training courses to foster professional development in optics, said Chi-Man Fok, chairman of the board of directors. A new membership structure has been proposed to build up a larger membership and to include companies.
The new society has strong ties to SPIE, as many of the HKOES founders were leaders in the SPIE Hong Kong regional chapter. SPIE has been transitioning its regional chapter programme over the past few years, enabling the networks and activities established by the regional chapters to develop more effective, locally based organisations while maintaining close connections with SPIE. One collaborative project under discussion is an ‘Optics for Kids’ project, which could launch as soon as this summer. The project would result in a one-day event to introduce to local primary school students the wonders of optics, and would be hosted at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education.
