You are cordially invited to participate in this high profile event. In addition to enhancing the understanding of social cohesion in Hong Kong, the Conference is also meant to be an occasion for the exchange of ideas and experience in social cohesion building and research both locally and internationally. A group of distinguished overseas experts from North America, Europe and Asia has been engaged to speak at the Conference and interact with participants from Hong Kong.

We would like the conference to serve as a platform for the meeting of minds and hearts amongst practitioners, academics, government officials, businessmen, members of civil society, and all other stakeholders. We hope practice wisdom and evidence-based research findings will provide food for thought and ideas for action.

The programme is structured to facilitate contributions from participants. Scholars from HKU and other institutions will present research findings on social cohesion and best practice cases will be discussed. The HKCSS will also propose strategic considerations on social cohesion development through a series of pre-conference roundtables, focus groups, and workshops. The meeting formats are designed for both breath and depth in addressing the subject matter and for encouraging meaningful discussions among participants from different disciplines and backgrounds. The Conference will conclude with a high-profile Policy Forum to address the policy implications for social cohesion.

Through these activities and discussions, we hope to arouse social awareness among all stakeholder groups, and most importantly, initiate policy debates on social cohesion for the development of appropriate strategies and policies in Hong Kong.

The success of the Conference depends on your participation. Please join us if you care about Hong Kong and its future.

Ms Christine MS Fang              Dr James TH Tang