Introduction

Founded in 1970, the Hong Kong Computer Society (HKCS) is a non-profit organisation focused on developing Hong Kong's Information Technology (IT) industry. Members hail from a broad spectrum of Hong Kong's IT industry, from corporations to like-minded individuals, all coming together to raise the profile of the industry.

For nearly four decades, the HKCS has played a vital role in molding information technology (IT) culture in Hong Kong, and its energy, enthusiasm and momentum is as positive today as when it was first formed. As a respected non-profit professional body, the Society is committed to professional development and industry development as well as community services that ensure the IT industry continues to make a direct impact in peoples' lives with the following three main goals:

- To promote the use of IT for benefits of all
- To spread knowledge of this rapidly expanding field
- And to promote professional ethics and its own code of conduct

The HKCS offers a channel for the Hong Kong community to exchange ideas and carry out a dialogue with the Government regarding IT and its impact on society. The four standing committees and eight special interest divisions are the backbone of HKCS. They provide specialised knowledge/information in specific areas of interest and organise activities to help promote IT in Hong Kong regularly, including conferences, discussion panels, seminars, workshops and study missions on various subjects related to IT.

The Society also sits on Government and other advisory bodies on the development of IT policies. Its seminal white papers on IT in education and IT policy have been widely read and discussed. In addition, HKCS is part of the Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee (D21SAC), the HKSAR Government's highest-level advisory body on IT. As part of D21SAC, HKCS helps to advise the Government on the strategies, programmes, and measures for the attainment and furtherance of the goals and objectives set out in the Digital 21 Strategy - the blueprint for information and communications technology development in Hong Kong.

Over the years, HKCS has established a strong network with local and international professional IT bodies. As a founder member of the South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation (SEARCC), the Society maintains close links with its counterparts in the region and elsewhere. It is actively engaged in a number of projects with the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA), Center of the International Cooperation for Computerisation (CICC), China Computer Federation, including the National Olympiad in Informatics and Standardised Chinese IT Terminology.

The Society is affiliated with other professional bodies and members benefit from reciprocal arrangements with the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS). These provide professional recognition today and pave the way for further regional and global opportunities tomorrow.

For enquiries, please contact the HKCS Secretariat at tel: +852 2834 2228; Email: hkcs@hkcs.org.hk or browse the HKCS official website: http://www.hkcs.org.hk for more information.