FIG Working Week 2012
The HKIS sent a six-member delegation to Rome this year. The Delegation, led by Mr Simon Kwok (HKIS Vice President), included delegates, Messrs Edward Au (GPD Hon Treasurer), Raymond Chan (PDD Chairman), Ms Tzena Wong (QSD), Ms Bessie Liu (YSG), and me. Ms Winnie Siu, LSD member, also joined the Working Week.
On the GP aspect, both Edward Au and I delivered papers at the Commission 9 Technical Sessions held in the afternoon of 9 May 2012. Our topics were “Re-vamping Land Usage to Meet Updated Needs” and “Revitalization of Industrial Buildings”. The Commission 9 sessions were well-attended by land administration professionals from different countries. Apparently, what we have accomplished in Hong Kong over the past few decades was of great interest to them, as numerous questions were raised. Enquiries were adequately dealt with during the Q&A sessions. Due to time constraints, some aspects were not addressed. Nevertheless, we provided the audience with our contacts and announced that we would be pleased to respond to further questions whenever raised.
During the process, we met our counterparts from different places/ institutes, including the delegation from CIREA, which was led by its Chairman, Mr Song Chun-hua, and Dr Chaiqiang. Also, the President of RICS, Mr Ong, kindly hosted a luncheon with counterparts from other countries. For details of the FIG Working Week proceedings, please refer to the report written by Mr Edward Au.
Arrangement under the New Assessment of Professional Competence (“APC”)
Rules and Guide
The APC Rules and Guide for the General Practice Division (“the 2012 Guide”) was recently approved by the Board of Education and will soon be published. Probationers who have enrolled under the APC Programme of the General Practice Division (“APC Candidates”) would be interested in knowing about the transition arrangements. According to the 2012 Guide, APC Candidates who are in their first year of the APC Programme may proceed to the Part One Assessment in October 2012 (“the 2012 Part One Assessment”). On the other hand, candidates who are now in their second year of the APC Programme had reference to the previous APC Rules and Guide when they first enrolled in the APC Programme in 2010 (which was also regarded as the commencement of the diary and the APC Programme), they had no knowledge of the new APC Programme as at 18 July 2011. In this regard, the Education Committee of the GPD, as directed by the Board of Education, has formulated the transitional arrangements in respect of the Part One APC Programme in 2012.
The Transitional Arrangements
First, the reference point is 31 August 2012, which is the deadline for the application to the 2012 Part One Assessment. APC Candidates are, in broad terms, divided into two categories: 1) Under Category A, those who have had over nine months, but fewer than 21 months, of diary are in the first year of the APC Programme. 2) Category B candidates are those who have had 21 or more months of diary in the APC Programme as at 31 August 2012.
The 2012 Part One Assessment will be held in October 2012. Its Written Assessment will adopt the same format as before – a three-hour paper. Candidates under Category A or B will have to take the same assessment. The Part One Assessments in October 2013 and thereafter will be in the new format, as stated in the 2012 Guide.
Candidates under Category A
Second, APC Candidates under Category A will be allowed to sit for the 2012 Part One Assessment on the conditions that: (a) they will continue to complete the 40-hour mandatory CPD during the second year of the APC Programme and (b) they will submit their interim reports after taking the Part One Assessment, in accordance with the 2012 Guide.
Assuming they pass the 2012 Part One Assessment, candidates can take the Part Two Assessment, Critical Analysis, in December 2013, provided that they have also completed two tasks during their undertaking. If they fail in the 2012 Part One Assessment, they may, upon the completion of the 40-hour CPD and the submission of an Interim Report (to the satisfaction of the Education Committee, as endorsed) re-take the Part One Assessment in its new format in October 2013. If they pass that, they can proceed to the Critical Analysis in December 2013, in accordance with the 2012 Guide.
Candidates under Category B
For APC Candidates under Category B who sit for and pass the 2012 Part One Assessment in October 2012, they can take the Part Two Assessment in December 2012. If they fail the 2012 Part One Assessment, they will have to complete the 40-hour CPD, as usual, and continue with the diary and re-take the Part One Assessment in October 2013.
Those who intend to take the 2012 Part One Assessment are advised to attend the Revision Workshops, which will be held in July to early September. Those who have queries about the arrangement may e-mail the HKIS’s Education Department at [email protected] .
The 7th Cross Strait Land Conference
The 7th Cross Strait Land Conference will be held from 5 to 7 July 2012 (Thursday to Saturday) in Macau and is now inviting applications. The theme of the Conference is “Development and Innovation of Land Use theory and techniques” (土地理論和技術的發展與創新). Key topics include the following:
- Land development and renewal
- Use of databases in land renewal
- Land development and environmental assessment
- Land use and urban development
- Urban land use and system innovation
- Land tenure system and economic development
- Land use in cities and villages and economic development
This Cross Strait Land Conference has been co-organized by four related Institutes – the HKIS, the DSCC of Macau (澳門地圖繪製暨地籍局), the Faculty of Geography of Taiwan Politics University (臺灣政治大學地政學系), and the Land Administration Faculty of the People’s University of China (中國人民大學土地管理系), since 2000 and is held bi-annually.
An invitation to attend the Conference is now open to all members.
Completed forms can be returned by e-mail to:
[email protected] on or before 31 May 2012.
