Joining forces: Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Marion Lai (centre) meets the two Hong Kong representatives of the youth forum, Institute of Education's Amy Lau and Chinese University's Antony Tam.

More than 250 university students from 150 countries will share their vision on the future of information and communications technology at the ITU Telecom World 2006 Youth Forum in Hong Kong December 3 to 8.

Organised by the International Telecommunication Union, the forum offers young leaders a chance to establish networks and to share knowledge. Each union member state will nominate two university students - a man and a woman - to join the forum. This year the list of participants includes for the first time fellows from Belize, Cuba, Gabon, Laos, Paraguay and Qatar.

This is the forum's first time in Hong Kong. Being the host city, Hong Kong has selected two outstanding university students - Antony Tam from Chinese University and Amy Lau from Institute of Education - to join the forum.

Valuable opportunity

Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Marion Lai said forum participants can exchange views with the chief executive officers of international enterprises and senior officials from different governments and regulatory authorities.

During the six-day event, the youth fellows will be engaged in a series of interactive sessions and workshops. They will also draft and present a declaration action plan conveying their global vision for expanding the benefits of information and communications technology.

Apart from the dedicated youth forum sessions, the fellows will also have the opportunity to join the main forum, visit the show floor of the ITU World Telecom 2006 exhibition and enjoy a series of host city programmes to know more about Hong Kong.

Federation of Youth Groups has recruited more than 40 local university students to act as young ambassadors. They will receive the overseas youth fellows during the event period and act as young reporters, contributing articles and photographs of the conferences and activities.