A Chara Well, we’ve got to admit June has proven to be quite the month.
It’s certainly been busy, especially for our own Henry Au, whose saga we detail further down.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, we intend to stay firmly out of the ongoing debate in Ireland over what the country’s neutrality means, or should be, or how it should be expressed, or even if it should be expressed.
Instead, we will focus on the month that’s gone, so settle in for a long read, as this newsletter could start to take on epic proportions.
Or, if you’re off on your holidays, why not print it out for a gentle read on the plane?
And if you are planning a trip Neil McCormick and the great team at Lifestyle Insurance, you can get a whopping 25% off your travel insurance costs with policies starting for as little as HK$1,237.
But this offer is exclusively for Irish Chamber members and their families (doesn’t that make you feel special?)
(Did you notice the clever way we segued into the paragraph about travel insurance? Good, wasn’t it?) |
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June in Hong Kong Now granted, this was at the end of May, but as it was too late to add to our last newsletter, we want to put it in now. Besides, we had a nice picture which would have been a shame to waste.
It also gives us a chance to thank those wonderful people at the Irish Consulate here for supporting the networking event hosted by the chamber to meet a group from the Ireland China Science and Technology Association (ICSATA) in Hong Kong after completing their first trade mission in China post-Covid headed by Chairman Wen Chen. |
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A non-profit international organization with support and endorsement from the Irish Embassy to China, the Chinese Embassy to Ireland, relevant departments from both the Irish and Chinese governments, the European Commission, and the Mission of China to the European Union, ICSATA aims to develop an international platform for science and technology exchanges to promote overall collaboration between Ireland, the EU, and China.
Speaking at the event was K.C. Lam, Head of Consular and Chamber Engagement at Invest Hong Kong.
The delegation included the highly talented Irish artist Shane Suttonwho joined local artists during the trip to create an amazing mural. |
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Our aim is always to promote and support business relations between Ireland and Hong Kong, so we were proud to host a panel event which explored how the Web3 real-world lending markets are set to revolutionize business finance while examining the complexities of the legal landscape related to real-world assets. |
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The panel specifically addressed the legal aspects of RWA tokenization, providing valuable insights from industry experts. Many thanks to Stephen Browne (Co-Founder at Sors Digital Assets and Defactor), who not only moderated the event, but who brought together a distinguished all-Irish panel which included: - Padraig Walsh - Partner at Tanner De Witt and one of the foremost legal authorities on blockchain and cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong.
- Padraig Seif - a fully licensed German attorney, English solicitor and Foreign Legal Consultant with Boase Cohen & Collins with unique perspectives on tokenized precious metals and beyond
- Calvin Crilly, Partner at BGA Law and qualified in the British Virgin Islands, Ireland, England and Wales and an experienced offshore lawyer advising on various aspects of cryptocurrency fund setup structures and the regulation of virtual asset service providers.
The event has received positive, we might even say, rave reviews from attendees, so look out for more panel events like this in the future. We know a good thing when we see one. So now all we need to do is get Stephen to drop everything and organize it. |
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And we ended the month with a flourish and a joint networking event with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong at the Daily Tot in Central. These events are always a major opportunity to connect with people and industries outside your own community. |
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Henry's Saga As we mentioned above, our very own Henry Au had a busy time of late, recently returning from a trip to Ireland which included discussing plans at Trinity College, Dublin for the new Provost Dr Linda Doyle to visit Hong Kong next year.
Henry also held talks with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce on co-hosting hybrid conferences and panel discussions for their members and ours, as well as exchanging ideas for sending delegations to Hong Kong and Dublin.
He then topped off his trip to Ireland by meeting Ireland China Science and Technology Association Chairmen Wen Chen to share some ideas on future joint initiatives, including co-hosting tech related events.
After which most people would take some time off, but Henry returned to Hong Kong to focus on another passion he has, street photography, joining 13 other talented street photographers for a three-day exhibition at JCCAC in Shek Kip Mei.
Describing it as “about storytelling”, Henry very kindly shared some of his thought-provoking pictures with us. |
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(Do you have a saga, story, complaint, observation or anything else you’d like to share? Let us know.) |
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A Bit of June in Ireland RTÉ continues to build home-grown drama, which, ordinarily would be a good thing, except this time it’s more the real-life kind with the scandal over Ryan Tubridy’s hidden payments dominating the news as everyone tries to decide who knew what and when they knew it.
But with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar expressing confidence in the RTÉ board, a wholesale bloodbath at the broadcaster seems unlikely, unless, that is, things deteriorate further, Stay tuned.
A little less dramatic, are the plans for a new Irish passport.
Not only will the new passport have exciting new security features, but its design will have a natural environment theme to “continue to communicate Irish culture and values,” according to Tánaiste Micheál Martin with the public consulted on what flora and fauna should be included.
Anyone want to bet there’s a shamrock in there somewhere?
And to reinforce what some of us have always said, namely that and Irish education is one of the best you can get, seven of the eight Irish universities have risen in international rankings, with Trinity College Dublin being the top-rated Irish institution and University College Dublin coming second.
The rest, in order, are: - University of Galway
- University College Cork
- University of Limerick
- Dublin City University
- Maynooth University
- Technological University Dublin
In sport, the All-Ireland football championship has produced some intriguing possibilities, with the draw for the quarter-finals pitting together old pals Dublin and Mayo and 2022 and 2021 champions Kerry and Tyrone, and the Irish Rugby Sevens team are into the semi-finals at the European Games with Olympic qualification up for grabs. |
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Irish Business Focus As regular readers of this newsletter will realize (and we know who both of you are,) this is a bit of a new section.
It’s a chance for us to turn the spotlight on Irish firms with a presence in Hong Kong or international companies whose business includes Ireland.
We’ll happily admit it may seem like an unashamed plug, but that’s what we’re here for, to build connections not just for Irish businesses but for any business with an interest or presence in Ireland.
So, to kick this off, we’re delighted to introduce Crown Relocations, who for nearly six decades have been helping firms and individuals deal with the hassles of relocating from Ireland to Hong Kong, or Hong Kong to Ireland, or from pretty much anywhere to anywhere else. |
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In that time, they’ve moved over three million families, and they’ve done it with a personal touch and professional attention to detail.
Nobody enjoys having to relocate.
Finding a new house, dealing with visas, looking for new schools for the kids, and shipping boxes and furniture.
Not to mention the general upheaval involved.
Crown aims to make every aspect of relocating as simple and hassle-free as possible by managing every aspect of your move, offering guidance, and working with you every step of the way.
Whether you’re an individual or a company needing to relocate staff, Crown makes daunting - easy. |
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Coming up in July.
Working with Humans Matter, this event will look at self-care and provide actionable lessons you can take away with you.
The agenda: - Welcoming participants
- Understanding of emotions and cognitive biases preventing us from adopting a new desirable behaviour.
- Collectively identify the levers on which to act to develop the capacity to change.
- Debrief and key takeaways.
- Individual commitments on actions to implement to enable a change in behaviour.
Cost & Fundraising. When purchasing your ticket, you contribute to supporting The Human Factor NGO action across the world (10%). The mission of the NGO is: to educate everyone on how to take care of themselves, others and their environment by mobilising cognitive resources.
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Mark Your Calendars That’s not all. Here’s another event coming up soon, details to follow! |
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P.S. if you’ve enjoyed reading this … Then why not join our all new, and very exciting, Whatsapp group. This group will provide members with an easy way to stay up to date on the latest news, events, and updates from the Chamber. |
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P.P.S. Oh, and one more thing… If you haven’t already, why not join us?
The Irish Chamber can offer you the kind of support, advice and network you won’t get anywhere else.
You know good business is about connections and opportunities, but without the first you won’t get the second.
Our members have a wealth of experience in a wide range of fields across international borders, all of which can help you save time, energy, and money. So join us, you know it makes sense. |
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The Irish Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong Unit 1, 16th Floor, Gee Tuck Building, 16-20 Bonham Strand East, Sheung Wan
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