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Following is a speech by the acting Director of Information Services, Miss Sarah Wu, at the Opening Ceremony of the final-year project exhibition "The Power of Communication" of the Higher Diploma in English for Professional Communication of the Division of Language Studies of the City University of Hong Kong this (Thursday) afternoon:

Professor Ko, Mr Ng, Ms Fanny Wong, Professor Wong, Mr Chan, honoured guests, staff and students, ladies and gentlemen

I'm delighted to be here at the City University today, for the opening of the fifth English for Professional Communication project exhibition.

The title of your exhibition, "The Power of Communication", strikes me as being particularly well chosen.

With the first anniversary of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China only two months away, there were those who, before the Handover, were quite convinced the free flow of information would have all but dried up by now.

How wrong they were. Hong Kong remains the communications hub of the Asian region. And is in no danger of being displaced from this position as anyone reading our daily newspapers or getting their news from radio and television would know. The media is as free and robust today as it has ever been, and if we as a government don't perform to expectations, then we certainly hear or read about it.

As acting head of the Information Services Department for the HKSARG, I am also keenly aware of the power of communication. And not simply for the impact - or influence - it can have on people; but the speed with which that information can be communicated around the globe.

It can be summed up in one word - breathtaking.

Who would have thought just a few years ago we would be communicating with every corner of the globe within a matter of seconds from our own homes! The world wide web has revolutionised communications. And while it's a medium we are increasingly using to disseminate information, it is just one of a number of channels we employ to get our message across.

Face-to-face meetings and close working relationships with decision-makers and opinion-formers, and the dissemination of information through traditional sources such as press conferences, newspapers, radio and television remain essential components for professional communication.

Last but not least, we need a clear and consistent vision of the purposes of communication. In our case, to present an open and accountable government to the people of Hong Kong, and to project an accurate image of Hong Kong overseas.

However, maintaining a free flow of information within a free society cannot be the job of the government alone - it is the responsibility of every citizen. Looking around me today, I can see you have applied these principles in your project work.

The promotional campaigns displayed here show careful information gathering; close collaboration with host organisations; effective media publicity; and creative use of language and technology. Above all, you have applied your communication skills on behalf of worthwhile causes that benefit our community as a whole.

I would like to congratulate your staff and students for all the hard work you have put into the projects and this exhibition. And to wish you good luck in your future endeavours. Well done!

Thank you.

End/Thursday, April 30, 1998

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