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MEDIA RELEASE

9 August 2007

HONG KONG’S FIRST MASTERS GRADUATE IN ERGONOMICS
(AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION FESTIVAL: PROFILE #3)

With their HKCEE results being released this week more than 10,000 students are expected to flood through the Australian Education Festival, starting TOMORROW in the Hong Kong Exhibition and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

Australia is the most popular international education destination for HK students with more than 9000 choosing Australia each year.

Australian business administration and finance degrees are the most popular with these students but there will also be a new wave of careers for discussion at this year’s Festival. One of the more unusual is the study of ergonomics.

Ms Justine Chim, the first Hong Kong student to graduate with a Masters in Ergonomics from the University of Queensland (UQ), will be at the Festival to explain to potential students the application and relevance of ergonomics in modern workplaces.

Occupational ergonomics is much more than what sort of chair you sit in and where you rest your hands on the keyboard. It is the specific study of the interaction between people and all other elements of a work system – work task, workstation and tools, work environment and organization. Ergonomics principles can be applied at any time in any workplace.

“Ergonomics is such a specialised subject the reputation of the University and programs are very important. UQ is a member of the Group of Eight Universities in Australia so it represents the leading academic and research status in the world,” said Justine Chim.

Justine’s expertise in ergonomics and occupational safety and health management in particular manual handling risk management led to an employment contract in Australia with Arnott’s Biscuits looking at the manual handling risks and control measures like lifting slippery 25 kilogram blocks of butter into the biscuit mixing machines.

Acting Australian Consul-General, Ms Julie Chater, said visitors to this year’s Australian Education Festival would have the choice of talking directly with more than 80 Australian universities, schools and vocational training colleges.

“The Festival gives students an ideal opportunity to speak one-on-one with graduates and University representatives about the sort of degrees available but also to get answers to their questions about visas, accommodation and lifestyle in Australia.”

“Australian tertiary institutions continue to offer the traditional faculties but they are also moving to equip students for jobs of the future with degrees like water management, counter terrorism and sustainable development,” said Ms Chater.

The Australian Education Festival starts midday Friday August 10 and runs until Sunday afternoon at the Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai. Entry is free to all.

CONSULATE-GENERAL MEDIA CONTACT:
Ms Simmy Lam Tel: +852 2585 4482