The representative of SMU alumni, Jimmy Ho, was lucky enough to be invited by the Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao, Ms. Rachael Bedlington, to a Cocktail Reception for Heads of Canadian University Alumni Associations in Hong Kong. The reception was held on Thursday, October 13 at the Official Residence of Canada in Mid-levels.
All attendees had been asked to undertake a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before attending the event to confirm their negative status. This was the first event held by the Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao for Heads of Canadian University Alumni Associations since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a good sign and I am hoping that the pandemic will soon come to an end.
One important announcement made by the Consul General Rachael Bedlington was the Canada-in-Asia Conference, organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and Universities Canada, that will be held in Singapore from February 21-23, 2023.
It was subsequently stated in an email from the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service of Consulate General of Canada that the Conference will aim to engage 30+ university presidents and up to 500 participants — Asia-based alumni invited by their respective Canadian universities and key leaders from Canada and Asia in business and government — in a program combining keynote and inter-disciplinary plenary sessions, concurrent thematic activities based on priority sectors for Canada, strategic networking opportunities, and an evening gala event, followed by a series of activities organized by each participating university or organization with their respective community.