Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau welcomed the recent establishment of a Hong Kong branch campus by renowned U.S. art, design and digital media institution Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD).
Mrs. Lau said the branch will bring in new impetus for the local creative sector and offer excellent educational opportunities for those who plan to join the industry.
Another approved application under the Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership program is the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation’s plan to transform the Old Tai O Police Station into a themed boutique, which will feature nine suites, a roof-top cafe, a library and a display of the former police station’s history.
The boutique hotel in Tai O, a fishing village with a tranquil natural environment, will give a unique hospitality experience to tourists who may be familiar only with Hong Kong's metropolitan lifestyle.
Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau said the hotel fits in well with the government’s plan to give Tai O a major facelift to enhance its tourism appeal and local economy and to promote the fishing village as an eco-tourism destination with high cultural, historical and environmental value.
Mrs. Lau noted that other partnership projects, such as the development of Fong Yuen Study Hall into a fishermen’s museum and multipurpose room for classes and activities, as well as the transformation of Mei Ho House into a youth hostel, will also give impetus to diversifying Hong Kong's tourism appeal.
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“SCAD is a world-renowned institution. Its decision to set up the first Asian campus in Hong Kong no doubt is a great encouragement to local creative industries,” she said.
SCAD will occupy the former North Kowloon Magistracy building in Sham Shui Po under the Revitalizing Historic Buildings Through Partnership program. The campus will be SCAD’s first in Asia and its second overseas, after its Lacoste, France, branch.
Mrs. Lau said she expects the local demand for creative talent will increase following the government’s promotion of local creative industries, and the SCAD branch will provide support in this respect. The school will also attract students from elsewhere in the region and reinforce Hong Kong's international status.
“SCAD’s international dimension will widen the exposure of Hong Kong students. The diversified courses it offers will help Hong Kong nurture experts in different creative fields. Its good connection with elite digital entertainment enterprises in the United States will, on the other hand, help attract regional creative talent to come to Hong Kong for exchanges, thus strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a regional creative hub,” she added.
SCAD plans to provide 1,500 students tertiary-level studies in such digital media as animation, advertising design, photography, graphic design, illustration, interactive design and game development, motion media design and visual effects.
The renovation of the magistracy building is expected to take approximately 15 months, and the SCAD branch hopes to open in 2011.
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