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MUMBAI:
With support from the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau
and Hong Kong Parents Teachers Association, National Geographic
Channel (NGC) Asia and Wiseman Education kicked off the Think
Again Documentary Making Competition 2008 in Hong Kong.
1,000
students, forming over 200 teams, have signed up for this
year's competition. The organisers received responses from
almost 40 teams sent forth by schools in Shenzhen and Suzhou,
China, in addition to the local and international schools
submissions in Hong Kong.
The
themes for the competition this year include sports and health,
society and culture and science, technology. The aim is to
challenge students' language, thinking and analytical skills,
presentation, as well as cinematography and editing techniques.
Over 50 per cent of the teams who participate this year drew
on the topic "Society and Culture," which reflects
the students' awareness about different social and cultural
phenomena. At the same time, it also indicates that liberal
studies have already come to a new era.
The
broadcaster says that some English teachers even regard this
competition as one successful learning experience as students
learn to work on the "Independent Enquiry Project"
and they all look forward to larger-scale participation in
schools next year.
Wiseman
Education CEO Clement Chung says, " The aim of this competition
is to encourage students to think out of the box, think globally,
and inspire students to 'Think Again' through exploration.
The submitted entries allowed us to see and listen to the
world through the eyes of these incredible students. Throughout
the production process, students learn not only through researching,
enquiry learning, filming, editing, narrating and presenting,
but also through analysing and working as a team. The quality
of documentaries fully demonstrates their potentials, diligence
and conscientiousness."
Senior
School Development Officer at Hong Kong's education and manpower
bureau KF Yeung says, "Making English documentaries could
be quite a challenge for some of the secondary students, but
I feel proud of the students who are courageous enough to
take on challenges and have signed up for the competition.
This kind of courage brings hopes to Hong Kong and all the
generations to come.
NGC
Asia SVP programming and broadcasting David Gunson says, "Not
only do we see many well-scripted and well-filmed documentaries,
what made these films really great are the fact that many
of them have an insightful story which reflects students'
remarkable sensitiveness towards different issues."
In
order to encourage more students, this year the organisers
will launch the "Think Again Leadership Development Programme"
adopting the theme "Shine On Stage." Potential candidates
are to be recommended by schools and will be competing against
over 60 students for the 20 leader spots. The selected leaders
are expected to undergo a full course of leadership training.
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