CIREA and HKIS Diploma Presentation Ceremony and Valuation Forum
After the reciprocity arrangement with CIREA in March 2011, a Diploma Presentation Ceremony and Valuation Forum has been scheduled on 21 October 2011 in Beijing. GPD delegates will attend the event. Besides, three GPD Council members will attend the Valuation Forum as speakers. This event will be opened to HKIS Members particularly those who had passed the CIREA assessment through the Reciprocity Arrangement in March this year. Invitation will be sent to
these members very soon.

The diploma presentation ceremony will be held in the morning and valuation forum in the afternoon. This year, the topic is "Valuation for Taxation". Members who wish to partake on this occasion may watch out for the announcement in the next issue of Surveyors' Times.

GP Surveyors under CEPA
After a meeting with the Development Bureau (DEVB) on CEPA affairs which HKIS GPD (and others) raised issues on difficulties that GP Surveyors faced with when practicing in Mainland, a HKIS delegation which will be led by the President will visit officials in Beijing on 2-4 November 2011. GPD has prepared a wish list of discussion items. Main items to be submitted to the concerned authority are :

- Reciprocity of Professional Qualification - Since HKIS has already obtained reciprocity arrangement with the CIREA, we now wish to achieve similar arrangements with the other two counterparts - China Appraisal Society and China Real Estate Valuers Association.

- The current situation of the Hong Kong GP surveyors in Mainland, their difficulties and hurdles faced. Meanwhile, HKIS would have a meeting with officials of The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government and solicit their assistance and coordination for this visit.

The New APC
As reported earlier, the GPD APC structure is undergoing reforms in line with the recent amendments of the HKIS Constitution & Bye-Laws. APC leading to professional membership consists of two parts. Part One takes the form of written tests whereas Part Two remains as an interview assessment. Candidates may take Part One after one year training and if they pass Part One, they may proceed to Part Two upon completion of two years' training.

In Part Two, candidates, before the interview, are required to submit a critical analysis of two cases, one of which must be a valuation case. Candidates may choose any one case for presentation.

Cognate degree holders and Non-cognate degree holders take a different path at the initial stage. Non-cognate degree holders will have to attend a mandatory structured learning programme ("the Programme"), upon completion they can take the same path as the cognate degree holders. Cognate degree holders are encouraged to attend the Programme although this is not mandatory. Details of the new APC will be announced in due course. It is expected that Part One of the new APC will start to run in 2013.

Members will be kept informed of the progress on the APC review.

Nanjing Technical Visit (late July)
During the tour, delegates had the opportunity to visit the Planning/Development Exhibition Gallery, seminar with officials in the Housing and City/Rural Deveopment Bureau and discussion with the management staff of South-east University.

A DVD on this visit is being prepared. A few copies will be kept in the HKIS library for reference purposes.

A Message from the GPD Editor
Has Francis Ng turned academic?
Some may be aware that Francis has been a professional surveyor for over 38 years. In 2009, after leaving the civil service, he spent most of his time to give lectures on Land Administration to two local universities. As a matter of fact, he started giving CDP talks and lectures some 14 years ago. Possibly, because of his devotion, he is now appointed as an Adjunct Professor of the City University.

We note that the control period for him to take paid/unpaid work ended in early August. He is considering taking on assignments and pursuing his interest on land matters.

We wish him best of luck in teaching and professional services. However, he must continue to give unfailing support to GPD council and HKIS.