Sustainability is much more than a buzzword, the demand for environmental professionals has been on the rise with the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals (HKIQEP) attaining statutory status in November last year. At the center of this fast-evolving world are two alumni from the Environmental Management and Technology program (EVMT), Carmen CHEUNG (Class of 2016) and Toby LUNG (Class of 2014).

2020 proved a pivotal year for EVMT, which became the first undergraduate program accredited by the HKIQEP. Providing eligible graduates with the valuable opportunity to sit for the professional qualification exam after clocking up a mere five years of in-field experience, the program unleashes a fast track to getting professional qualification and a head start in one’s career in the environmental arena.

Beyond the accreditation, EVMT has provided graduates with comprehensive interdisciplinary training that continues to serve them well in their environmental careers. Both Carmen and Toby have charted unique paths on their journey as environmental specialists by harnessing the interdisciplinary knowledge amassed from their cherished time at EVMT, to advocate for a future of sustainable development and environmental awakening.

For Carmen, the quality of keeping an open mind cultivated by EVMT has been instrumental to her ongoing success at the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the HKSAR Government, where she has held the role of Environmental Protection Officer (EPO) for seven years. Prior to joining the Government, Carmen was determined to work in the area of waste management as an assistant environmental consultant at Ramboll Environ, which marked the beginning of her career. Yet by the hands of fate, Carmen winded up becoming a noise management expert at the EPD where she is currently steering the review of the Noise Control Ordinance with her counterparts in her third posting.

The saying “All roads lead to Rome” befits Carmen, who pinpointed that studying “traditional” subjects such as engineering isn’t the sole route to getting chartered. Like her peers, Carmen became a graduate member of the HKIQEP upon completing her EVMT studies, a testament to the prestigious recognition the course confers on its graduates.

In Carmen’s role as an EPO, she recently came full circle having had the opportunity to interview a number of EVMT students for internship with the EPD. Impressed by the students’ performance, Carmen said, “EVMT students can present themselves very well, are very passionate about what they do, and have the readiness to respond.”

Echoing Carmen’s sentiment, Toby, a professional member of the HKIQEP who works as Senior Environmental Consultant for Arup, where he advanced through the ranks over the past decade, believes the interdisciplinary nature of EVMT laid the groundwork for his career in environmental consultancy, where coalescing different perspectives is a key competency.

Working on projects with students from a diversity of backgrounds such as business, engineering, and science in his university days has a long-lasting imprint on Toby, who credits EVMT for gearing up graduates like himself with communication and problem-solving skills, which enable them to talk to people from all walks of life.

Currently working in a team driving the environmental impact assessment of a wide array of projects, from infrastructure to residential development, Toby is keen to give back to our society by embedding environmental protection in infrastructure design through collaboration among environmental consultants, engineers, and designers. “The training provided by EVMT equipped us with a broad skillset which allows us to deliver on initiatives such as environmental impact assessment. The course taught us every fundamental piece so we aren’t afraid to explore further,” said Toby.

The company objectives of striving for professional excellence, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and creating societal impact still resonate with Toby after 10 years with Arup. These values also hold true for EVMT, which will continue nurturing graduates like Carmen and Toby, whose work to promote the cross-pollination of industry practices inspires the younger generation to hop on the green bandwagon, and go big.