Transitional agreement between HKSS and RSS concerning mutual recognition of Graduate Statistician and Data Analyst professional membership (10 November 2023)

• 

1. Under the arrangement of the Hong Kong Statistical Society (HKSS), representatives of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) visited Hong Kong during 6 - 11 November 2023 to process the accreditation applications for 14 statistical programmes of three universities in Hong Kong. Representatives of the Accreditation Board of the HKSS participated in the entire accreditation exercise with a view of understudying the use of the RSS standards and guidelines in accrediting statistical programmes based on the latest accreditation models of the RSS.
   
   
2. On the basis of the week long visit, both parties will continue to work towards the goal of reaching an agreement in which the RSS will license the HKSS to use the RSS accreditation standards and procedures to accredit programmes of universities in Hong Kong. The benefits of this agreement will include mutual recognition of accredited qualifications and the RSS Graduate Statistician membership and the proposed Hong Kong equivalent professional membership. It is also the intent of the HKSS to grant Hong Kong equivalent professional membership of Graduate Statistician and Registered Data Analyst through the competency route.
   
   
3. A new agreement will be drawn up after further deliberation by both the HKSS and the RSS. It is intended that the new agreement will be reached in 2024. In the meantime, the existing transitional arrangement (https://www.hkss.org.hk/index.php/prof/exam/transitional-arrangement) will continue until the new agreement comes into effect.