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The following is issued on behalf of the Student Financial Assistance Agency:
Over 940 students, five working adults and two apprentices were presented with awards and scholarships under the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund (SEYMF) by Lady Youde at the 16th Awards Presentation Ceremony of the Fund, held at Hong Kong City Hall today (March 22).
Officiating at the Ceremony were Chairman of Board of Trustees, Mr John Chan Cho-chak, and Chairman of the SEYMF Council, Mr Ronald J Arculli.
Lady Youde said: "I am very happy that during the past 16 years, the Fund has given recognition to so many of the best students in Hong Kong. I am equally delighted to see that at this difficult time of the economy, the Fund continues to play its role in promoting education and learning for the people of Hong Kong and that my colleagues on the Board of Trustees and the Council can always be relied on to come up with meaningful new projects and award schemes, such as the new Lecture series, to support. To them, I must express my sincere and grateful thanks."
"The Fund will have disbursed some $137 million since 1987, benefiting directly or indirectly over 300,000 students through our awards and other sponsored activities. These are figures that I believe the people of Hong Kong should be proud of. Here I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who had given so generously in establishing the Fund. I am also confident that I can count on your continuing support to enable us to continue build up our human assets for the future prosperity of Hong Kong," added she.
In pursuing its objective of encouraging and promoting education and learning of the people of Hong Kong, the Fund has disbursed $11.79 million in the 2002/2003 academic year. Awards made this year include 11 awards for overseas studies plus one overseas fellowship for a disabled student; 46 fellowships for post-graduate students, including one for disabled; 93 scholarships for diploma and undergraduate students, including three for disabled students; 25 awards for disabled students; six medals for students who obtained outstanding results in public examinations; 764 prizes for senior secondary school students; two awards for outstanding apprentices and five awards for working adults who have undergone retraining and have successfully integrated themselves into their new work environment.
Exclusive sponsorship in the amount of $600,000 towards the Young Friends of the Hong Kong Arts Festival Scheme continued in 2002/2003 to increase the exposure of secondary school and tertiary students to the performing arts. The Visiting Professorship Scheme, first launched in 1995/96 to promote cultural exchange between Hong Kong and other parts of the world, gave three awards for the year. Two of the visiting professors have already conducted seminars and delivered public lectures during their visits in Hong Kong, and another one will soon come in a few months. The Lecture Series, first launched this year, aims to provide a forum for speakers nominated by professional bodies / associations to deliver lectures on issues of direct benefit to the people of Hong Kong. Four lectures were sponsored this year and they will be held in the coming few months.
Competition for the overseas fellowships and scholarships for 2003/2004 was extremely keen. Eleven brilliant students, from among 346 applicants, have won the awards. Each will receive a maximum of HK$251,000 and HK$232,000 a year for a fellowship award and a scholarship award respectively. These students will have to return to work in Hong Kong for at least three years after completion of their sponsored studies.
The award recipients for the Overseas Fellowships 2003/2004 are:-
(1) Miss LEE Mei-po, currently employed in banking services, plans to pursue a PhD degree in Political Science at Sciences Po Paris in France;
(2) Miss Heidi HUNG Hoi-yi, currently a student in the Bachelor of Laws at the University of Hong Kong, intends to pursue a Master degree in Politics at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom;
(3) Mr Marco WAN Man-ho, currently studying for the BA (Hons) Degree in Law at University of Cambridge, intends to pursue a PhD degree in Comparative Literature at Yale University in the United States;
(4) Miss LAU Yuet-ying, currently a clinical psychologist, intends to pursue PhD degree in Clinical Psychology / Cognitive Neuroscience at University of Toronto in Canada;
(5) Mr CHAN Chun-fung, currently a postgraduate student at the University of Hong Kong, plans to pursue a PhD degree in Developmental Genetics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom;
(6) Miss NG Jia-yan, currently a student studying for a Post-graduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) at the University of Hong Kong, intends to pursue a Bachelor degree in Civil Law / Master degree in Laws at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom; and
(7) Mr CHEUK Yuen-cheong, currently a student studying for a Post-graduate Certificate in Laws (PCLL) at the University of Hong Kong, intends to pursue a Master degree in Laws at Harvard University in the United States.
The award recipients for the Overseas Scholarships 2003/2004 are:-
(1) Miss Janet HO Wing-yan of Diocesan Girls' School, who intends to study Law at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom;
(2) Miss Beatrice LIU Yung-ye of Diocesan Girls' School, who intends to study Political Science at Yale University in the United States;
(3) Mr Ivan CHAN Sui-fan of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, who intends to study Biotechnology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States; and
(4) Miss LEE Sheung-yan of St. Stephen's Girls' College, who intends to study Environmental Science / Biotechnology / Astronomy at Princeton University in the United States.
An overseas award exclusively for disabled students was introduced in 1994. The 2003/2004 fellowship recipient is Miss FOK Lok-tsang, a visually-impaired student who plans to pursue a Doctorate programme in Clinical Psychology at University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom.
Six students who obtained outstanding results in the 2002 public examinations have been awarded the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Medals. They are :-
(1) Miss CHAU Suk-ling of Queen Elizabeth School, who scored six distinctions in Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) in 2002;
(2) Mr Kevin SO Ki-yan of St. Paul's Co-educational College, who scored six distinctions in HKALE in 2002;
(3) Miss TAM Hung-choi of HKTA Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School, who scored five distinctions in HKALE in 2002;
(4) Mr CHAN Tin-lok of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, who scored nine distinctions in Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) in 2002;
(5) Miss LUI Ka-wai of Diocesan Girls' School, who scored 10 distinctions in HKCEE in 2002; and
(6) Miss Roberta WONG of Heep Yunn School, who scored nine distinctions in HKCEE in 2002.
The five working adults, nominated by the Employees Retraining Board and the Construction Industry Training Authority, who obtained the Awards for Self-improvement for Working Adults are as follows:-
(1) Mr Iron CHUNG Tsz-wan who attended an advanced security and property management retraining course is currently a Senior Customer Service Supervisor in a management service company;
(2) Ms TIU Po-chun who attended a cleaning and pest control foreman training is currently a Site Manager in a cleaning and pest control company;
(3) Ms TSANG Yuk-ling who took an elementary bookkeeping training course is currently an Administrative Assistant in the Society of Boys' Centres;
(4) Mr WONG Ka-yuen, a disabled awardee, who attended a receptionist and clerical work training course is currently a Project Assistant in the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation; and
(5) Mr FONG Long-pan who attended an excavator operation retraining course is currently an excavator operator in an engineering company.
The two outstanding apprentices nominated by the Director of Apprenticeship, who obtained the Outstanding Apprentice Awards are as follows:-
(1) Mr LI Wai-kwan who completed a foundation craft certificate course in welding and a craft certificate course in marine plant; and
(2) Mr NG Shu-ki who completed a certificate and a higher certificate course in building studies.
A total of $492,263 has been expended on the Award Scheme for the Disabled Students, under which 25 students have been provided with financial assistance for the purchase of study aids.
This year, 46 postgraduate students (including 10 renewal awards and one disabled student) have been awarded the SEYMF Fellowships at $38,000 each and 93 undergraduate and diploma students including three disabled have been awarded the SEYMF Scholarships at $25,000 each.
The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund has since its inception supported more than 12,650 Hong Kong students under its major schemes. More than 1,370 scholars and fellows have completed their studies and are now working in Hong Kong in different sectors, contributing to the well-being and development of the territory.
End/Saturday, March 22, 2003
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