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Japanese university students win free trip to Hong Kong (With photos)
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     Three Japanese university students were today (December 6) awarded a two-week study programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and other prizes after winning a speech contest organised to enhance cultural exchange between Hong Kong and Japan.

     They were the top three winners of the Hong Kong Cup All Japan University Students English Speech Contest 2008 jointly organised for the second consecutive year by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Daily Yomiuri in Japan.

     The competition was supported by Japanˇ¦s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

     Addressing the speech contest, Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Mrs Jennie Chok, said she was delighted that the competition had again received an enthusiastic response from university students from different parts of Japan, as well as impressed by the high standard of the entries.   

     ˇ§The contest aimed to arouse more interest in, and foster deeper understanding of, Hong Kong among university students in Japan, and thereby promote friendship and goodwill, as well as economic and cultural ties, between the two places,ˇ¨ Mrs Chok said.    

     She added that English was chosen for the speeches as it is one of the two official languages of Hong Kong, and the most commonly learnt and used second language in Japan.

     The panel of judges at the final today included Mrs Chok; Professor Phillip Brown of Gakushuin University; General Manager Japan of Cathay Pacific, Mr James Woodrow; and Managing Editor of the Daily Yomiuri, Mr Akira Komoto.  

     Fifteen finalists were invited to participate in the contest. After a full day of keen competition, the top prize was awarded to Keita Sakoda of Waseda University. The first and second runners-up were Ayaka Fujiwara of Keio University and Nicolas Ito of Waseda University respectively.

     In addition to a two-week exchange programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, prizes include round-trip air tickets to Hong Kong, hotel accommodation, local tours, book coupons and free newspaper subscriptions.

Ends/Saturday, December 6, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:56

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