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The following is issued on behalf of the Student Financial Assistance Agency:
More than 850 students, five working adults and two apprentices were presented with awards and scholarships at the 25th Concert-cum-Prize Presentation Ceremony of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund (SEYMF) at Hong Kong City Hall today (March 11). A concert was held after the awards ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the SEYMF this year.
Officiating at the ceremony were Lady Youde; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr Philip Wu Po-him; Chairman of the SEYMF Council, Dr John Chan Cho-chak; and other members of the Board of Trustees and the Council.
Lady Youde said, "It is a privilege and a great pleasure for me to be here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund with all of you. During the past 25 years, the Fund has distributed awards to over 20 000 talented students. Our award recipients today remind me of all the young people who have come up on this stage since 1988 and it is very rewarding for me to be in touch with so many of you as you follow your chosen careers."
In pursuing its objective of encouraging and promoting education and learning for the people of Hong Kong, the Fund has disbursed $6.28 million in the 2011/12 academic year. Presented this year were: five fellowship awards, two scholarship awards plus one honorary fellowship and two honorary scholarships for overseas studies; one overseas fellowship for disabled students plus one overseas honorary fellowship for disabled students; 14 fellowships for post-graduate students, inclusive of four honorary awards; 25 scholarships for undergraduate and diploma students, including five honorary awards; four fellowships/scholarships for disabled students pursuing postgraduate and undergraduate studies; three medals for students who obtained outstanding results in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination; 784 prizes for senior secondary school students; 13 awards for disabled students; two awards for outstanding apprentices and five awards for working adults who have undergone retraining and have successfully integrated into their new work environment.
Exclusive sponsorship of $600,000 towards the Young Friends Scheme of the Hong Kong Arts Festival continued in 2011/12 to increase the exposure of secondary school and tertiary students to the performing arts. In 2011, more than 10,300 students have become members of the Young Friends Scheme and over 26,000 students have participated in various programmes and activities of this scheme.
Competition for the overseas fellowships and scholarships for 2012/13 was extremely keen. Seven brilliant contestants, from among 204 applicants, won the awards. Each will receive a maximum of HK$283,000 or HK$262,000 a year respectively for a fellowship award or a scholarship award.
The award recipients for the Overseas Fellowships 2012/13 are:
(1) Miss Julia Chan Wing-chun, currently working as a part-time lecturer at Lingnan University, who intends to pursue a PhD degree in English Language and Literature at Yale University in the United States;
(2) Miss Jacqueline Law Hoi-man, currently a student studying law at the University of Hong Kong, who intends to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Civil Law at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom;
(3) Miss Lee Wai-sum, currently a freelance stage director, who intends to pursue a Master's degree in Contemporary Performance Making at Brunel University in the United Kingdom;
(4) Miss Rhythmie Wong Hei-wan, currently a student studying music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, who intends to pursue a Master's degree in Music at the New England Conservatory in the United States; and
(5) Mr Wong Ho-wai, currently a student studying biochemistry at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who intends to pursue a PhD degree in Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
The award recipients for the Overseas Scholarships 2012/13 are:
(1) Mr Andy Loo of St Paul's Co-educational College, who intends to study mathematics or physics at Princeton University in the United States; and
(2) Mr John Leung Chun-ho of Hong Kong University Graduates Association College, who intends to study law at the University College London in the United Kingdom.
The award recipients for the Overseas Honorary Fellowships/Scholarships 2012/13 are Mr Wong Kin-yau, Mr Chiu Pui-chung and Miss Li Wing-sum. Each will receive $10,000 for the honorary award.
An overseas award exclusively for disabled students was introduced in 1994. The 2012/13 fellowship recipient is Miss Maria Lo Yan-chee, who is a hearing-impaired student studying English language and literature at Hong Kong Baptist University. She plans to pursue a Master's degree in English at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The award recipient for the Overseas Honorary Fellowship for Disabled Students is Miss Carol Pang Wai-yung.
Three students who obtained outstanding results in the 2011 Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination have been awarded the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Medals. They are:
(1) Miss Chan Yick-ting of Ying Wa Girls' School, who scored 5As in 2011;
(2) Miss Tai Cheuk-wing of St Stephen's Girls' College, who scored 5As in 2011;
(3) Miss Mak Hoi-lun of Po Leung Kuk Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College, who scored 4As and 1B in 2011;
The five working adults, nominated by the Employees Retraining Board and the Construction Industry Council, who obtained Awards for Self-Improvement for Working Adults are:
(1) Mr Patrick Chan Wing-tong, who took a standard security and property management retraining course, and is currently a loss prevention supervisor;
(2) Ms Chow Cheung-ming, who took a barista training course, and is currently a shop operator;
(3) Ms Nguyen Thi-thom, who took a personal care worker retraining course, and is currently a health care worker;
(4) Ms Tam Man, who took a hotel room attendant retraining course, and is currently a room attendant; and
(5) Mr Wong Kit, who took a construction supervisor retraining programme, and is currently an assistant building services engineer.
The two apprentices, nominated by the Director of Apprenticeship, who obtained the Outstanding Apprentice Awards are:
(1) Mr Chan Chun-hok, who attained a higher diploma in Automobile Engineering, and is currently a vehicle technician; and
(2) Mr Chu Wai-hoi, who attained a craft certificate in gas services engineering, and is currently a gas utilisation fitter.
A total of around $185,000 has been expended on the Award Scheme for Disabled Students to provide 13 awardees with awards for the purchase of study aids.
Ten postgraduate students this year have been awarded the SEYM Fellowships at $30,000 each, while 20 undergraduate and diploma students have been awarded the SEYM Scholarships at $20,000 each. Four postgraduate students and five undergraduate and diploma students have been conferred with SEYM Honorary Fellowships and Scholarships at the values of $3,000 and $2,000 each respectively.
The Fund has also spent $784,000 on the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Prizes for 784 senior secondary school students from around 400 schools throughout the territory.
The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund has since its inception supported over 20,000 Hong Kong students under its major schemes. Over 2,100 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 society.
In celebration of the Fund's 25th anniversary, the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund organised a concert-cum-prize presentation ceremony this year. The concert, which included a performance by some 30 past awardees, showcased the achievement of the Fund in nurturing young talent.
Ends/Sunday, March 11, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:52
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