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Five lucky secondary school students have won a chance to study at Hong Kong university summer schools, thanks to a competition organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (HKETO, London). The first student will take up his course in Hong Kong this week.
University summer schools provide a great opportunity for secondary school students to explore areas of interest and develop their strengths and potential before starting at university. The "Hong Kong: A Dream Destination for University Study" competition was developed to offer just this: the chance to experience a taste of the city's world-class university life and its unique lifestyle and culture. Sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways and supported by the British Council in Hong Kong, the competition has the participation of the key universities in Hong Kong.
To enter, students had to describe why they think Hong Kong would be a great place to study as a university student. Entries were received in many different forms, including essays, websites, blog entries and YouTube videos, and were judged on content, creativity and presentation. The panel of judges comprised the Director-General of the HKETO, London, Mrs Agnes Allcock; the General Manager Europe of Cathay Pacific Airways, Mr Angus Barclay; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Society, Mr Clinton Leeks; and the Chief Executive of the British Council, Mr Martin Davidson.
The five winning entrants came from all around the UK. They are:
Daniel Aldred
High School for Girls, Gloucester
Entry: Essay
Summer school: The University of Hong Kong
Mikaela Belcher
Clayesmore School, Dorset
Entry: Essay
Summer school: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Ian Headley
Brighton College
Entry: YouTube video www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1_spfuLzc”@
Summer school: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Summaya Mughal
Nottingham Girls' High School
Entry: YouTube video www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJy4aedtm7Y”@
Summer school: The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Christopher Simpson
The Glasgow Academy
Entry: Website whystudyhk.weebly.com
Summer school: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
All five winning students will go to summer school in Hong Kong this summer, with flights, tuition fees and accommodation all paid for. They were given a send-off party at the HKETO, London.
Mrs Allcock said, "Congratulations to all of you! I am sure this summer you will have a genuine taste of campus life in the best universities in Hong Kong. We instigated this competition to encourage more international students, especially from the UK, to come to Hong Kong to further their university education, and all the entries showed a great enthusiasm for studying there."
Mr Barclay said, "As a member of the judging panel, I was impressed by the quality and diversity of entries and it was a tough challenge to choose the winners. It is truly encouraging to see how much enthusiasm and interest there is today for young students to study abroad. We are proud to be part of such an important initiative in increasing awareness of the educational opportunities that are available in Hong Kong and forming the next generation of citizens of the world."
The Chairman of the British Council, Sir Vernon Ellis, said, "The British Council is delighted to support this competition. We are committed to promoting more opportunities for UK students to study abroad, so young people can develop a global outlook, and build friendships across the world that will last a lifetime. Hong Kong students benefit enormously from their experience studying in the UK. We'd like to see more UK students benefit from studying in Hong Kong, with its great education system and fantastic location from which to explore the culture and economy of China. I'd like to congratulate the winners, and also the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office for initiating this competition."
For further details of the winning entries please visit www.hketolondon.gov.hk/student_competition/winners/.
Ends/Thursday, July 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 20:42
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