********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency:
Around 450 students, five working adults and two apprentices were presented with awards and scholarships at the 28th Awards Presentation Ceremony of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund (SEYMF) at Hong Kong City Hall today (March 22).
Officiating at the ceremony were Lady Youde; the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr Ma Ching-cheng; the Chairman of the SEYMF Council, Professor Richard Ho Man-wui; and other members of the Board of Trustees and the Council.
Lady Youde said, "Since its inception in 1987, the Fund has disbursed over $237 million to more than 710,000 people through a spectrum of award and sponsorship schemes. It has been truly heartwarming to see how the Fund has enabled the many distinguished to realise their dreams and delightful to hear how they excel in their chosen careers and contribute to the society."
In the 2014/15 academic year, the Fund has disbursed $6.63 million. Presented this year were four fellowship awards and two scholarship awards for overseas studies; one overseas scholarship for a disabled student; four fellowships for postgraduate students; eight scholarships for undergraduate students; one fellowship and one scholarship for two disabled students; six medals for students who obtained outstanding results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination; 418 prizes for senior secondary schools students and six prizes for students of the Vocational Training Council; two awards for outstanding apprentices; and five awards for working adults who underwent retraining and successfully integrated into their new work environment.
Also in 2014/15, the Fund continued to provide an annual sponsorship of $600,000 towards the Young Friends of the Hong Kong Arts Festival to increase the exposure of secondary school and tertiary students to the performing arts. In 2014, more than 7,500 students became members of the Young Friends and around 25,000 students participated in various programmes and activities under this scheme.
Competition for overseas fellowships and scholarships for 2015/16 was extremely keen. Six brilliant contestants, from among 212 applicants, won the awards. Each will receive a maximum of $300,000 or $280,000 a year respectively for a fellowship award or a scholarship award.
The award recipients for the Overseas Fellowships 2015/16 are:
(1) Mr Kevin Lau Cheuk-kei, currently a student studying law at the University of Hong Kong, who intends to pursue a Master of Laws degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom;
(2) Mr Victor Lui, currently a student studying law at the University of Hong Kong, who intends to pursue a Master of Laws degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom;
(3) Miss Karen Ng Ka-ki, currently an associate director for investment, who intends to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom; and
(4) Miss Tse Yin-nga, currently a teaching assistant, who intends to pursue a PhD degree in English at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
The award recipients for the Overseas Scholarships 2015/16 are:
(1) Mr Horace Chu Ting-cheong of Westminster School in the United Kingdom, who intends to study Physics at the Harvard University in the United States; and
(2) Miss Faith Yeung Zi-rou of St Paul's Co-educational College, who intends to study law at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
The overseas fellowship/scholarship award exclusively for disabled students was introduced in 1994. The 2015/16 scholarship recipient is Mr Wong Ming-hei of Queen's College, who intends to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom.
Six students who obtained outstanding results in the 2014 HKDSE Examination were awarded Sir Edward Youde Memorial Medals. They are:
(1) Miss Wong Ching-tung of St Mary's Canossian College;
(2) Miss Wong Hiu-ching of St Paul's Secondary School;
(3) Mr Wong Ho-wai of St Paul's Co-educational College;
(4) Miss Wong Yui-hin of St Paul's Co-educational College;
(5) Mr Chan Chun-yin of SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School; and
(6) Mr Poon Chun-to of Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School.
The two apprentices, nominated by the Director of Apprenticeship, who obtained the Outstanding Apprentice Awards are:
(1) Mr Cheng Pak-hei, who attained a Higher Diploma in Building Services Engineering, and is currently a refrigeration/air-conditioning technician; and
(2) Mr Ho King-ning, who attained a Craft Certificate in Gas Services Engineering, and is currently a gas utilisation fitter.
The five working adults, nominated by the Employees Retraining Board and the Construction Industry Council, who obtained the Awards for Self-Improvement for Working Adults are:
(1) Ms Liu Yu, who completed a Certificate in Elementary Bookkeeping, and is currently an accounting clerk;
(2) Ms Tso Man-kuen, who completed a Certificate in Junior Beautician Training, and is currently a beautician;
(3) Ms Tsui Yeuk-fung, who completed a Certificate in Post-natal Care Worker Training, and is currently a senior post-natal care worker;
(4) Miss Wong Suet-ying, who completed a Construction Technician Programme in Quantity Measurement, and is currently a quantity surveyor; and
(5) Mr Wong Wing-lim, who completed a Certificate in Property Maintenance, and is currently a technician.
Four postgraduate students were awarded the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships at $50,000 each, while eight undergraduate students were awarded the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarships at $40,000 each. In addition, two disabled students pursuing postgraduate and undergraduate studies locally were awarded a fellowship at $50,000 and a scholarship at $40,000 respectively.
The Fund has also spent $424,000 on Sir Edward Youde Memorial Prizes for 418 senior secondary school students from schools throughout the territory and six students from the Vocational Training Council.
The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund has since its inception supported over 23,000 Hong Kong students under its major schemes. Around 2,460 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.
Ends/Sunday, March 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:19
NNNN