Community & Charities
Education and Training
Jockey Club campus helps HKCT to develop undergraduate education
04/12/2015
A significant step forward in the development of undergraduate education at the Hong Kong College of Technology (HKCT) was marked today (4 December) with the opening of the HKCT Jockey Club Undergraduate Campus, funded by some HK$45 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, will provide the College with a well-equipped new campus for its students.
Club Deputy Chairman Anthony W K Chow was joined at today’s opening ceremony by Acting Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR Zhang Xiaoming; Under Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung; Chairperson of the Fund-Raising Committee for the Undergraduate Campus Advancement Project, Elsie Leung Oi-sie; and Chairperson of the Board of Governors of HKCT Institute of Higher Education and Vice-Chairperson of the HKCT Management Board, David Wong.
Mr Chow said the Club had put strong emphasis on youth development over the years and shared the same values as HKCT in nurturing young talent. “Channelling youth energy into social innovation is one the Club’s three strategic focus areas in the next few years, encouraging young people to unleash their creativity and contribute to community development,” he commented. “With a better learning environment, we hope that students will achieve not only academic excellence but also personal growth.”
The HKCT Jockey Club Undergraduate Campus,a three-minute walk from the existing HKCT Jockey Club Ma On Shan Campus in Yiu On Estate, houses such facilities as a digital media studio, a Cisco laboratory and an art studio. These ‘Twin Campuses’ will complement each other in providing a better learning environment for students.
The centrepiece of the new campus is the seven-storey HKCT Jockey Club Building Tower, which provides some 8,000 square metres of floor space and will be able to accommodate about 1,000 students, mainly those taking sub-degree or bachelor degree programmes.
The completion of the new campus facilitates the development of the first-ever degree programme launched by HKCT. Josephine Yiu, a fourth-year Bachelor of Social Sciences student in Social Development Studies, believes the programme has helped broaden her field of vision. “The degree programme offers ample opportunities in field study, allowing me to jump out of the confines of the classroom and enter into different corners of society to learn and get first-hand experience of the fine details existing at societal level,” she said.
Apart from having funded the conversion work, the Trust is supporting the launch of the HKCT Jockey Club Service Learning Project, aimed at equipping students with the right knowledge and skills to serve the community in their chosen profession. For instance, they will have the chance to research social problems and provide appropriate recommendations. More than 2,100 students are expected to participate and over 12,000 residents to benefit in the long term.
Over the past decade, the Club’s Charities Trust has contributed over HK$3.9 billion to education and training projects. This includes donations of more than HK$53 million to support various HKCT Group projects since 2010, including the establishment of the HKCT Jockey Club Ma On Shan Campusand the implementation of the Project on Work-Integrated Learning for Sub-Degree Students.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class horse racing operator and Hong Kong’s largest community benefactor, as well as one of Asia’s most prestigious membership clubs. Operating as a not-for-profit organisation, the Club allocates its surplus funds for charitable and community projects. In 2014/15, its donations reached a record $3.87 billion, and in the last decade alone it supported over 1,300 projects. The Club is also Hong Kong’s largest single taxpayer, contributing a record HK$20.05 billion in 2014/15. With about 70% of its revenue given back to society every year through donations and tax contributions, The Hong Kong Jockey Club delivers a significantly higher return to the community than any other racing and/or sports betting organisation in the world. As a socially responsible organisation, the Club helps Government combat illegal betting and advocates responsible gambling. The Club is also one of Hong Kong’s largest employers with over 24,000 full-time and part-time staff. Committed to global excellence and giving back to society, the Club is always “riding high together for a better future” with the people of Hong Kong.
