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The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“the Club”) and the Institute of Philanthropy, a charitable organisation established by the Club and its Charities Trust, are pleased to announce today (16 May) the launch of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarships at Tsinghua University and Peking University. The Graduate Scholarships will support Hong Kong students to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees at these two world’s top universities.

Two donation ceremonies were held in Beijing attended by the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, with Professor Qiu Yong, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, and Professor Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, respectively.

Club CEO and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships are designed to recognise students who are not only high-achievers academically, but who have demonstrated good character, leadership qualities, and a commitment to serve society. The establishment of the two new Graduate Scholarships is an important milestone, offering a unique opportunity for top students from Hong Kong to study with and learn from the best minds at the country’s finest universities. In addition, the Graduate Scholarships will help to promote greater academic exchange between Hong Kong and the Mainland.

Professor Qiu Yong, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, said co-operation and exchanges between the university and Hong Kong have continued to increase in recent years, contributing to the stability and long-term development of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. The scholarship programme will attract more outstanding young people from Hong Kong to Tsinghua University for study and exchange visits, and promote exchanges between young people from Hong Kong and the Mainland, he added. The university looks forward to both parties working together to inject new momentum into building a better Hong Kong.

Professor Gong Qihuang, President of Peking University, said it has been actively deepening co-operation and facilitating exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland over many years. The university’s development has always received strong support from various sectors in Hong Kong. The new scholarship provides an opportunity for both parties to deepen exchanges across more fields in the future for the betterment of society.

The scholarships, namely The Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarship at Tsinghua University and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarship at Peking University, will be open to postgraduate students in the universities who are permanent residents of Hong Kong. A total of 40 scholarships will be awarded each of the two universities across five cohorts starting from the 2024/25 academic year. 

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships were established in 1998 with the aim of nurturing caring leaders for the betterment of our society. Over the past 26 years, the scholarship schemes have supported more than 1,000 students and continuously expanded to cater for the diverse development of young talents, including the establishment of vocational education scholarships and graduate scholarships. The graduate scholarships benefit students pursuing postgraduate programmes at top-notch universities worldwide, including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford. 

Talent & Sector Development is one of the key priority areas of the Club’s charity strategy. The Club’s support for the new graduate scholarships, like all its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.