Charities & Community
Education and Training
Jockey Club welcomes first cohort of SEN Scholars
02/06/2017
Education is not all about studying and getting good grades. It is really a means to discover new things, broaden horizons and open up new opportunities, so as to help people to achieve their goals and find their own niche as productive members of society.
Since 1998, more than 500 outstanding local and Mainland students have been able to further their education with support from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships. At the 2017 Presentation Ceremony & Graduation Celebration Dinner held on 23 May, the Club granted new scholarships to 43 students and congratulated 16 recently-graduated Scholars as they embarked on their careers.
The expansion of the Scholarships announced by the Club in 2015 includes recognition of the talents of students with special educational needs (SEN) and the efforts they have made to overcome their difficulties. By this means, the Club aims to promote social inclusion. This year’s dinner saw the first cohort of SEN Scholars from the tertiary institutions come together.
At the ceremony, Dr Ip said the Club was especially pleased to welcome students with special educational needs to the ranks of Jockey Club Scholars, and was committed to helping Scholars in their journeys through scholarships and programmes, with the hope that talented Scholars would share the Club’s ethos of giving back to society and the welfare of citizens.
This year’s keynote speaker, Chief Justice The Hon Geoffrey Ma, congratulated all the graduating scholars and new recipients, and commended the Jockey Club for its long-standing dedication to Hong Kong’s education and leadership development. He expressed admiration for the fact that the HKJC Scholarships recognise not only academic prowess but also the students’ commitment to serving the community. He believed it was vital for Hong Kong’s future growth and development that we are able to groom a new generation of leaders with international vision, while espousing the city’s unique values and community spirit.
The 43 new Scholars are studying at the eight UGC-funded tertiary institutions and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). Among them is Ginny Lee, a Year 1 Bachelor of Business and Management undergraduate student of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She has had difficulty walking since an accident in Secondary 3, but with courage and perseverance has surmounted her physical challenges. Her dream is to launch a food delivery application for the disabled and develop it further into a platform through which users can express their feelings and build relationships.
A Mainland graduate from the HKAPA, He Mengmeng, recalled that it was a privilege to receive the Scholarship, as the Club is a well-known charity organisation. She has become more aware about community services because of the activities under the Scholarship. She has now devoted more time to volunteering and performed ballet dancing at sub-divided flats occupied by new immigrants
To date, the Club has contributed a total of HK$400 million to the Scholarships through its Charities Trust, including a further HK$170 million committed over a five-year period in 2015 to fund an expansion to help nurture more community leaders and provide new development pathways for the city’s most talented young people.
Commencing in academic year 2016/17, the expanded scheme each year benefits nine undergraduate SEN students from nine institutions, as well as students in vocational education programmes pursuing a higher diploma or an overseas bachelor. A total of six graduates each year also join postgraduate programmes at the University of Oxford or Harvard University, two of the world’s top universities.
A Scholarship Secretariat has also been established to support the expanded scheme and help groom Scholars to become community leaders.
