Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) presented over HK$14 million in financial awards to some 1,400 students at the 2021/22 Scholarship and Bursary Awards Presentation held yesterday (16 August) to give recognition to students with outstanding performance and to provide financial aid to help students who are in financial need.

Around 500 donors, business leaders, award recipients and their families, and University staff attended the ceremony. Both the number of recipients and total sum awarded this year reached a record high, demonstrating the tremendous support from the community for the University and for its students to pursue excellence in their studies and future development.

In his welcoming speech, Chairman of the HKMU Council Ir Dr Conrad Wong Tin-cheung thanked donors for their staunch support for the University over the years. “This year, the total amount of scholarships and bursaries shattered the record once again. While we are thrilled by this new record, we are even more encouraged by the enthusiasm and generosity of the corporations, organizations, community leaders and alumni. Your support is both an affirmation of the University’s work and vision, and a driving force for our students to strive for improvement.”

HKMU President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing extended his congratulations to all the awardees and encouraged them to keep up their efforts and pursuit of excellence. He also mentioned that through a wide array of activities, HKMU is devoted to broadening students' horizons and enhancing their holistic development.

“Overseas exchanges resumed last month after being suspended for two years due to the pandemic,” he said. “I hope that more overseas exchanges and internship opportunities will be available after the pandemic has stabilized so that students can learn outside the classroom, which will enrich their experience and help them face different challenges ahead.”

Natalie Ng Wing-tung, student of the Creative Advertising and Media Design programme, was awarded the HSBC Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong) Scholarship and Self-financing Post-secondary Scholarship Scheme Outstanding Performance Scholarship for her outstanding academic results and active participation in community art events. Natalie attributed her success to the guidance of her teachers and the support of her classmates, which enhanced her interest and persistence in pursuing art.

Cheng Kit-shuen, student from Business Administration programme, said she was delighted to receive the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Scholarship. She said that she was very thankful to the donor for its generosity and recognition of her academic performance. She will make good use of the scholarship money to pursue further studies in the information technology area to drive her competitiveness.

In addition, over 900 HKMU students were awarded scholarships from the Government’s Self-financing Post-secondary Scholarship Scheme (SPSS) this year. The total value of these awards surpassed HK$16 million (See Table 1). This achievement reflects the outstanding performance of HKMU students in academic studies, extra-curricular activities and personal development, and is affirmation of the Government's confidence in self-financing institutions. Since its establishment in 2011, the SPSS has already benefited more than 6,000 HKMU students.

Table 1: HKMU's results in the 2021/22 Self-financing Post-secondary Scholarship Scheme