Scholarships reward for special trio

Marcus Lum

Jian Weiyu, a recipient of the prestigious Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships 2023/24, has shown remarkable resilience in overcoming the challenges posed by her grassroots background.

When she first arrived in Hong Kong to pursue her studies she faced bullying, but this did not deter her from aspiring to become a special-needs teacher.

The 24-year-old is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and special education at the University of Hong Kong. In recognition of her academic achievements, she received a scholarship of HK$40,000.

"I want to become a special education teacher because I want to support children with special education needs, as well as teachers and parents," Jian said.

She credits her unwavering commitment to this career path to the continuous support she received from her teachers throughout her primary and secondary school years.

Another distinguished awardee, Li Sau-long, a final-year engineering student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, plans to pursue a master's degree in geotechnical engineering at Imperial College London.Li was granted an overseas studies fellowship of HK$300,000.

Chan Ho-wan, a medical student specializing in drug delivery with a focus on inhalable nanomedicine at the University of Hong Kong, received a postgraduate students' fellowship of HK$50,000.Chan aims to contribute to the advancement of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in Hong Kong through his research and development endeavors.

The Awards for Self-Improvement for Working Adults were presented to five individuals nominated by the Employees Retraining Board and the Construction Industry Council.Each recipient was granted a fund of HK$5,000. Awardee Wing King-fung expressed his appreciation for the support he received from family and friends as well as the opportunity to pursue an unfamiliar subject. Despite the challenges, he recognizes the value of investing time and effort in expanding his knowledge and skills.

Li Yizhen, another recipient of the award, intends to save the prize money to further her career in Chinese medicine.

The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund was established in 1987 with the goal of assisting young talents in achieving their full potential and promoting a culture of excellence among secondary students and working adults.This year the fund disbursed a total of HK$3.19 million in scholarships and awards to approximately 930 students, three apprentices and five working adults.