The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships mark 25 years of nurturing compassionate leaders

03/11/2023 11:35

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust marked the 25th anniversary of its Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships at a dinner last night (2 November) where it was pleased to give new scholarships to 106 students and congratulated 45 recently graduated JC Scholars. It also announced the awardees of two new scholarships - The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman’s Scholarship and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Striding On Scholarship.

Since 1998, the Trust has been awarding annual scholarships to students who combine outstanding academic performance with a strong commitment to serving the community, with the aim of nurturing them to become caring leaders for a better society. Some HK$877 million has been disbursed with more than 1,000 young people receiving scholarships to date.

Club Chairman Michael Lee was joined by Guest of Honour Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; keynote speaker Trey Lee, an internationally-renowned cellist and Artistic Director of Musicus Society; Club Deputy Chairman Martin Liao; Club Stewards Lester Huang, Dr Henry Chan, Jackson Woo, Ann Kung and Philip Lo; Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges; Club Executive Director, Charities and Community Dr Gabriel Leung; and representatives of participating tertiary institutions.

Club Chairman Michael Lee said The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships have evolved and progressed over the years to address the needs of the 21st-century world.  He said they were designed not simply to recognise academic excellence, as in traditional scholarship schemes, but more importantly to support students who have demonstrated outstanding strength of character and commitment to serve the community, with a view to nurturing caring leaders of society. This is what makes The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships unique.

Congratulating the graduating JC Scholars and new recipients, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government Cheuk Wing-hing noted that many JC Scholars have ascended to leadership roles where they have made profound contributions to the city, country and beyond through their social, cultural and economic endeavours. He strongly applauded the recent expansion of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships, which are well-aligned with cultivating young talent for Hong Kong. He thanked the Club for its invaluable contributions and generosity, which has empowered outstanding young people to fulfil their ambitions through higher education.

Talent & Sector Development is one of the key priority areas of the Club’s charity strategy. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships demonstrate the Club’s strong support for nurturing caring leaders and encouraging talented young people to remain in higher education in Hong Kong. They also reflect the Club’s commitment to the betterment of our society. Further details can be found on The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships website https://jcscholarships.hk/.

The Club’s support for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate employment, tax, and charity support for the community.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships

New Scholarships
·         The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman’s Scholarship supports 15 local, Mainland, and overseas students each year who have achieved exceptional academic results to pursue their undergraduate studies in Hong Kong.

·         The Hong Kong Jockey Club Striding On Scholarship supports 25 students each year who have demonstrated resilience and strength of mind to overcome adversity or challenges in life to pursue their post-secondary studies in Hong Kong.

Ongoing Scholarships
·         The Hong Kong Jockey Club Undergraduate Scholarship supports students studying at the eight UGC-funded universities and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

·         The Hong Kong Jockey Club Vocational Education Scholarship is awarded to students in vocational education programmes pursuing higher diplomas or overseas bachelor’s degrees.

·         The Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarship is given to local students pursuing postgraduate degree programmes at Harvard University, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. To provide further opportunities in support of Hong Kong's global competitiveness, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University and Peking University will be included in the near future.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the HKSAR Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2022/23, the Club returned a total of HK$35.9 billion to the community. This included HK$28.6 billion to the HKSAR Government in duty, profits tax and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$7.3 billion in approved charity donations.  The Club is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer and one of the city’s major employers. Its Charities Trust is one of the world’s top ten charity donors.