| ( Hong Kong – 27 June, 2005) Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited announced today the inaugural Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme. 29 local students have been presented the scholarship. Of these, 19 are undergraduates and 10 are postgraduates. This figure represents 40% of the allocation for Asian students. The awards are spread amongst all eight universities. It is a phenomenon not previously seen before - a scholarship programme in which all eight universities in Hong Kong have participated and each have secured awards.
Cheung Kong Group Always a Staunch Supporter of Education Projects
The Cheung Kong Group and its Chairman, Mr Li Ka Shing, have always been very supportive of community welfare, especially in the development of education. The Group is involved in numerous scholarship schemes including that of the “Cheung Kong Scholars Programme” in the PRC, the “Li Ka Shing Endowed Scholarship Programme” in Singapore, and the “Hutchison Chevening Scholarships” in the United Kingdom.
The “Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme” was established last year by the Cheung Kong Group and the Australian Government. It is the first partnership that the Australian government has forged with a company in the private sector to launch a programme for education. The Cheung Kong Group and the Australian Government have committed a total amount of A$4.5million (about HK$27million) over three years to provide educational and cultural exchange opportunities to 420 Australian and Asian students. The Programme features two different categories of scholarships, one for undergraduate students and another for postgraduates. “The Australian Cheung Kong Student Exchange Programme” is the undergraduate exchange programme which provides awards for 50 Asian students (at least 2/3 from Hong Kong or Mainland China) and 50 Australian students (at least 2/3 going to study in Hong Kong or Mainland China) per year. The “Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards”, on the other hand, is a programme that will benefit 20 Asian scholars (at least 2/3 from Hong Kong or Mainland China) and 20 Australian scholars (at least 2/3 going to study in Hong Kong or Mainland China) per year who are undertaking postgraduate or postdoctoral research work.
40% of Scholarships Awarded to Students from Hong Kong
The “Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme” has met with great support in Asia and Australia since its inception, with applications received amounting to four times the number of scholarships available. For the inaugural year, Hong Kong is the region that benefited the most from the Programme, with 29 students out of 70 heading for Australia, ie 40% of the total. As for the 70 Australian students coming to Asia, 22 has Hong Kong as their exchange destination.
Speaking at today’s gathering, Mr HL Kam, Deputy Managing Director of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd. said, “To all the awardees of the scholarship, I offer my most sincere congratulations to you for being awarded the scholarships and I hope that whilst pursuing your studies abroad, you would make full use of the opportunity to experience and appreciate the local culture. There is an old proverb in Chinese that says ‘Learning has no Boundaries’. Knowledge and understanding are beyond national and geographical boundaries, and the ‘Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme’ seeks to reflect this spirit in a practical way. I must also offer my congratulations to the families and teachers of the awardees who are with us today, for you must be proud of their achievements.”
Australian Government’s First Public/Private Partnership Educational Funding Scheme
Mr Kam further commented, “The Australian government has placed great emphasis on the significance of this Programme. They have formed a partnership with us in the name of the country, provided matching funds for the Programme, and initiated the Programme to be named the ‘Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme’ after the Group. We are very honoured to be the first corporation in Australia to participate in Australia’s first scholarship programme set up based on the mode of Public-Private Partnership. I understand that the Australian government is hopeful that this Programme will set a precedent for more private participation in community affairs. We are glad to know that with the support of many senior government officials, the Programme has been very well-received by the community as well as the education sector in the country since it was launched.”
“In the last month, we have also met with a number of Australian recipients at a series of similar events, including a reception in Adelaide for South Australian awardees that was attended by Premier Mike Rann, the Premier of South Australia; a reception in Melbourne for Victorian awardees hosted by Governor Landy of Victoria at Government House; and a reception for all postgraduate recipients under the Endeavour Programme hosted by Minister Brendan Nelson, the Minister for Education of Australia at Parliament House in Canberra.”
More Asian Award Announcements to Follow Soon
Present at the gathering today were scholarship awardees from Hong Kong and Australia and their families. Officiating guests included Mr Victor Li, Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd; Mr H L Kam, Deputy Managing Director of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd; the Hon. Murray Cobban, the Consul General of Australia in Hong Kong and Mr Michael Stone, Secretary General of the University Grants Commission. Representatives from the eight universities in Hong Kong included Professor Tsui Lap-chee, Vice Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong; Professor Paul Chin-wu Chu, President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Professor Paul Morris, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Education; Professor David Tong, Deputy President of City University of Hong Kong; Professor Y K Fan, Vice President of Hong Kong Baptist University; Professor Chan Tsang Sing, Associate Vice President of Lingnan University; and Professor Jack Cheng, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Hon Murray Cobban and Mr Michael Stone both spoke in support of the Programme at the ceremony today, and Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong, delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of the eight local universities.
Mr H L Kam, Deputy Managing Director of Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd., will be attending a similar reception in celebration of the success of the Programme in Beijing next week, together with The Hon Brendan Nelson, the Australian Minister for Education.
Applications for 2006/7 Programme to Close Soon
Applications for the 2006/7 round of the “Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme” have commenced. “The Australian Cheung Kong Student Exchange Programme” is an undergraduate exchange programme which awards A$5,000 (approximately HK$28,000) per student for one semester. Applications for this Programme will close on 1 July, 2005. The “Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards” will benefit scholars who are undertaking postgraduate or postdoctoral research work. The value of the scholarship is A$25,000 (or HK$138,000) per student; and the duration is four to six months. Applications for this Award will close on 12 August, 2005. Students interested in applying should contact their respective universities for more information.
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Results of the Inaugural
Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme
Scholarship Allocation Amongst the Eight Universities in Hong Kong
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