While we are proud of our unique model as a self-financing tertiary education institute, we are extremely grateful to our many benefactors – individual philanthropists, charitable institutions and business organizations – for their donations and gifts, grants and sponsorships. These additional funds play an invaluable role in the operations of the University. They make possible the building of new learning facilities, and provide greater opportunities, as well as richer educational experiences, for our students through scholarships, bursaries and academic exchanges.
Donations and sponsorships
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust
The highlight of the year was the opening in March 2011 of this 242 square-metre Jockey Club Audio-Visual Production Centre which, as mentioned earlier, is equipped with the latest digital equipment and facilities for the production of high-quality educational TV programmes and for the enrichment of our audio-visual material. These amenities were made possible by a generous donation of $15.56 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The Trust has made many valuable donations to support training and education in the territory. Our partnership with the Trust goes back almost 20 years to 1993, when we received our first donation from it.
The Government’s Matching Grant Scheme
Under the Government’s Fifth Matching Grant Scheme, we were able to raise a total of $49.1 million in funds from our alumni, students and staff, and our supporters in the community. According to the Grant’s funding guidelines, the first $45 million will be matched on a 1:1 basis, with the remainder being matched on a 2:1, first-come-first-served rate in competition with other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. As a result, the donations and matching grants reached a grand total of $95.4 million, which will help us to fund future developments in research, course creation and ongoing student support.
The Gerald Siu Scholarship
The University also received a donation of $10 million from Mr Gerald C S Siu, a member of the Sponsorship and Development Fund Committee (SDFC). Half of this amount went towards the University’s campus development, with the other half being used for the establishment of the Gerald Siu Scholarship, which will present awards to outstanding full-time students in nursing, the creative arts and related programmes over the next ten years. This generous donation was made by Mr Siu in view of his family’s staunch support of our mission to provide ‘Education for All’.
Scholarships and bursaries
Mr Siu was invited to officiate at our Scholarship and Bursary Awards Presentation in September 2010. At this event, over 600 students received more than $6 million in financial awards and grants from the Student Assistance Fund for the 2009-10 academic year. Of this number, 280 received scholarships or prizes and 350 received bursaries. The Council Chairman, Dr Eddy C Fong, expressed his gratitude to Mr Siu and other philanthropists and organizations for supporting the Student Assistance Fund, which helps to relieve students’ financial burdens and recognizes their achievements.
Exchanges and sponsorships
We continued to receive sponsorship for a number of student exchange programmes, which helped to broaden the horizons of those involved and exposed them to diverse cultures and differing perspectives.
Language immersion at the University of Warwick
In June 2010, the School of Education and Languages organized the third English Language and Culture Immersion Programme for its full-time Year 2 students at the University of Warwick in the UK. This programme, sponsored by OUHK alumna Ms Connie Fong, provides one of the best ways of learning a second language – being immersed in the language throughout the day. The students benefited from lectures, workshops and cultural trips to places of significant interest during the day and, in the evenings and weekends, they enjoyed the friendly atmosphere of their ‘home stays’.
Student exchange programme and study tours
The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce sponsored three mainland programmes for our full-time students this year, benefiting around 110 students. Business administration students participated in an academic exchange tour to Nanjing, while nursing students went on a clinical study trip to Guangzhou as well as a study tour to Zhuhai.
The Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Limited–Winnie Ko Student Exchange Fund sponsored about 50 students to take part in a number of programmes. These were the English Cultural Literacy UK Study Tour, a technology exchange tour to East China, a forum for young scientists held in Shandong, the 11th International Symposium for Chinese Organic Chemists cum the 8th International Symposium for Chinese Inorganic Chemists, as well as engineering and computing students’ study tour to Macau.
In addition, the CASH Education Fund sponsored 23 students from the School of Arts and Social Sciences to join an exchange tour to Xian and Tianshui.
Fund-raising outreach activities
In addition to the donations received, we fostered closer relationships with existing donors while taking the message to new and prospective benefactors in the community. To this end, the SDFC organized a Golf Day in November 2010 to enhance support for future donation endeavours and develop prospective donors. The event was held at the Shek O Golf and Country Club, where more than 30 OUHK donors, benefactors and friends engaged in a day filled with gentle competition, commitment and teamwork.
