Page 17 - Sphere No.32 (Dec 2012)

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Sphere 32

The global Chevening sCholarship programme

was founded in 1983 with the aim of providing talented young

people from around the world the opportunity to study in the

United Kingdom and immerse themselves in british culture.

The initiative is today the british government’s largest and most

prestigious scholarship programme. The programme targets

post-graduate scholars who demonstrate the potential to rise to

leadership positions within their chosen fields.

The programme was brought to hong Kong in 1997, with

the purpose of supporting the link between hong Kong and

the UK following the handover of hong Kong from britain to

China that same year. since then, over 600 hong Kong students

have received a Chevening scholarship and the opportunity to

further their knowledge – both inside and out of the classroom

– at some of the top universities in the UK.

Chevening’s global budget each year is approximately

gbp19 million (approximately UsD30.63 million), the

majority of which is funded by the ministry of Foreign and

Commonwealth office in the UK. The remaining funding

is donated by organisations around the world, including

hutchison Whampoa limited (hWl), which began supporting

this scholarship programme in 2002, with a total sponsorship of

over gbp5.3 million to date.

“since taking up my post in hong Kong last september,

i have been struck by what a great friend and commercial

partner hutchison Whampoa is to the UK. This is exemplified

by the fact that hWl is the most generous funding partner for

Chevening,” affirmed Caroline Wilson, british Consul general

to hong Kong . “i am very proud that we have The hutchison

Chevening scholarship, and want to thank hWl for their

massive contribution. The work ensures that a fantastic pool

of talented candidates have access to the opportunities the

programme provides.”

as committed students, Chevening alumni have received

the best academic and professional development opportunities

offered by premier british universities, which rank among the

top international universities globally. in addition, and just

as importantly, they are also given the chance to explore the

UK and its people by venturing outside the university and

experiencing all the history, heritage, scenery, art, culture and

sport the UK has to offer.

Then, upon their return to hong Kong, these scholars

become part of the lively local alumni network and the

Chevening global alumni family – a worldwide network of

rising business and government leaders and opinion-formers.

alan Koo is one such alumni of the Chevening scholarship,

who studied a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge

from 2008-2009. although now busy as a leading Traditional

Chinese medicine (TCm) practitioner in a private medical

practice and the Chinese medicine operations at a singaporean

hospital group in hong Kong, alan is also an ardent supporter

of the Chevening scholarship programme. in fact he has been

proudly serving as the president of the british Chevening

scholars (hong Kong) association, the official Chevening

alumni association in hong Kong, for the past four years.

“like many Chevening scholars, my experience in the UK

was life changing,” reflected alan. “Upon my return to hong

Kong in 2009, the first thing i did was join the executive

council of the alumni association.” alan’s fervent passion for

the Chevening programme and his desire to lead the alumni

association stems from his experience in the programme and

the opportunities that were made available to him as a result of

that experience.

Connie Chue

(first on left)

on her way to sit for final exams with

classmates, all in gowns.

Left:

View over University

spires from the Sheldonian

Theatre, Oxford, UK.

Right:

The Old Royal Naval

College viewed from the River

Thames, in the centre of

the Maritime Greenwich World

Heritage Site, Greenwich,

London, UK.