Page 18 - Sphere No.32 (Dec 2012)

16 Sphere 32
To serve all returning Chevening scholars, the alumni
association organises regular gatherings, an annual
dinner and many networking events throughout the year,
along with a presence on numerous social media sites, in
order to strengthen and maintain the network of fellow
scholars in hong Kong. “my time in the UK was rich with
opportunities and challenged me to grow on both a personal
and professional level, a benefit that is present for all
Chevening scholars. We are able to come together and share
our opinions and experiences and thereby learn from one
another,” said alan. “The network Chevening scholars have
when they return to hong Kong is a crucial benefit of the
programme. The entire overseas experience – not simply the
classrooms – shapes students for the rest of
their lives.”
indeed, the scholarship offers a window
of opportunity for Chevening scholars
to meet and develop unique and lasting
relationships with other alumni from every
corner of the world.
To date, alan has founded two TCm
clinics in hong Kong that provide
state-of-the-art, evidence-based traditional
medicine and acupuncture services to
the community. “my experiences as
a Chevening scholar truly drove my
aspirations to start my own business,” said
alan. “The most important key for me in opening that door
was the world-class education i received through
the programme.”
alan hopes that by sharing his experiences as a Chevening
scholar, he will inspire more of hong Kong’s future leaders to
apply for this scholarship. he has surely been successful, as
evidenced by his wife, who was motivated by his experience
to complete her own master’s degree in the UK. “our time
in the UK made so much of an impression upon us that we
decided to name our joint TCm clinics ‘river Cam’ so that we
will always have a reminder of our eye-opening, life-changing
experience studying near the river Cam in Cambridge,”
shared alan.
The experiences of so many other hutchison Chevening
alumni echo alan’s sentiments. “my year at oxford gave me
new friends, new perspectives and new goals, extending well
beyond my books and thesis,” reflected Connie Chue, vice
president of a foreign bank in hong Kong, who attended
oxford as a hutchison Chevening scholar in 2004-2005.
“some of my most memorable experiences, and the ones that
have shaped my future the most, are the ones that took place
outside of the classroom, such as having conversations
about the issues of the day with friends made from around
the world.”
now a solicitor trainee at an international law firm in
hong Kong, Frankie Tam reaffirms Connie’s experience.
While studying a master of laws at University College
london during the 2010-2011 year,
Frankie interned for lord brennan QC at
the house of lords in the UK parliament,
an experience she says was nothing short
of “personally transformational”. “by
attending parliamentary debates each week
and conducting research for lord brennan
QC, i learned how effective advocacy
can bring about policy change and how
to represent the interests of the public in
a balanced manner,” said Frankie. “This
opportunity was indescribably enriching
and provided me with the chance to
build an impressive professional network.
although my classroom education was top-notch, none of
these opportunities would have been available if i had not
anticipated the importance of going beyond the university.”
hutchison Chevening scholars for the 2012-2013
academic year commenced their studies in october. This
year’s students will study at some of the best educational
institutions in the world, including the universities at
oxford and Cambridge and the london school of
economics. among these students are amy leung, gary
Wong, iris Wong and Jade siu. amy, a management associate
in the banking industry, was propelled, like many others, to
pursue the hutchison Chevening scholarship because of the
changing landscape of the business sector throughout
the world.
“Like many
Chevening
Scholars,
my experience in
the UK was
life changing.”
River Cam, King’s College,
University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK. CREDIT: ©VIsITBRITaIn / BRITaIn on VIEw