Prof. Alexander Wai delivered his welcome address

The Scholarship and Financial Aid Donor Appreciation Ceremony was held online by the Office of Student Affairs on 30 June 2022 to express the University’s gratitude to the donors of scholarships and bursaries schemes. During the academic year 2021-2022, over 2,200 scholarships and nearly 160 bursaries, with a total value of more than HK$65 million, would be awarded to HKBU students. The virtual event was attended by 65 donors, who were presented with gift sets in appreciation of their support.

In his welcoming address at the ceremony, Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor, extended his heartfelt appreciation to the donors for their tremendous support for HKBU over the years. He said that the scholarships and bursaries did not only alleviate the financial burden of students, but were an encouragement for them to keep up their pursuit of academic excellence and personal development despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Professor Wai encouraged the students to give back to society by utilising their knowledge to help those in need, particularly in times of crisis. “We look forward to the continued support from our donors as we strive to be a premier liberal arts institution for the world, nurturing the global leaders of tomorrow.” he said.

On the occasion, Dr. Albert Chau, Vice-President (Teaching and Learning), reported on the progress of two prominent funding schemes for students, namely the First-Generation University Student Fund (FGF) and Project SEED (Student Engagement, Enrichment and Development). Established in 2017 with an aim to unlock opportunities for its undergraduates to participate in outside-of-classroom learning activities, including training to acquire skills and attain professional qualifications, FGF has received a total of HK$10 million in donations, benefitting over 1,500 students ever since. As of April 2022, FGF has sponsored more than 1,200 activities. Please click here to view the full list of donors.

Another funding scheme, Project SEED sought to empower students by providing them career, mentorship and internship opportunities through collaborating with the HKBU community. The HKBU SEED Fund, which was created under Project SEED, has provided timely assistance to over 180 needy students, while two other Project SEED-sponsored schemes - Subsidised Internship Scheme and Virtual Internship Scheme, have secured internship placements for more than 500 students. Project SEED has received a total of about HK$12.5 million in the past two years. Please click here for the list of donors.

Please click here to review the Scholarship and Financial Aid Donor Appreciation Ceremony 2021-2022.