The Scholarships for Excellence (SfE) Welcome Reception was held successfully on Friday 23 September 2016. The scholarships are funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and A Better Tomorrow Limited Hong Kong. British Council Hong Kong has been administering the scholarship since 2006, this is the 11th year of the scholarship campaign to support outward mobility of UK students from English universities to spend a semester or a year studying in Hong Kong as part of their degree.
Mr Chris Rawlings, Director of British Council Hong Kong, gave a welcome speech, encouraging the scholars to be the ambassadors of both UK and Hong Kong education, that "I will so hope that you will return to your roles, to your Universities, to your life back in UK, enthused with the real view of Hong Kong - a typical one and real one, how valuable international connection and transaction is."
We were delighted to have Mr Brian Lo, Deputy Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, HKSAR Government, as our honourable guest at the reception. He expressed that "I am grateful for both the British Council and our institutions for devoting dedicated effort towards establishing and fostering closer ties in higher education between the two places (Hong Kong & UK)."'
We have 17 scholars this year to study a semester or a year exchange at a university in Hong Kong. They are coming from 11 UK institutions includes Durham University, King's College London, the University of Leeds, the University of Liverpool, the University of Sheffield, University College London, University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Exeter, University of Sussex and University of Warwick. Scholars are studying different subject areas such as business, geography, international relations & political science, law, management and philosophy etc.
Prior to the welcome reception, a briefing was held to introduce to scholars the work of the British Council and encourage them to make the most of their time here in Hong Kong.
17 scholars are:
Alice Olsson, from University of Birmingham, study in the University of Hong Kong
Aryaan Bassi, from the University of Sheffield, study in the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Charles Smith, from Durham University, study in the University of Hong Kong
Edith Whitehead, from University College London, study in the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Eleanor Oretti, from University of Exeter, study in the University of Hong Kong
Emi Giles, from the University of Leeds, study in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Gareth Mair, from University of Warwick, study in the University of Hong Kong
Hannah Haddad, from University of Bristol, study in the University of Hong Kong
Ismael Ibrahim, from University College London, study in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Josie Jolley, from University of Sussex, study in the University of Hong Kong
Lewis Ozcan, from the University of Leeds, study in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Manisha Koolman, from King's College London, study in the University of Hong Kong
Matthew Overton, from University of Bristol, study in the University of Hong Kong
Pallavi Grover, from University of Warwick, study in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Rodrigo Thomas Fenn Torrente, from King's College London, study in the University of Hong Kong
Vyomi Ahir, from University of Warwick, study in City University of Hong Kong
Yael Williamson, from the University of Liverpool, study in the Chinese University of Hong Kong