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“The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman’s Scholarship has not only provided me with financial support but has also enabled me to participate in a wide range of community services to give back to society,” said recipient Sunny Wong Wang-chi.

Over the years, Jockey Club Scholars have gone on to make significant contributions across a wide range of fields, spanning community service as well as professional and academic pursuits.

Wong, the top “super scorer” in the 2025 Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) programme, grew up in public housing and aspires to become a doctor serving grass-roots patients. He said his involvement in community service has reinforced in him the importance of empathy – an essential quality for becoming an outstanding medical professional.

Wong is among 110 students awarded new scholarships by The Hong Kong Jockey Club at its Scholarships and Fellowships Award Presentation Ceremony and High Table Dinner, held on April 28. The ceremony also featured the presentation of 10 STEM Fellowships and marked the inauguration of five Endowed Professorships, underlining the club’s continued support for education and talent development.

Hosted by Martin Liao, chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the ceremony featured keynote speaker Professor Anita Elberse, Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Among those in attendance were club stewards, the club’s CEO and senior management team, and representatives from participating tertiary institutions, as well as family members and friends of the award recipients.

Speaking on behalf of the club, Liao said it firmly believes people are Hong Kong’s most precious resource. That is why the club has long invested in human capital and education, helping to drive the city’s economic development and contribute to China’s long-term prosperity.

In her keynote speech, Elberse reflected on her research into the world’s most accomplished sports and entertainment organisations. She emphasised that success is not left to chance, but built on placing people at the centre, setting the highest standards and committing to continuous learning – even in times of success. She encouraged scholars, fellows and professors to pursue excellence with discipline, trust those they work with and lead in ways that uplift others when it matters most.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships were launched in 1998 to nurture compassionate, socially minded leaders for the betterment of society. Over the years, the programme has expanded to include vocational education, support for undergraduates from mainland China and overseas who are studying in Hong Kong, and opportunities for students who have overcome significant adversity. A new scholarship in music and dance has also been introduced to support young talent pursuing professional studies at leading institutions outside Hong Kong. To date, more than HK$1.25 billion (US$160 million) in funding support has been approved – comprising over HK$1.21 billion from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and HK$36 million from the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) – benefiting more than 1,200 outstanding young people.

Several Jockey Club Striding On Scholars have excelled in para table tennis on the international stage, including Winnie Pang. Despite living with congenital cerebral palsy affecting her right limbs, Pang harbours an Olympic dream. She won one gold and two silver medals at the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities, earning her a cash award under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme. Pang said the scholarship has enabled her to balance her academic and athletic ambitions. She is currently training for the Asian Games and World Championships, with her sights set on qualifying for the 2028 Paralympics.

Echoing this ambition is Samantha Yeung, a recipient of the Jockey Club Compassionate Leader Scholarship. As the former captain of the Hong Kong lacrosse team, she credits the Jockey Club with sparking her passion for sports during childhood. From her early days at Jockey Club Ti-I College to first picking up a lacrosse stick during the Covid-19 pandemic, she is now studying physical education with support from the scholarship scheme. She hopes to become a teacher and nurture the next generation of young talent. At the same time, Yeung aims to help secure greater resources and raise public awareness of the Hong Kong lacrosse team’s efforts as the sport makes its Olympic debut.

To strengthen the pipeline of innovation and technology talent, the club established the JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application in 2024. The fellowship provides comprehensive support and unique opportunities for early career researchers to advance research translation, expand professional networks and generate meaningful social impact.

Dr Jeff Lam is one of this year’s fellows. The JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship has given him greater flexibility to pursue innovative research and collaborate with fellow scientists. “The Hong Kong Jockey Club offers a wide range of activities that allow me to engage with people from around the world. Beyond broadening my horizons, these exchanges of ideas often inspire new perspectives that I can bring back to my research,” he said.

After completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge, Lam chose to return to Hong Kong to research Alzheimer’s disease among the Chinese population. East Asians who carry the APOE4 gene variant face a higher likelihood of developing the disease, yet they remain under-represented in existing studies. As a Hong Kong-born scientist, he aspires to help bridge this critical research gap by producing findings more relevant to Asian communities. He also looks forward to collaborating with local organisations, such as the Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing, to support dementia patients and give back to the community.

The ceremony also marked the first induction of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships, reflecting the club’s holistic support for higher education. The professorships aim to advance research in the areas of global health and sustainability, benefiting communities in Hong Kong and beyond.