CUHK
News Centre

112 students of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have been awarded the Link University Scholarship 2019/20 (Link Scholarship) in recognition of their outstanding achievements in academic studies and community service. A total of 190 undergraduates was selected from eight local tertiary institutions for the Scholarship this year, representing close to 60% are from CUHK. The CUHK recipients not only excel in their studies, but also demonstrate strong leadership and presentation and communication skills by which they stood out among the nearly 800 applicants. CUHK is pleased with and encouraged by this record result.

Expressing her appreciation for the Link’s generous support to students, Professor Suk-Ying Wong, Associate Vice-President and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid of the University said, “Many of our CUHK students come from the grassroots. They have to work part-time to support their tuition fees and living expenses. Lack of financial support from their family makes participating in exchange programmes or pursuing further studies seem beyond their reach. CUHK is very grateful for the staunch support from Link to our students over the years. The scholarships enable the outstanding and needy students to enrich their university study life by improving and enriching their learning opportunities. The recognition given by Link to the awardees’ outstanding performance and contribution to community services also encourages them to reach new heights and inspire them to helping the disadvantaged.”

Bonnie Lee, one of the Link Scholarship recipients is a Year 3 major in Journalism and Communication. Due to the family’s fragile financial condition, Bonnie had to give up many opportunities of overseas exchanges during her study in secondary school. She said, “With the support of CUHK, I was able to take advantage of opportunities for overseas internships. Last year, I was selected for an internship programme organised by the United Nations and assigned to a local institution in Vietnam to provide assistance in AIDS prevention advocacy and research work. I also worked for an international public relations company in Singapore. These valuable experiences have equipped me with a keen social sense and will definitely bring benefits to my future work in journalism and communication.” From her passion, Bonnie has engaged in volunteer services in more than ten countries. She plans to write and publish a new book capturing her experiences of overseas volunteer services and, with the support of the Link Scholarship, to encourage young people to step out and get to know the world.

Another scholarship recipient, Lucien Chiu, Year 3 student in Chinese language and Literature, also comes from a grassroots family. She had always dreamed of getting into a university to improve her family’s living conditions. She said, “I still remember the difficult time in secondary school learning English with very limited financial support. Knowing that students who are from humble background often lack learning resources and support, I signed up as a volunteer tutor in an NGO after entering university, to provide free tutorial service to those students in need.” Lucien has dreamed of being an author since her childhood. To promote literature on campus and in the community, Lucien is not only an assistant editor of a student association’s publication in the University, but also committed to organising literature activities for the public. She has been very much encouraged by receiving the Link Scholarship which will support her to further study for a master’s degree without adding financial burden on her family.

About Link University Scholarship

Established in 2015, the Link University Scholarship aims to recognise students who are the first amongst three generations in their families to attend university in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the Scholarship will enable the awardees to realise their goals and plans for improving their learning environment and seek further learning opportunities. The applicants’ capabilities in Leadership and Proactivity, Teamwork and Communications, Logical Reasoning and Presentation, and Social Services Participation were assessed by a panel of judges. In addition to a scholarship of HK$20,000 each, the awardees will be admitted to the Link Scholars Alumni which allows them to widen horizons, realise dreams and promote upward mobility through community engagement and internship opportunities.