Convocation Newsletter, Summer 2018

Chance to Broaden Horizons Moving Towards a Gender-Fair World The FIFE Fund Benefited 3,000+ students Supported 4,000+ learning activities e First-in-the-Family Education (FIFE) Fund , which celebrated its 10th anniversary in April, has made hundreds of extracurricular activities possible for HKU students from less privileged backgrounds. Some recipients used support from FIFE to broaden their views with overseas exchange. Susan Cheng 鄭芷慧 (BSc(Sp&HearSc) 2017) spent a summer in Ghana working with children in the West African nation. “I treasure the idea that we are not merely providing temporary help, but equipping the children with lifelong skills.” David Tsang 曾朗軒 (BSc 2018) called the half-year he spent at the University of Bonn “the most remarkable and challenging experience of my life so far.” Lynn Ma 馬靖欣 (BSocSc Year 4), who also travelled to Germany, said her internship there helped build con dence. As the daughter of a construction worker, Lynn was fascinated by the respect that Germans paid to craftsmen. For Maggie Cheng 鄭漪筠 and Choco Kwong 鄺靖瑤 (BChinMed Year 2), summer school in Canada marked their rst trip so far from home. HKU’s rst cohort of HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholarships recipients – exceptional young women from developing nations in Asia, the Middle East and Africa – were presented on August 6, 2018 at the IB World Student Conference 2018 at HKU. e Conference theme was “Education for All: Moving Towards a Gender-Fair World.” HKU is the rst university in the world to launch UN Women’s HeForShe Initiative on campus. ey spoke of di culties they faced in their homelands, including poverty and violence, and the opportunities they have received in Hong Kong. e 2017-18 HeForShe IMPACT Champion Scholars are Alaa Sleiteen (BA(ArchStud) Year 1) from Syria, Rabia Kaihan (BBiomedSc Year 1) from Afghanistan, Sophiemay Vongkhamsao (BBA Year 1) from Laos, Aleena Khalid (BBiomedSc Year 1) from Pakistan and Mezgebe Mamo Dafursa (BSc Year 1) from Ethiopia. Professor William Hayward, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, made a gift to the Fund to pay tribute to his dear friend and former colleague, the late Professor Bosco Tjan. “Bosco was dedicated in his research of human vision and he always wanted to help improve the care of visually impaired patients. ere is no better way to honour Bosco than supporting this meaningful cause.” www.scholarships.hku.hk Susan Cheng in Ghana www.fife.hku.hk Professor John Spinks, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, with HeForShe Scholars.