Launching the Hong Kong Student Fund

A new scholarship appeal, the Hong Kong Student Fund, has been launched thanks to generous donations by a small group of Essex graduates from Hong Kong.

As we celebrate 60 years of the University of Essex, the launch of the Hong Kong Student Fund serves as an opportunity to recognise the impact our 1,500-strong alumni network in Hong Kong has had on our university for six decades. 

1972 was the year our first Hong Kong student graduated from Essex. Since then, we’ve welcomed over 1,600 students from Hong Kong and today we have 45 studying with us across our undergraduate and postgraduate courses. With every year that passes, the bond between the University of Essex and our Hong Kong community goes from strength to strength.

That bond has just grown even stronger with the launch of our Hong Kong Student Fund, a new fundraising campaign made possible by the generous founding donations from a small group of alumni who have collectively contributed over 800,000 HKD. The fund officially opened on Wednesday 17 January at the most recent alumni event, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor at Soho House Hong Kong.

The event saw around 60 alumni from a wide range of backgrounds and industries come together to celebrate both the University’s 60th anniversary, and the launch of the new fund.

About the Fund

The Hong Kong Student Fund will support lifechanging scholarships, covering the cost of international tuition fees for future students from Hong Kong. 

To the founding donors, who prefer to remain anonymous, Professor Forster said he was ‘eternally grateful’ for their ‘unwavering commitment and continued support towards our mission’. 

What makes this fund special, was that the vision and drive of one particular alumnus who by launching this Fund, wished to not only multiply the impact of his gift but also ensure that it serves to further unite and strengthen ties with and across our Hong Kong community. From there, we have joined forces with several more alumni and founding supporters who have chosen to support in a variety of ways, including making annual and monthly gifts.

How to support the Hong Kong Student Fund

You can support a Hong Kong student’s journey to Essex with a make a tax-efficient donation in Hong Kong dollars, with 100% of your donation going directly to the Hong Kong Student Fund. 

Make a gift here.