Business School Celebrates Five Years of Future Leader Scholarship Programme

Members of the HKU Business School community gathered at iCube in Central October 29 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Future Leader Scholarship Programme and honour this year’s cohort of 104 outstanding local undergraduate students with awards of HK$20,000 each.

The programme, the largest by number of awardees among all scholarships at HKU Business School, is designed to expand students’ global horizons, enrich experiential learning, and cultivate agile business leaders. It is supported by the School’s long-standing corporate partners and community leaders, including the Raffles Family Office, TPK Kwok Family Charitable Fund, BOC Group Life Assurance Company Limited, Mr Michael Chan and family, The Fan Family Charitable Trust, and HKU Foundation Chairman Dr Patrick Poon.

The event highlighted the breadth of experiences the programme enables. Nearly 60% of awardees participated in overseas exchanges, 42% undertook internships, 25% engaged in extracurricular activities, and 11% completed professional examinations, with many students pursuing multiple activities, according to data from the School.

Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of HKU Business School, said the programme reflects a belief that Hong Kong's future will be shaped by the younger generation. “Leadership is best learned by example. Our donors and sponsors not only support our students through their generosity, but also inspire them through their professional achievements and commitment to serving society,” he said. “In an era of rapid change and uncertainty, future leaders must have the courage to embrace challenges and the aspiration to serve society.”

Ms Bibi Hajirah, a final-year student majoring in Economics and Finance and previous awardee, shared how the programme inspired her to co-found a startup developing an app to help ethnic minorities in Hong Kong learn Cantonese. “The initiative provided me with opportunities to gain exposure across different organisations and industries,” she said, encouraging fellow students to seize opportunities for growth.

Mr Carson Chan, a fourth-year BBA Accounting and Finance student, described the scholarship as “a belief in his potential and a catalyst for personal growth,” expressing gratitude to donors and the School for making his overseas exchange experience possible.

Looking ahead to the next five years of the programme, School leaders and donors sealed a time capsule containing items related to its core values of mentorship, connectivity, and social responsibility.