A brain cancer survivor running an NGO to assist students with mental health issues, a Zambian volunteer helping people in need and an artist reinterpreting human rights through fine art concepts are among those nominated for this year’s Hong Kong Prize. Launched in 2016, the prize recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on society. The winner will receive HK$10,000 to help them bring their ideas and initiatives into practice, as well as access to some of Hong Kong’s premier research facilities.
The prize, which was created in 1996 through a donation from Professor Wang Gungwu, who championed education, is named after him and is intended to encourage students to nurture their interest in Hong Kong history while striving for academic excellence. It also serves as a platform to promote awareness of the unique historical status of Hong Kong and raise public awareness of its importance in global development cooperation.
BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize is designed to attract world-class scientific talent to the city while supporting forward thinking scientists in Hong Kong to form an active R&D hub. It is an independent merit-based award sponsored by BOCHK Limited, with a total value of up to HK$2 million. The prize is awarded in four fields – artificial intelligence/robotics; life and health sciences; new materials and energy, advanced manufacturing and FinTech.
The prize is supported by a number of partners, including the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Hong Kong Economic Services Council, as part of its efforts to develop a strong base of innovative companies in the city. In addition, the government and private sector have stepped up support for the research work carried out by Hong Kong universities in recent years.
A record number of HKUST researchers have applied for this year’s HK Prize, with applications from the fields of artificial intelligence/robotics; life and health science; and physical science materials and energy all making the shortlist. This demonstrates the growing support for this prize as it recognises academic researchers for their outstanding discoveries with significant societal impacts and encourages them to continue to build careers here, serving their nation, contributing to the global community and developing the local economy.
In the News Reporting category, news editor Xi Tianqi won second runner-up for her in-depth reports on cross-border organ transplantation and fertility perseveration, while design director Emilio Rivera earned merit for his piece titled In the Green Fast Lane. China Daily’s photography team also took home awards, with copy editor Andy Chong Chun-pong’s photograph titled Piggyback Paddling winning first runner-up for Best Sports Photo and Edmond Tang Wing-on’s Making Waves taking first runner-up in the Best News Image (News) category. The awards were presented by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong in a ceremony on 29 March. This is the sixth time The Post has won awards in the reporting, writing, photography and design categories of the annual competition. This year, the prize was expanded to include a new category for Best News Video.
