Author Archives: hksar gov

The following is issued on behalf of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council:
 
     The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council reminded interested applicants today (August 1) that its Fellowships and Scholarships for Overseas Studies (including the award for students with disabilities) for the 2024/25 academic year have been accepting applications since July 3. The closing date for all applications is September 8, 2023.
 
     The fellowships and scholarships aim at encouraging outstanding students to pursue further studies in reputable institutions overseas. Successful candidates are expected to have a strong sense of commitment to Hong Kong and be ready to contribute significantly to the community upon graduation.
 
     The fellowships are for studies leading to postgraduate degrees either by research or by coursework. The maximum value of a fellowship is HK$300,000 per year, tenable for up to three years for a doctoral degree or two years for a master’s degree. The scholarships are for studies leading to undergraduate degrees. The maximum value of a scholarship is HK$280,000 per year, tenable for up to three years.
 
     The applicants will be responsible for fulfilling all application procedures and admission requirements of the academic institutions of their choice.
 
     Information notes for the applications are available on the website of the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/en/forms/form.htm). Applicants should submit the completed form through the GovHK website (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/sfo031/en/). For details, please visit the website of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund (www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo/seymf/en/whatwedo/index.htm), or call (852) 2150 6097 or (852) 2150 6110.
 
     Shortlisted applicants of the Fellowships and Scholarships for Overseas Studies will be invited to attend interviews in Hong Kong. The first round of interviews is scheduled for January 2024. If found suitable, applicants will be invited for a final interview to be held in February or March 2024. For the Overseas Fellowship/Scholarship for Disabled Students, shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview in Hong Kong in February or March 2024.
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     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco (HKETO San Francisco) supported the “Chu Tat Shing Art Exhibition – Divine Land. Enduring Legends”, featuring the American debut of works by the internationally renowned sculptor from Hong Kong. Presented by the Chinese American Museum and held at Pico House, a historical landmark in Los Angeles, from July 14 to 23 (Los Angeles time), the successfully concluded exhibition attracted widespread media and public attention.
 
     An award-winning artist in sculptural art from Hong Kong, Chu is known for his passion for creating figurative as well as abstract sculptures that incorporate Chinese myths, symbols, and calligraphy into modern art forms. His extraordinary statues adorn public spaces and celebrate many legendary figures across Asia such as Bruce Lee, Dr Sun Yat-sen and Sir Run Run Shaw.
 
     Celebrating Chu’s legacy, the ten-day exhibition showcased over 40 sculptures and paintings including museum permanent collections from Asia, unique figurative sculptures of influential people, and his signature “Chinese cursive calligraphy” sculptures blending tradition and modernity. The highlight of the exhibition was the unveiling of a life-sized statue of Bruce Lee in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his passing. This unique sculpture, capturing Lee in a challenging Jeet Kune Do side kick posture, showcases Chu’s artistic mastery.
 
     Delivering remarks at the opening ceremony on July 14 (Los Angeles time), the Director of HKETO San Francisco, Ms Jacko Tsang, said, “We are honoured to support the exhibition debut of Master Chu in the United States. Apart from the exhibition, we look forward to special events, especially Master Chu’s Talk and the Artist Forum, which can facilitate cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the United States through sharing and conversations.”
 
     Chu attended the exhibition from Hong Kong and interacted with the Los Angeles community. He discussed his significant works throughout the years at the talks, conducted live demonstrations and hosted a sculpting masterclass, fostering an “East meets West” cultural exchange and appreciation. The next destination of the exhibition will be Toronto, Canada.

            

     In response to media enquiries, a Government spokesman today (July 31) expressed grave concern about the sudden closure of Brilliant Education and stated that appropriate actions had been taken.
 
     Upon receiving enquiries and requests for assistance from parents of students of the school concerned regarding tuition fee refund on July 25, 2023, the Education Bureau (EDB) immediately contacted the person-in-charge of the school, who indicated at that time that the school had not ceased operation and it operated as usual on July 26, 2023. Subsequently, the EDB received further enquiries and requests for assistance. The school announced its closure on July 29, 2023.
 
     The EDB confirmed that a centre of the school located in Kowloon City District is not registered under the Education Ordinance (Cap. 279). The other five centres located in Hong Kong East district have been registered under the Education Ordinance as private schools offering non-formal curriculum (hereafter referred to as PSNFCs). The EDB will follow up with the non-compliance of the Kowloon City Centre in a serious manner in accordance with the Education Ordinance.
 
     The EDB issues circular memoranda to schools every year, distributes leaflets to parents and students through schools, and broadcasts announcements in the public interest on television and radio to remind students and parents of the points to note on choosing PSNFCs (including tutorial schools). The EDB reminds members of the public to be mindful of their rights and interests when enrolling in these programmes, including paying tuition fees on a monthly basis instead of in a lump sum.
 
     The Hong Kong Customs immediately set up a dedicated team to follow up and contact all informants to enquire about the details of each case after receiving reports. Customs also tried to contact the person-in-charge and staff members of Brilliant Education to conduct follow-up investigations.
 
     When handling reports concerning sudden business suspension or cessation of a trader hence failing to provide consumers with prepaid goods or services, Customs investigates in the direction of the offence of wrongly accepting payment under section 13I of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO), including the operation situation of the trader concerned before business suspension is announced. Customs takes into account the actual situation and relevant evidence of each individual case in order to ascertain whether the case is in contravention of the TDO. Should there be any violation of the TDO, Customs will take immediate enforcement actions to protect the lawful interest of consumers. Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO. Consumers are also reminded to procure services at reputable shops and keep the transaction receipts and related records, which can become basic information in case a complaint is lodged in the future. Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182, its dedicated crime-reporting email address (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
 
     The Consumer Council stated that for payments made with credit card, consumers may try to request the credit card issuer to apply on their behalf to the merchant’s bank for a refund of the unused amount of the pre-payment. However, whether the amount can be successfully recovered depends on a number of factors including date of payment and payment by instalments. On the other hand, if a liquidator has been appointed by the merchant, the consumer may register as a creditor with the liquidator.
 
     As at 6pm on July 31, Customs and the Consumer Council received 219 and 63 relevant reports respectively, involving about $1.83 million and $0.66 million. The Government spokesman again urged other consumers who have purchased the services concerned to contact Customs and/or the Consumer Council as soon as possible. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports began the four-day duty visit to Hangzhou today (July 31) to learn about the city’s sports and cultural development.

     After arriving in Hangzhou, the delegation met and exchanged views with the representatives of the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism in the afternoon. The Hangzhou Municipal Government has been actively promoting the development of the cultural industry in recent years with the support of various policies. The delegation took the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Hangzhou’s policies and measures for promoting the development of culture and tourism.

     The delegation then visited the Hangzhou Grand Theatre. Established in 2004, the cultural landmark covers an area of about 100 000 square metres. Since its establishment, the theatre has hosted over a thousand excellent domestic and international plays, playing a great role in promoting the popularization of arts and culture in Hangzhou.

     In the evening, the delegation had dinner with the representatives of Department of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province. During the dinner, both parties exchanged views on how to strengthen the co-operation and exchanges in sports and culture between Zhejiang and Hong Kong, as well as facilitating the implementation of the principle of “shaping tourism with cultural activities and promoting culture through tourism”.

     The delegation then attended the outdoor performance “Impression West Lake – Enduring Memories of Hangzhou” to learn about the large-scale outdoor cultural performance projects in Hangzhou. The performance, directed by Zhang Yimou, combines art and technology to showcase the beautiful scenery and folklore of the Jiangnan region.

     The delegation will continue its duty visit to Hangzhou tomorrow (August 1). 

     The delegation visits Hangzhou from July 31 to August 3. Led by the Chairman of Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports, Mr Vincent Cheng, a total of 16 Members participated in the duty visit. Deputy delegation leaders are the Deputy Chairman of the Panel, Ms Joephy Chan, and, Panel member, Mr Kenneth Fok. The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, also participates in part of the duty visit.

      

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (July 31) announced that the department and the Ocean Park Conservation Fund Hong Kong (OPCFHK) had arranged salvaging a whale carcass found in Port Shelt… read more