Press Release

(Hong Kong – 20 December 2021) Exciting news has emerged one after another for the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE or the Academy) during the past year amid the global impact of the pandemic. First, our student members who continued to show their giftedness in pursuing and applying their knowledge in spite of adversities have won multiple international awards amid the pandemic. Besides, the number of nominations for HKAGE student membership has seen an increase of 25% compared with last year and reached a record high of more than 12,000.

Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony    

At the 2nd HKAGE Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony held on 17 December 2021, Gifted Star Awards were presented to 14 student members to recognise their efforts and outstanding performance in international competitions and innovative inventions. 

Ir Dr LAM Hiu Fung Alan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the HKAGE, spoke at the ceremony, ‘I am very glad to witness the HKAGE’s 2nd Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony. At the beginning of this year, the HKAGE set up three Gifted Education (GE) Satellite Centres, through which the Academy’s GE services were extended to the community level without geographic restrictions. Following the establishment of this new platform, the HKAGE has further deepened its collaboration with Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and co-organised with the latter eight talks under the ‘ASTRI x HKAGE Technovation Talk Series’. Some of these talks have been held in the GE Satellite Centres to broaden the innovation and science horizons of our student members in different regions and to develop a better learning atmosphere among them. At the same time, the HKAGE has been supporting student members to actively participate in competitions of various kinds. Their performance in those competitions was very encouraging. I look forward to seeing their limitless potential shown in even more areas in the future.’

Outstanding Student Members and Alumni

Apart from the Gifted Star Awards (please refer to the awardee list for details), the HKAGE also presented the Outstanding Student Award to LEE Wing Hong Stephen, the Academy’s recent alumnus who is now a first-year student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Stephen has completed 52 programmes and courses in the HKAGE. In March this year, he won a bronze medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

A senior alumnus, TSUI Ho Lung Terence, was honoured with the Outstanding Alumnus Award. Mr TSUI is currently studying for a PhD degree in mathematics at the University of Oxford. He was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship in 2019 and is now a Rhodes Scholar for Hong Kong. This Scholarship is considered among the most prestigious international scholarship programmes in the world.

Mr TSUI is an enthusiast in stochastic calculus and is keen on educational charity work. In his spare time, he volunteers to teach secondary school students at the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford. He has also volunteered to be the speaker of various HKAGE programmes and share his experience in university entry applications. Mr TSUI contributes to education and social welfare in Hong Kong by founding the charity Access Abroad Hong Kong (formerly known as Project Access Hong Kong) in 2016. The charity provides one-on-one free guidance for UK university entry applications so that local students from grassroots families could be able to go beyond socioeconomic limitations and the unfair restrictions in the choice of further studies due to economic inequality.

Appealing Programmes for Nurturing the Gifted

Dr WONG Kam Yiu Jimmy, Executive Director of the HKAGE, congratulated the award winners, ‘Apart from the awards won in various international Olympic competitions, our student members have also achieved outstanding results in significant science competitions in Israel, the United States and Hong Kong. The number of nominations for HKAGE student membership this year has seen a 25% increase from some 9,000 in previous years to more than 12,000, reflecting that the Academy’s programmes were even more appealing to the public amid the pandemic and adversity. During the year, the HKAGE has launched its talent development programmes in full scale and entered into collaboration with various partners, such as Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Hong Kong Arts Centre, to facilitate student members in learning art and Chinese culture. Looking into the future, we hope that more students will have their potential unleashed and be recognised for their extraordinary achievements.’

Event Photos

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Ir Dr LAM Hiu Fung Alan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the HKAGE, says in his Welcome Remark that he hopes the HKAGE Outstanding Student Awards Ceremony will help encourage gifted students to keep on with their active innovation in facing various challenges.	YAU Ching Yan Timothy (left), winner of the China Mathematical Olympiad 2020/21 (Gold Award), and LAI Hing Yu (right), the winner of the Honourable Mention Award from the International Hong Kong Model United Nations Conference 2021,  receive  the  Gifted  Star  Awards  from Dr CHU Kai Wing (middle),   Chairman of the Academic Programme Development Committee of the HKAGE.
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TSANG Joshua, JIANG Yong Zhen, LAI Mang Wing, NG Leong Hang Nathan, and CHAN Chi Him receive the Gifted Star Awards from Ms CHAU Suet Fung Dilys (third from the right), Chairlady of the Finance and General Affairs Committee of the HKAGE. The five awardees have teamed up to participate in the ‘Safe Cracking’ International Physics Tournament 2021 and have achieved excellent results.	SUN Ho Cheung Michael (first from the left), winner of the Second Place Award of the 72nd Regeneration International Science & Engineering Fair, while SHAM Pui Yi, FONG Tsz Yan, NILSSON Albin Olof, YUEN Tinfu and POON Jane Wing Lum, who have teamed up and won the 2nd Runner Up (Secondary School Group F1-3) in City I & T Grand Challenge 2021, receive the Gifted Star Awards from Ir Dr LAM Hiu Fung Alan (middle), Chairman of the Board of Directors of the HKAGE.
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CHUI Tsz Fung, who has represented Hong Kong to win the 62nd International Mathematical Olympiad (Gold Award), shares his feelings about winning the award through a video clip. He was unable to attend the ceremony in person.	TSUI Ho Lung Terence, a senior alumnus of the HKAGE and awardee of the Outstanding Alumnus Award, shares his feelings of winning the award through a video clip. He is currently studying for a PhD degree in mathematics at the University of Oxford.
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LEE Wing Hong Stephen (right), the HKAGE’s recent alumnus who is now a first-year student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, receives the Outstanding Student Award from Mr Ashley Leung (left), Principal Education Officer (Curriculum Development) 2. Stephen has won a bronze medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.	Graduates of the Training Programme for Parents of Gifted Children are awarded the Certificate of Completion.
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Dr WONG Kam Yiu Jimmy, Executive Director of the HKAGE, says in his Closing Remark that  the record high number of nominations for HKAGE student membership this year is encouraging.	The award winners take a group photo with the guests and representatives of the HKAGE.