The HK Prize is an academic competition that encourages young students to study Hong Kong’s history and culture, with a focus on its unique historical development. The eight-year-old contest is now in its ninth edition, with a new theme and some changes to the prizes. This year’s winner is Joshua Wong, a 17-year-old student with thick spectacles and a bowl haircut who emerged as the leader of the pro-Beijing protests in Hong Kong in late 2018. Wong’s remarkable courage and bravery prompted us to think about what it takes for an ordinary person to emerge at the forefront of a major event, and how this can help build character and promote social change.
The Hong Kong Prize aims to promote and support a greater sense of responsibility in young people by encouraging them to conduct research on the relationship between historical developments and the changes in society. Participants are required to write an essay or report on their studies and findings, which will then be judged by a panel of experts in the field. The top three entries will receive a cash prize, an engraved gold medal and a certificate. The second and third place will be awarded a cash prize of HK$2000 and HK$1000 respectively.
HK Prize also enables young researchers to showcase their work in the global arena and shape Hong Kong’s role in international development cooperation. The competition is open to Academy Fellows who are principal authors of articles published in peer-reviewed journals, with the earliest publication date not prior to 1 January 2023. Applicants should submit the full article and a blinded abstract of their research via the website, with an additional PDF version of the full text to be submitted to the Academy.
BOCHK SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION PRIZE CHARTER
The Charter is designed to promote scientific and standardized management of the award, and to ensure its operation is performed professionally and objectively. It also provides the foundation for the review procedure. It is strictly prohibited for any organisation or individual to exert undue influence on the review process, and it is not allowed to divulgate any information about the review results. All award staff should support the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and hold high professional ethics.
The 8th Inter-school Competition of Study Projects on Hong Kong’s History and Culture has come to an end, with the prize ceremony held today (September 25). The winner of this year is a team from the secondary school of Hwa Chung Hui, who studied the impact of Hong Kong’s colonisation by Britain on the country’s current socio-political environment. They analysed the causes and consequences of Hong Kong’s independence movement in a detailed essay entitled “Hong Kong’s Historic Identity”. We wish the team the best of luck as they continue to work on their projects.