Media

HKU's Stanley Ho Alumni Challenge Garnered the Gold Circle of Excellence Award

11 Sep 2007

 

The Stanley Ho Alumni Challenge (何鴻燊校友挑戰計劃) received a Gold Award in the category of Fundraising Programs at the 2007 Circle of Excellence Awards Program organised by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education ("CASE") (高等教育促進及支援協會).  Over 3,100 entries from 700 institutions were received in 40 categories of competition. 

The Scheme was launched in November 2005 by alumnus Dr Stanley Ho   何鴻燊博士 who pledged HK$500 million to his alma mater to inspire fellow alumni and students to support The University of Hong Kong ("HKU").  Under the Scheme, every dollar HKU alumni or students give will be matched dollar for dollar, up to HK$100 million a year for five consecutive years. This funding initiative would enable HKU, one of Asia's leading institutions of higher education, to strengthen its research excellence, advance its efforts to internationalise, and assist ambitious campus development plans.

 "I am very pleased to see that the scheme has borne fruit at its first year with over 2,000 alumni, local and overseas, and students participating and over HK$100 million was raised for matching under the scheme.  What's more exciting now is that the scheme has elevated its standing and gained recognition internationally," said Dr Stanley Ho.  

Present at the award presentation ceremony were Dr Ambrose So Shu-fai  蘇樹輝博士of the Stanley Ho Alumni Challenge Steering Committee and representatives from HKU.  They were also joined by alumni representatives from Class of 2005 who are staunch supporter of the Scheme.

The panel of judges that selected the winner of this top honour was impressed with the planning and execution of the overall program.  In fact, the judges described the program as "extraordinary" as it has inspired a new and unprecedented culture of alumni giving in Hong Kong.  In addition to developing a coordinated and well-planned course of action, faculty members, department heads and other colleagues were also mobilised to synergise the efforts.

The Scheme, being groundbreaking in Asia and Hong Kong, has set forth a new wave of alumni giving culture which, compared with North America, is still considered to be very much in its infancy.  The actual dollar amount of donations increased by more than 600 per cent and the number of donors increased 200 per cent over the same period of the previous year.

The second year of matching will conclude by end of October.  A number of fundraising initiatives, including the film premiere of world-acclaimed "Lust, Caution" are in the pipeline to boost alumni giving further to reach the ceiling of matching.

CASE is a non-profit international association for advancement professionals at all levels with offices in Washington DC and London, and a newly established Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore.  CASE Circle of Excellence Awards Program recognises outstanding efforts in fundraising and alumni relations and is held annually.  For more information on CASE, please visit http://www.case.org/.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Janet Chung (Tel: 2859 2608; jpfchung@hku.hk) or Ms Kitty Wong (Tel: 2859 7062; kittyw@hku.hk) of Development & Alumni Affairs Office, HKU. Photos of the award presentation ceremony can be viewed at www.hku.hk/alumnichallenge.