Developing financial literacy at an early age can help future generations navigate an increasingly complex financial landscape. To provide financial education for primary school students, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Charities Trust has created and funded The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme with an approved donation of over HK$119 million.
Over 110 guests, including representatives from the programme’s partners, school principals and teachers, attended The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme launch ceremony.
The programme was officially launched today (20 November). Officiating at the launch ceremony were HKSAR Government Under Secretary for Education Jeff Sze; the Club’s Executive Director of Charities and Community, Dr Gabriel Leung; President and Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at The Education University of Hong Kong, Professor John Lee; Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at The University of Chicago, Professor Lee Ka-yee; Solomon Learning Group Chairman and Co-founder Antony Leung; CoCoon Foundation Co-Founder Theodore Ma, and Hong Kong Family Welfare Society Chief Executive Kitty Chau. Over 110 guests, including representatives from the programme’s partners, school principals and teachers, attended the event.
Jeff Sze, HKSAR Government Under Secretary for Education (centre); Dr Gabriel Leung, the Club’s Executive Director of Charities and Community (3rd left), Professor John Lee, President and Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at The Education University of Hong Kong (3rd right); Professor Lee Ka-yee, Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at The University of Chicago (2nd left); Antony Leung, Chairman and Co-founder of Solomon Learning Group (2nd right); Theodore Ma, Co-Founder of the CoCoon Foundation (1st left) and Kitty Chau, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (1st right) officiate at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme launch ceremony.
At the ceremony, Dr Leung welcomed guests to witness the start and the seed of what will become, in time, part of the routine curriculum in Hong Kong. He expressed his gratitude to all partners for beginning this journey with the Club and highlighted that financial education is essential for everyone, particularly for those with limited resources.
Dr Gabriel Leung, the Club’s Executive Director of Charities and Community, delivers a speech at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme launch ceremony.
Targeting upper primary pupils, this pioneering programme is built around three key elements designed to create a lasting impact on students, teachers and parents:
1. Empowerment through financial education: An age-appropriate and culturally relevant curriculum for upper primary students, developed with reference to research findings from the University of Chicago Financial Education Initiative and the Hong Kong Financial Competency Framework, which was developed by the Investor and Financial Education Council. This curriculum is designed to equip students with core financial capabilities and encourage financially responsible behaviour.
2. Collaborative and holistic approach: In alliance with the University of Chicago Financial Education Initiative and local partners, the programme adopts a holistic approach to engage students, teachers and parents. It aims to enhance teachers’ skills and empower them to design impactful financial education lessons. Parents will also receive expert advice and practical strategies to model sound financial habits for their children.
3. A unique response to educational needs: The programme is designed to be integrated into the regular school day. It enhances existing financial education by providing young students with practical financial knowledge, skills and understanding. Unique features include inter-and intra-school competitions, parent workshops and public talks.
Co-created by The Education University of Hong Kong, The University of Chicago, the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, CoCoon Foundation and Solomon Learning Group, the programme is expected to benefit some 17,800 students and train 240 teachers from 70 primary schools. In addition, it aims to engage 1,500 parents through parent-child workshops and talks. For more information on The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme, please visit www.hkjcfep.com.
The officiating guests and representatives from the programme’s partners attended The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme launch ceremony.
The Club’s support for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Financial Education Programme, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (“The Club”) Charities Trust and the Institute of Philanthropy (“IoP”) co-hosted a regional health and development conference in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 January to 2 February with 18 United Nations agencies and philanthropic foundations.
The week-long Prince Mahidol Award Conference (“PMAC”) 2025 was held under the theme “Harnessing Technologies in an Age of AI to Build a Healthier World”. Participants explored how to leverage the latest technologies to facilitate equitable, affordable and comprehensive health-care access for all. Conference co-hosts included Club’s Charities Trust and IoP, the World Health Organization (“WHO”), United Nations Development Programme (“UNDP”), Rockefeller Foundation, the Gates Foundation and The World Bank, etc.
Posing for a photo with panellists of the side-programme “Towards Universal Health Coverage: Innovative Technologies for Early Screening and Management of Diabetes” are Imelda Chan, Head of Charities (Positive Ageing & Elderly Care; and Healthy Community) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (5th right); Professor Juliana Chan, Chair Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Founding Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity (5th left); and Professor Ronald Ma, Associate Dean (External Affairs), S.H. Ho Professor of Diabetes of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (4th right).
IoP, a charitable organisation established by the Club and its Charities Trust in 2023, staged a special event at PMAC on 31 January entitled “Non-communicable Disease Management in a Primary Healthcare Setting”. There it announced a three-year pilot project in collaboration with the WHO to control and manage non-communicable diseases (“NCDs”) in primary-care settings.
Supported by a contribution of US$1.9 million (HK$14.8 million) from IoP, this will see the WHO’s Regional Office for the Western Pacific (“WPRO”) develop an end-to-end NCD control and management protocol in the Philippines, Tonga and Solomon Islands. It encompasses prevention, early identification, treatment and long-term management as well as prevention of complications and management of NCDs in primary-care settings.
“The launch of this NCD pilot project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with NCDs in vulnerable countries, while at the same time illustrate an investment case for scaling up the end-to-end NCD control and management model in the whole Western Pacific region,” said Dr Tran Thi Giang Huong, WPRO’s Director of Division of Programmes for Disease Control.
Pictured at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference’s special event in Bangkok are Dr Tran Thi Giang Huong, Director of Division of Programmes for Disease Control, at WPRO (left); Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) at IoP (right); and moderator Sophia Chan (centre),Professor and Director of HKU Primary Health Care Academy.
Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) at IoP, said: “The Institute of Philanthropy is delighted to support the WHO in addressing the need to prevent and manage NCDs in the region. This donation clearly showcases our commitment to global health through collaboration with the WHO, together with the US$11.2 million funding pledge that IoP made at the WHO
Investment Round in May and October 2024.”
In addition, the Club’s Charities Trust and The Chinese University of Hong Kong in association with IoP co-convened a side-programme at PMAC 2025 on 29 January entitled “Towards Universal Health Coverage: Innovative Technologies for Early Screening and Management of Diabetes”. It explored data-driven approaches and digital innovations to strengthen diabetes care and management. This side-programme featured findings from two Trust-supported initiatives on a care model harnessing biogenetic markers, big data algorithms and the latest
wearable technologies to improve health outcomes and empower self-management for people living with or at risk of diabetes.
Heather Doyle, Team Lead, HIV & Health Group, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP (5th right), and Dylan Lu, Co-Secretary-General (Programmes) of IoP (4th right), pose for a photo with panellists and moderators at the side-programme entitled “Catalysing Digital Technologies for Non-communicable Diseases in the Global South”.
IoP and UNDP also co-convened a separate side-programme at PMAC on the same day entitled “Catalysing Digital Technologies for Non-communicable Diseases in the Global South”. It highlighted case studies on innovative technologies being used for the prevention and management of NCDs to mobilise resources and foster collaboration in the Global South.
Established as a “think-fund-do” tank for China and Asia, IoP is dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought-leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global levels. It seeks to collaborate extensively with fellow foundations and contribute to WHO’s efforts to address global health issues. IoP pledged US$11.2 million (HK$87.4 million) to WHO’s Investment Round in May and October last year to promote, provide for and protect the health and well-being of people worldwide. The Investment Round is a new collaborative mechanism to generate sustainable financing for the WHO’s 14th General Programme of Work 2025-2028.
