Dr. Choi Yuk-lin Honors 61 Students at 2025 Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Ceremony.

Sixty-one students awarded scholarships for excellence

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (August 26) officiated at the Award Presentation Ceremony 2025 of the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme (HKSES). Sixty-one students were selected as the 11th cohort of awardees.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Choi said that the Government has always attached great importance to the development of young people, helping them become lifelong learners with global perspectives, as well as love for the country and the city, who are ready for future challenges and opportunities. Recognising the need to cultivate a steady stream of talent, unlock their full potential, and ensure that their abilities are fully utilised, the HKSES was launched in 2014 to demonstrate the Government's dedication to developing Hong Kong into a cradle for future talent. She encouraged awardees to act as ambassadors in telling good Hong Kong stories while overseas, and to make the best use of their enriched knowledge and skills upon graduation in supporting Hong Kong's development into an international hub for high-calibre talent.

Fifty of the awardees will be pursuing undergraduate studies, and 11 will be pursuing postgraduate studies at world-renowned universities. These include not only top-notch comprehensive universities but also world-class institutions specialising in particular disciplines.

The awardees will pursue a wide spectrum of disciplines, with over half of them pursuing programmes related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Other disciplines include law, arts, culture and performing arts, medical and health sciences, and social sciences. The distribution of the awardees by different disciplines is shown in the Annex.

A total of 810 applicants competed for this year's HKSES. Apart from outstanding academic achievements, the awardees also demonstrated excellence in their leadership qualities. As the selection process is ongoing, more applicants may be offered the scholarship after today's ceremony.

Launched in November 2014, the HKSES has been regularised since the 2019/20 academic year. It aims to support local students to pursue studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong with a view to grooming a top cadre of talent with global vision, an international network and world-class education, thereby contributing to enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as Asia's world city in a globalised knowledge economy. Since its introduction, the HKSES has benefited over 1000 students. The key features of the scholarship scheme are available on the HKSES website (hkses.edb.gov.hk).

The application details of the next cohort of the HKSES will be announced shortly.

Source: AI-found images

Sixty-one students awarded scholarships for excellence Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Sixty-one students awarded scholarships for excellence Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Source: AI-found images

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases