The 8th Inter-School Competition of Study Projects on Hong Kong History and Culture has been successfully held. The aim of the prize is to enhance students’ knowledge about Hong Kong’s history and encourage them to learn actively outside class. This year, the competition attracted over 5,000 entries from more than 20 schools. The winning projects include “The Trembling Ground” by Diocesan Girls’ School, “Relationship between China and Hong Kong – A Study of the Centennial History of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce” by Lui Cheung Kwong Lutheran College, and “A New Way to Look at Traditional Painting Techniques” by Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Joshua Wong, a leader of the umbrella protest movement in Hong Kong, has been nominated for a Nobel peace prize. US lawmakers, including Republican senator Marco Rubio, have recommended the prize for Wong and his fellow democracy activists for their non-violent quest to wrestle democratic concessions from Beijing’s authoritarian rulers. However, the prize committee is unlikely to give the award to anyone involved in the demonstrations because of concerns about the political implications of rewarding people who oppose the government.
In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Rubio and other bipartisan lawmakers said that the protesters embodied the peaceful aspirations of Hong Kong’s citizens, who want their autonomy protected and their aspirations for democracy fulfilled by Beijing. They also warned that Beijing has cracked down on dissent in the financial hub by enforcing the National Security Law, which restricts freedom of expression. They added that they expect more Hong Kong democracy activists to be convicted for expressing their views, especially since Beijing has imposed the National Security Law.
The prize money offered to athletes who win a gold medal at the Olympic Games is double that of other medal winners. This means that a Singaporean kiteboarder Maximilian Maeder, who is in line to become the first person from Asia to win a gold medal at the Olympics this summer, could receive as much as HK$12 million.
The BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize (the hk prize) is a science and technology award which provides recognition for scientific research and technological innovations with great potential for application in the Greater Bay Area. The prize is open to individuals, universities and companies in the Greater Bay Area that support the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and are committed to high social morality and professional ethics. The review and evaluation of the applicants will be conducted in a professional and objective manner. An independent review procedure has been formulated to ensure that the prize will be awarded based on merit.