Hong Kong alumni donations boost for University

The University has received two significant donations – including its largest ever gift from a graduate - from members of its Hong Kong Alumni Association.

Kennedy Wong, a Hong Kong-based alumnus of Kent Law School, will make a £500k donation over the next five years as part of a major fundraising initiative by the University to develop its legal studies facilities. The donation is the single largest philanthropic alumni gift ever received by the University.

In another donation, Sir David Akers-Jones, a former Chief Secretary and Acting Governor of Hong Kong, has established a new bursary fund at the University to promote student study and work placements abroad. Sir David, who was a postgraduate humanities student at the University, will donate a total of £20k over the next two years to establish the Sir David Akers-Jones Hong Kong and China Fund.

The fund will provide a bursary of £1K each to two University students each year. It will be available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students at Kent who wish to study at one of the University’s partner institutions in Hong Kong or mainland China - or undertake a work placement in the region.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow said: ‘These wonderful donations represent a clear sign that we can go from strength to strength here despite the difficult funding climate facing all universities.

‘We have an excellent academic offering and these donations show we are held in high esteem by our former students.’

The University launched its Hong Kong and China Portal project last year to support new scholarship, student exchange and research initiatives involving Hong Kong and China. The portal brings together a range of University programmes and initiatives, provides a focus for links between European and Chinese researchers, and offers students life-changing study and work abroad opportunities.

Professor Alex Hughes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor External, said: ‘Our Hong Kong and China Portal provides a focal point for students, staff, alumni and researchers involved in the region. We believe it offers all those working to develop stronger links between the University of Kent and Hong Kong and China a unique platform from which to launch initiatives.’

Contact: pressoffice@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 12:40pm 15 April 2011