The University of Birmingham Hong Kong Foundation

The University of Birmingham Hong Kong Foundation will harness the transformative power of philanthropy to accelerate our progress in addressing issues that matter to Hong Kong and the wider region. In this launch trailer for the Foundation, we take a look at how it will benefit Hong Kong and the wider world.

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[Narrator]
Hong Kong has the largest number of University of Birmingham graduates anywhere outside the United Kingdom. There are around 3,000 of us.

[The Hon Geoffrey Ma Tao-Li, Honorary President of the Hong Kong Foundation, former Chief Justice of Hong Kong]
Our alumni come from all walks of life, including business, the legal profession, government and religion. We do our best to make a difference.

The Hong Kong Foundation will now build on this, to accelerate our progress in addressing key issues that matter to Hong Kong, the mainland and the wider region.

[Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International), the University of Birmingham]
The Foundation really exists to offer the brightest students from Hong Kong a chance to make the most of their talents, as well as funding research that benefits Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the wider region.

And in its first year the Foundation has launched a scholarship programme in honour of our Honorary President, the Honorable Geoffrey Ma, former Chief Justice of Hong Kong. It's also funding research partnerships with the Education University of Hong Kong, with Hong Kong University, with CUHK, with PolyU.

[Florence Cheung, Business and Law student]
I chose to come to Birmingham because obviously Birmingham is one of the leading global universities in the world and I also chose to come to Birmingham because of the programme that I'm studying.

So I'm aware that there is not a lot of UK universities that offers this kind of programme, which is like a major/minor programme of Law and Business. I find Law really interesting because it adapts to this ever-changing society really well, and I think it also helps me develop my critical thinking skills. I'm also studying Business because I really want to pursue a career in the business industry.

I applied for the Geoffrey Ma Scholarship because I think having this scholarship would be a huge recognition to my efforts in my studies, and because Geoffrey Ma is also the Honorary President of the Hong Kong Foundation and he has also been one of the longest serving Chiefs Justice in Hong Kong, and I would be really honoured to be following his footsteps.

[Narrator]
The Foundation is supporting a range of research projects, including the empowering coaching programme, training local sport association coaches and PE teachers to motivate children of every skill level to take up sport; working with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to better understand nose and throat cancer, which is at least 15 times more common in Asia than the rest of the world.

And researchers are also working to identify and prevent microplastic pollution in Hong Kong rivers and the Pearl River Delta; and establish how to transport refrigerated goods like medicine and food without adding to environmental damage.

[Geoffrey Ma]
The Foundation will benefit the community. What better way is there to mark our affection for Birmingham University than to see our University and to assist it being of relevance and making an impact on the community to which we belong.

[Narrator]
To find out how to make your donation, or to discuss a bespoke gift, visit our website to start a conversation.

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