Press Release - April 21, 2004

A special scholarship on Hong Kong related studies has been set up for MBA students of the International Business Program at the University of Alberta (U of A). The Scholarship, initiated by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Canada) (HKETO), the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, aims to encourage university students to pursue study on issues or projects involving Hong Kong.

Funding support for the scholarship came from the charity performance of the �Hong Kong � Alberta Wushu Spectacular� held at the Shaw Conference Conference Centre in Edmonton in February as part of a major Hong Kong promotion in Alberta.

�By setting up the Hong Kong scholarship fund, it is our hope to encourage more MBA students to pursue their study or take up research projects related to Hong Kong and also provide them with more means to explore more cross-cultural studies with a view to contributing more to Hong Kong-Canada collaborations,� said the Director of the HKETO, Mr Bassanio So.

Funds for the Hong Kong scholarship were presented to the University of Alberta yesterday. University of Alberta�s Associate Dean of Administration, Professor Tom Scott, received the cheque for $23,000 from the Regional Manager of the Fairchild Media Group, Christine Leung, who made the presentation on behalf of the HKETO. Also attending the ceremony were the School of Business�s Assistant Dean International, Professor Edy Wong and the Director of the Centre for International Business, Dr. Barry Scholnick who runs the University of Alberta�s MBA International Business Program.

Expressing his gratitude to the HKETO for setting up the scholarship fund, the Dean of the University of Alberta�s School of Business, Mr. Mike Percy, said the univ �ersity was very honoured to benefit from the initiative of the HKETO. The scholarship fund will provide MBA students with more means to connect to Hong Kong, a place that is fast becoming a key drive in the future of the global economy,� he added.

The �Hong Kong � Alberta� Wushu Spectacular held in Calgary and Edmonton in February this year was part of the �Relaunch Hong Kong� promotion organized by the HKETO and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to foster closer ties between Hong Kong and Canada and to restore confidence in Hong Kong after last year�s SARS challenge.

For further information, please contact John Tam, Chief Information Officer at (416) 924-5544, email [email protected] or
Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected].