The HK Prize – Our Changing World
The hk prize is an independent merit-based award that recognises scientific research with substantial societal benefit. It encourages young people to follow their passion and broaden their global perspectives. Winners receive a monetary award and trophy and may also attend seminars and research internships at universities and laboratories in Hong Kong. The award is open to both individuals and teams. Applicants must support the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and hold high social moral standards.
This year’s HK Prize theme — Our Changing World – is broad, encouraging Hong Kong artists to explore global evolution – whether socially, culturally, technologically or environmentally. 102 entries were submitted, with a record number of works exploring issues such as international displacement, climate change, labour migration and diversity in a multitude of media.
Amid Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the city, activists have been rounded up by police, including Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong’s most recognisable democracy advocates. He was charged with subversion last year under new national security laws that gave police sweeping powers and sent the city’s democracy index plunging to its lowest levels. A letter from US lawmakers urging the prize board to recognise the efforts of Hong Kong’s democracy activists received more than 100,000 signatures.
The prize’s board said it “strongly supported the aims of the prize” and agreed with the committee that the nominations were deserving. The board said it would re-designate part of the balance of Professor Wang Gungwu Loan Fund to support the prize in 2022.
In the final round of the prize, a panel of judges will select the winner and runners-up in each category. The public will then be invited to vote online for their favourite piece. The winner of the public vote will be awarded the HK$4,000 prize. The school of the runner-up will be awarded HK$10,000.
HK students from secondary schools are invited to submit artworks for the competition, with a judging panel choosing 20 pieces for a shortlist. Students must be nominated by a teacher before the submission deadline to be eligible for the prize.
The prizes will be presented at a ceremony at the Hong Kong Palace Museum in October. They will be accompanied by the first Future Science Prize Week, which includes a series of talks and workshops.
A total of HK$30 million ($3.8 million) in awards will be made in the three categories. The winners will be announced in early October. The prizes are funded by the eponymous foundation and matched by the government’s match funding scheme. It is hoped that the prize will spur more researchers to focus on education and develop a better world. Among the prizes, HK$3 million will be dedicated to research on educational policies and teaching methodologies. The rest will be used to reward educational achievements and encourage students with excellent academic results to continue their studies in higher education. The eponymous foundation was set up with an endowment from the Hong Kong-based businessman Chen Yidan.