HKU launches "Top Athlete Admission Scheme"

Pictured here is a young athlete from the University of Hong Kong, Ho Kin Ling, competing in the competition. Courtesy of the University of Hong Kong

"We appreciate the perseverance of top athletes who put in the time and effort to pursue their dreams. Athletes who move toward their goals and demonstrate unparalleled perseverance, self-discipline and endurance are the qualities we expect students to have and the key to achieving the desired academic results. In the view of Yan Zhijian, director of admissions and international student exchange affairs at the University of Hong Kong, it is a good thing for both sides to be able to recruit top athletes into the University of Hong Kong.

Recently, the University of Hong Kong announced the launch of the "Top Athlete Admission Scheme" for the first time in the 2022/2023 academic year. The special feature of the program is that academic performance such as public examinations and intramural examinations is not the main consideration, but the sports achievements of athletes as the primary admission selection criteria. Yan Zhijian said that athletes can apply for admission through the program to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Social Sciences, and the 4 courses all adopt large categories of enrollment, so that athletes have greater flexibility in choosing majors or minors, so that they can allocate time. As for the definition of "top athletes", Yan Zhijian frankly said that it is relatively broad, and is currently considering covering athletes at home and abroad who have participated in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, National Games, World Cups, Asian Championships, etc., and achieved excellent results.

In the specific enrollment process, the reporter learned that the University of Hong Kong will set up a selection committee, including sports people, to comprehensively consider whether it is suitable for admission through interviews and examination of the applicant's recommendation letter and personal statement. The program is expected to admit 5 candidates in the first year, both active and retired athletes will be considered, but must be nominated and submitted through the sports institute or relevant sports associations and institutions. "Through this program, we hope that athletes can enjoy the opportunity to study at university and develop more holistically." Yan Zhijian said that the plan will give top athletes flexible learning arrangements and other different support, including residential scholarships, international exchanges, academic counseling, training and competition funding, so that they can balance the dual development of sports and academics, rest assured that they can pursue their dreams and break through themselves. If athletes wish to enrol in other courses, the University of Hong Kong will also make individual adjustments according to the circumstances.

At an online media briefing held at the University of Hong Kong, two athletes who have enrolled in the University of Hong Kong, Ho Kin Ling and Yung Lang Jing, attended to share their experiences as athletes and university students. Ho broke the 400m Hong Kong youth record at the 2019 Asian Junior Athletics Championships, and Yung Lang-ching is currently the fourth-ranked fencer in the Hong Kong Women's Foil Youth. The two passed the University of Hong Kong's Elite Athlete Referral Scheme last year to enroll in the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Social Science programmes at the University of Hong Kong. He Jianling shared that the school gives a lot of help to athletes, especially after staying in the school dormitory, whether it is to go to class or go to the gymnasium to train, it is much more convenient, there is more time to concentrate on reading, and the current academics can keep up. Rong Langjing said that in addition to providing scholarship support, the school also has physical training and psychological counseling support, including providing professional sports venues and coaches, etc., and it is very convenient to practice physical fitness without having to travel a long distance to the sports institute.

As early as 1995, the University of Hong Kong launched the Elite Athlete Recommendation Scheme to encourage outstanding athletes to develop in both academic and sports careers, and was the first university in Hong Kong to launch related programmes, supporting more than 600 young athletes for more than 20 years. The application deadline for this program is February 14, and the final admission results are expected to be announced by the end of March.