The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council's Fellowships and Scholarships for Overseas Studies for the academic year 2004/05 are open for application.

There are also awards for disabled students.

The fellowships and scholarships aim to encourage top students to pursue further education in reputable institutions overseas. They will be required to work in Hong Kong for at least three years upon graduation.

The value of the fellowship is about $251,000 a year for up to three years for a Doctoral degree or two years for a Master's degree. The value of a scholarship is about $232,000 a year for up to three years.

Successful candidates are expected to have a strong commitment to Hong Kong and be ready to contribute significantly to the community upon return from their overseas studies.

The fellowships are for studies leading to postgraduate degrees either by research or course work. The scholarships are for studies leading to undergraduate degrees.

The applicants will be responsible for fulfilling all application procedures and admission requirements of the academic institutions of their choice.

Application forms and information notes are available at the following addresses:

* Student Financial Assistance Agency, 11/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.

* Careers & Guidance Services Section, Education & Manpower Bureau, Room 1815, 18/F, Landmark North, 39 Lung Sum Avenue, Sheung Shui, New Territories.

* Trust Funds Section, Home Affairs Bureau, Room 2202, 22/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

The above documents may also be downloaded at http://www.info.gov.hk/sfaa/en/public.htm. For enquiries, please call 2150 6097 or 2150 6098.

The closing date for all applications is September 30. Short-listed applicants will be required to attend the initial interview in Hong Kong to be conducted in December and January.

Suitable applicants will be requested to attend the final interview in Hong Kong around March 2004.