More than 930 students, five working adults and two apprentices have won awards and scholarships under the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund.

Speaking at the fund's 21st awards presentation ceremony today, Lady Youde said the best education will provide the highly skilled workforce essential to ensure the success of Hong Kong.

"To this end, we have, since 1987, disbursed over $186 million to over 510,000 students through various awards and sponsored activities," she said. 

Today's ceremony not only marks the satisfactory completion of a year's work for the fund but, more importantly, represents a new milestone for the young awardees, she added.

Award details

Awards presented this year included:

* 10 awards for overseas studies plus one overseas scholarship for a disabled student;

* 20 fellowships for post-graduate students;

* 74 scholarships for undergraduate and diploma students, including four for disabled students;

* six medals for students who obtained outstanding results in public examinations;

* 797 prizes for senior secondary school students;

* 30 awards for disabled students;

* two awards for outstanding apprentices; and

* five awards for working adults who have undergone retraining and have successfully integrated themselves into their new work environment.

Competition for the overseas fellowships and scholarships for 2008-09 was keen. Ten contestants, from among 190 applicants, have won the awards. Each will receive a maximum of $283,000 a year for a fellowship award and and $262,000 for a scholarship award.