The first students for British Council Hong Kong’s pioneering TNE (Transnational Education) Student Awards scheme have been selected following the launch of the programme during the TNE Forum held in October 2011. Between five and ten awards will be made this year.

The scheme, open to students on UK TNE undergraduate programmes, has been developed to celebrate the achievements of TNE students and promote the importance of UK TNE to the local HE provision. The awards give opportunities of a study abroad experience to young people who would otherwise not get the chance to enjoy important benefits associated with student mobility.

More than 50 applications were received in the first round. They included both full time and part time students from a wide range of disciplines such as business, accounting, social welfare, design and criminology. Fourteen finalists made presentations to a judging panel represented by the British Council and the supporting organisation, The Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions (FCE). In the pilot year, seven UK universities participated in the scheme, along with five local partner organizations

The success of the scheme will ensure an opportunity of a lifetime for the Hong Kong scholars as well as the ongoing interest from the participating UK and Hong Kong institutions for the scheme. We are now raising funds to further develop the TNE Student Awards in 2012-13, with Hong Kong government and FCE support.

We would like to thank all participating organisations for their support in the first year.