Scholarships

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science established a Scholarship for outstanding students from participating Belt and Road countries in support of their studies in Master of Statistics or Master of Data Science in the Department. The Scholarship shall be awarded from the academic year 2024-25 under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as the “Belt and Road Scholarship in Statistics and Data Science (Taught Postgraduate)”.

2. A maximum of six scholarships shall be awarded annually to new students who are from one of the participating Belt and Road countries and have enrolled in the Master of Data Science programme or Master of Statistics programme, on the basis of academic merit and financial need upon admission. Interview performance shall be taken into consideration if necessary. The exact number of awards shall be determined by the Selection Committee each year based on funding availability.

3. The candidate shall demonstrate proven contributions to their institution, community, or society, and have a strong interest in and commitment to the development of Hong Kong.

4. Each scholarship shall entail:

• waiver of the composition fees of the Master of Data Science programme or Master of Statistics programme

• an additional allowance to cover the cost of living and travel expenses.

(Updated on January 16, 2024.)

In 2017, China Life Insurance (Overseas) Company Limited kindly donated a sum of HK$200,000 to establish a scholarship for outstanding undergraduate students pursuing Actuarial Science studies at The University of Hong Kong, with an objective of nurturing talents for the insurance industry. The Scholarship shall be awarded under the following amended regulations starting from the academic year 2018-19:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as the “China Life Insurance (Overseas) Scholarship in Actuarial Science (中國人壽（海外）精算獎學金)”.

2. A total of five scholarships shall be awarded annually to Year 2 or above students in the Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science programme, with at least one award each to students in the second, third and fourth year of study. In the event that there is no deserving student in a particular year group, the unused award quota can be switched to cover a deserving student in another year group.

3. The Scholarship shall be awarded on the basis of academic merit (CGPA of 3.50 or above) and, if necessary, interview performance.

(Updated on February 2019.)

In 2010, Dr. Patrick S.C. Poon kindly pledged to The University of Hong Kong for the establishment of ten scholarships, which were equally divided between different admission streams in the BSc(ActuarSc) programme, in support of outstanding students to pursue Actuarial Science studies at HKU. Upon the phasing out of the Early Admission Scheme and the 3-year curriculum, the scholarship scheme will continue to make five scholarships available for the 4-year curriculum annually with effect from the academic year 2013-14, under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be awarded annually to first-year candidates who are freshly-admitted through JUPAS to enrol in the 4-year Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science programme with the most outstanding entrance records, renewable based on satisfactory performance in each year’s study in the programme.

2. Candidates for the Scholarship are normally expected to have the following academic achievements, or better, in one sitting:

1. (1) Level 5* in three HKDSE subjects other than English Language; or

   (2) Level 5* in two HKDSE subjects other than Mathematics and English Language, and Level 5* in Extended Module 1 or 2 in Mathematics;

2. Level 5 in HKDSE English Language.

3. In addition to academic achievements, a candidate’s performance in an interview, if arranged by the Selection Committee, and a candidate’s expedient need for financial assistance would also be taken into account as helpful supplementary information in the selection. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$50,000 each, whilst an additional HK$10,000 will be awarded to those successful candidates who have achieved Level 5** in HKDSE English Language, or who require expedient financial assistance during their studies.

(Updated on May 13, 2014.)

In 2012, Dr. Patrick S.C. Poon kindly pledged to the University of Hong Kong for the establishment of four scholarships in support of outstanding undergraduates to pursue Decision Analytics, Risk Management or Statistics studies. Beginning from the academic year 2012-13 onwards until further notice, the scholarships shall be awarded annually under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be awarded annually to candidates who pursue a first Major in Decision Analytics, Risk Management or Statistics in the 4-year Bachelor of Science programme, on the basis of academic merit.

2. Besides having declared Decision Analytics, Risk Management or Statistics as first Major, candidates for the Scholarship should have attained a minimum CGPA of 3.4 and have passed at least 180 credits of HKU courses, 84 credits of which being prescribed in the corresponding Major (excluding STAT4766 Statistics Internship and those transferred from exchange study), before their eighth semester’s study including exchange.

3. The major selection criterion will be based on the candidates’ academic performance during their studies at HKU. In addition, a candidate’s participation in any extra-curricular activities and performance in an interview, if arranged by the Selection Committee would also be taken into account as helpful supplementary information in the selection. The final decision on the choice of awardees, however, shall be made at the sole discretion of the Selection Committee.

4. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$50,000 each on a non-renewable basis, provided that the aggregate cash value of the scholarships received by the candidate does not exceed the maximum amount stipulated by the Senate that year, and may be held concurrently with other awards apart from the Statistics and Actuarial Science Scholarships in the same year.

(Updated on April 2016.)

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science established a Scholarship for new students of the Master of Data Science programme to recognize their outstanding achievements upon admission. The Scholarship shall be awarded from the academic year 2024-25 under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as the “Entrance Scholarship for the Master of Data Science”.

2. A maximum of ten scholarships shall be awarded annually to new students of the Master of Data Science programme on the basis of academic merit and financial need upon admission. Interview performance shall be taken into consideration if necessary. The exact number of awards shall be determined by the Selection Committee each year based on funding availability.

3. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$20,000 each.

4. The Scholarship shall be tenable for one year.

5. In the event of there being no suitable applicant in any year, no awards shall be made.

(Updated on January 16, 2024.)

In 2020, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science established a scholarship for students of the Master of Statistics programme to recognize their outstanding achievements upon admission. The Scholarship shall be awarded from the academic year 2020-21 under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as the "Entrance Scholarship for the Master of Statistics".

2. A maximum of forty scholarships shall be awarded annually to new students of the Master of Statistics programme on the basis of academic merit, financial need upon admission and, if necessary, interview performance. The exact number of scholarships shall be determined by the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

3. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$20,000 each.

4. The Scholarship shall be tenable for one year.

5. In the event of there being no suitable applicant in any year, no awards shall be made.

(Updated on March 2, 2020.)

In November 2021, Mr SK Ho (BSocSc 1980; MSocSc 1987) pledged a donation to establish a Scholarship in honour of his parents. The Scholarship shall support students at the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science to engage in overseas enrichment programmes during their studies at HKU, and gain exposure in different countries around the globe. Three scholarships shall be awarded annually, with one award for each of the programmes listed under point (ii) below, to students who:

1. are permanent residents of Hong Kong SAR or Mainland China; and

2. are full-time students of one of the following programmes at the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science:

• Bachelor of Science (Major in Decision Analytics);
• Bachelor of Science (Major in Risk Management); or
• Bachelor of Science (Major in Statistics); and

3. have been accepted to exchange or enrichment programmes organised by the University, including but not limited to:

• University Exchange programmes, e.g. Faculty-level exchange programmes; The HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Programme (HKUWW); or
• Overseas Enrichment Programmes organised by HKU Horizons Office.

The Scholarship shall be awarded on the basis of academic merit (with CGPA 3.0 or above) and the impact of the proposed activities. Where students are of equal merit, priority shall be given to students with financial need and/or participating in enrichment programmes in Mainland China or developing countries.

(Updated on May 13, 2022.)

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science established a Prize for Master of Data Science (MDASC) first year full-time and second year part-time students, to be awarded annually under the following regulations with effect from the academic year 2023-24:

1. The Prize shall be known as the “Lifelong Learning Prize in Data Science”.

2. The Prize shall be awarded each year to students who are pursuing the MDASC degree, based on their first year examination results for full-time students and their first two years examination results for part-time students, as follows:

1. Five prizes, with an amount of HK$10,000 each, shall be awarded to the top five students who are among the first tier in the ranking of the examination results.

2. Ten prizes, with an amount of HK$5,000 each, shall be awarded to the top ten students who are among the next tier in the ranking of the examination results.

3. There shall be no splitting of awards.

4. In any year when candidates are judged of insufficient merit, no awards shall be made.

(Updated on January 16, 2024.)

The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science has made available 15 prizes for award in each academic year for MStat first year full-time and second year part-time students, to be awarded under the following regulations:

1. The prizes shall be known as the Lifelong Learning Prizes in Statistics.

2. The prizes shall be awarded to students who will be pursuing the MStat degree, based on their first semester examination results for full-time students and their first year examination results for part-time students, as follows:

1. Five prizes of $10,000 each shall be awarded to five students who are among the first tier in the ranking of the examination results.

2. Ten prizes of $5,000 each shall be awarded to ten students who are among the next tier in the ranking of the examination results.

3. The prizes may be held concurrently with any other prizes awarded by the University provided that the aggregate cash value of the prizes received does not exceed the maximum amount stipulated by the Senate in that year.

4. If no candidate is judged to be of sufficient merit, no award will be made.

(Updated on April 17, 2024.)

In 2023, the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science established an Award for students of the Master of Data Science (MDASC) programme. The Scholarship shall be awarded from 2023-24 under the following regulations:

1. The Award shall be known as the "Master of Data Science Outstanding Performance Award".

2. One award of HK$50,000 shall be made annually to an MDASC student who has completed the programme on the basis of academic merit and quality of coursework. There shall be no splitting of awards.

3. In the event of there being no suitable applicant in any year, no awards shall be made.

(Updated on January 16, 2024.)

The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science has made available a scholarship for the Master of Statistics (MStat) programme, to be awarded under the following regulations with effect from the academic year 2015-16:

1. One scholarship of HKD$50,000 shall be awarded annually to a MStat student on the basis of academic merit and quality of coursework.

2. The scholarship may be held concurrently with any other awards awarded by the University provided that the aggregate cash value of the awards received does not exceed the maximum amount stipulated by the Senate in that year.

3. The number of scholarships and value of each scholarship are subject to adjustments as determined by the Selection Committee.

(Updated on October 18, 2016.)

To commemorate his stay at the University during 1969-71 and to promote the development of statistics, Professor Saw Swee Hock in 1971 donated a sum of HK$6,000 for the establishment of a Prize. In 2017, the scheme was converted from a medal prize to a cash prize.

One prize of HK$8,000 shall be awarded annually to a final year Bachelor of Science student whose first major is Decision Analytics, Risk Management or Statistics, and who has obtained First Class Honours and the highest average marks in the papers taken for Statistics courses.

(Updated on November 21, 2017.)

In 2005, Professor Saw Swee Hock, founding Professor of Statistics of the University from 1969 to 1971, donated a capital sum of HK$300,000 to set up a scholarship at the University in recognition of the academic achievement of Bachelor of Science graduates whose first majors are in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

A maximum of two scholarships of HK$5,000 each shall be awarded annually, on the basis of academic merit to Bachelor of Science graduates whose first majors are in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, and who have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA score of 3.0 (B) in their studies.

(Updated on November 21, 2017.)

Up to ten scholarships, valued at HK$50,000-HK$100,000 each, shall be awarded to local and non-local students admitted to the Bachelor of Statistics programme on the basis of academic merit as shown in the results of the relevant public examinations.

(Updated on April 2025.)

In 2004, a scholarship scheme was set up by the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science of the Faculty of Science. Twenty-eight scholarships have been made available for each academic year and shall be awarded annually under the following regulations with effect from the 2016-17 intake:

1. The scholarships shall be known as the Statistics and Actuarial Science (SAAS) Scholarships.

2. The Scholarships shall be awarded to the students of the Faculty of Science as follows:

1. Four Scholarships of HK$20,000 each shall be awarded to four first-year students, who will be pursuing a BSc degree in Actuarial Science, based on his/her HKDSE or equivalent examination results. (This scholarship will be suspended when the Patrick Poon Scholarship is in place.)

2. Four Scholarships of HK$4,000 each shall be awarded to four second-year students who have pursued a BSc degree in Actuarial Science, based on their Year I university examination results.

3. Eight Scholarships of HK$4,000 each shall be awarded to eight third-year students who have pursued a major in Decision Analytics, Risk Management, or Statistics in their 2nd year, based on their Year I & II university examination results.

4. Four Scholarships of HK$4,000 each shall be awarded to four third-year students who have pursued a BSc degree in Actuarial Science, based on their Year II university examination results.

5. Four Scholarships of HK$4,000 each shall be awarded to four fourth-year or above students who have pursued a major in Decision Analytics, Risk Management, or Statistics in their 3rd year or above, based on their Year III university examination results.

6. Four Scholarships of HK$4,000 each shall be awarded to four fourth-year or above students who have pursued a BSc degree in Actuarial Science in their 3rd year or above, based on their Year III university examination results.

Examination results in the year of a student’s exchange or leave of absence will not be taken into account in the selection.

(Updated on April 2018.)

In 2018, Shenzhen Suoxinda Data Technology Company Limited kindly established a scholarship for outstanding postgraduate students pursuing Data Science studies at The University of Hong Kong, with an objective of nurturing data scientists for the banking and financial industries. The scholarship shall be awarded under the following regulations starting from the academic year 2018-19:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as the “Suoxinda Scholarship in Data Science (索信達數據科學獎學金)”.

2. Two scholarships shall be awarded annually to students entering the Master of Data Science programme.

3. The Scholarship shall be awarded on the basis of academic merit and admission interview performance.

4. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$20,000 each.

5. The Scholarship shall be tenable for one year.

(Updated on January 5, 2022.)

In 2023, YF Life Insurance International Limited (the “donor party”) kindly pledged a sum of HK$375,000 to establish a scholarship for outstanding undergraduate students pursuing Actuarial Science or Risk Management studies at The University of Hong Kong, with an objective of nurturing talents for the insurance industry. The scholarship shall be awarded from the academic year 2023-24 under the following regulations:

1. The Scholarship shall be known as “YF Life Scholarship in Actuarial Science and Risk Management”.

2. Five scholarships shall be awarded annually to students in the Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science or Bachelor of Science (Major in Risk Management) degrees on the basis of academic merit and performance in an interview, if arranged by the Selection Committee.

3. The candidate is expected to have achieved a minimum CGPA of 3.3 and semester GPA of 3.0 for his/her previous semester’s study at HKU at the time of selection, whereas in the case of exchange study academic achievement outside HKU will not be taken into account.

4. The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$15,000 each, with at least one award each to students in the second, third and fourth year of study, unless no candidate is judged to be of sufficient merit in a particular cohort.

(Updated on November 3, 2023.)

Two awards shall be awarded annually to either Year 2 or Year 3 students in the Decision Analytics Major under the Bachelor of Science Programme, or Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Applied Artificial Intelligence Programme in alternate years, starting from the Decision Analytics Major.

The awards shall be awarded on the basis of students’ university examination results in the past 2 years, and demonstration of good character and leadership skills. Examination results in the year of a student’s exchange or leave of absence will not be taken into account in the selection.

(Updated on November 17, 2022.)

For scholarship opportunities other than the above, please visit HKU Scholarships.