The Hong Kong Prize is an annual award given to outstanding science research in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Life and Health, New Materials and Energy, Advanced Manufacturing, and FinTech. The award is open to scientists and teams in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The winners receive a cash prize, a certificate and a trophy.
The HK Prize is one of the largest scientific awards in Asia and has become a benchmark for young scientists to strive for excellence. The HK Prize also helps promote the Hong Kong science and technology industry, which is important to the local economy. The prize is supported by the Hong Kong SAR Government and Principal Patron the Swire Group. The HK Prize was established by the generosity of Professor Wang Gungwu, the late Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong.
This year’s prize is worth HK$100,000 to be shared by the two winning teams. The winners will also be invited to attend an international seminar in Russia. The prize is aimed at attracting global top science talent to Hong Kong, nurturing forward-looking scientists and together building the city into an international innovation and technology hub.
In addition to a cash prize, the winner of the HK Prize will receive an international internship at a world-renowned scientific institution. The winner will be able to learn from some of the best minds in their field and gain invaluable experience that will benefit his or her future career. In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop and share his or her work with other awardees.
The first winner of the HK Prize was a self-taught artist named Tsui Yi-wai, who won the prize in 2023 for his work on “Spiritual Development of Chinese Culture during the 1967 Riots”. His success inspired other local artists and gave rise to a vibrant art scene in Hong Kong.
During the Hong Kong protests in 2019, thousands of police officers, journalists, tourists or students from the mainland and innocent Hong Kong residents were attacked by anti-government protesters and many public facilities like subway stations, traffic lights and street lamps were vandalized. The protests also caused a large loss of property.
In order to avoid the recurrence of such incidents, the government has proposed to establish a public fund to support police officers and other public servants who were injured or otherwise affected by the protests. In the past, the government has already provided HK$100 million to a number of public funds to help those who were injured or lost property in the riots.
In addition to the HK$100 million, the government is also stepping up measures to prevent people from selling or buying lottery tickets at betting shops. A ban has been imposed on the sale of tickets at a betting shop in Mable Street, North Point, where a number of first-prize winning tickets were sold in previous mega draws. In addition, the government will step up inspections of such betting shops.
