HONG KONG, 7 April 2021 – AIA Group Limited (“AIA” or the “Company”: stock code: 1299) is pleased to grant its first 100 scholarship awards to university students in Hong Kong. The students are the beneficiaries of a landmark programme launched in October 2020, when AIA pledged US$100 million to support 100 undergraduates every year to attend Hong Kong universities over the next several decades.
The AIA Scholarships are a major investment in Hong Kong, reflecting AIA’s great confidence in the future of the city and its young people. The students were selected based on their track record of academic excellence and community service, as well as their need for financial support to pursue higher education.
AIA held an online ceremony today to celebrate the milestone, connecting the students with Edmund Tse, AIA Group Board Chairman and Director of the AIA Foundation, and Lee Yuan Siong, AIA Group Chief Executive and President.
Presiding over the virtual ceremony, Lee Yuan Siong congratulated the students and said: “The aim of the AIA Scholarships programme is to help generations of young Hong Kong students realise their true potential. It is a long-term commitment by AIA to enable exceptional, community-minded students to gain access to the best local education and allow them to give back to this great city, building an even better Hong Kong for the future.”
Lee Yuan Siong continued: “Education has the power to transform the lives of young people. Through our scholarships programme, AIA is living its purpose to help millions of people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives and create a more sustainable future for our communities.”
The AIA Scholarships programme is run by the AIA Foundation in close collaboration with AIA’s ten partner universities in Hong Kong. The scholars will each receive an award of HK$50,000 for every year of their undergraduate studies.
AIA will engage with the scholars throughout their academic journeys, providing them with mentoring opportunities and career-planning workshops to foster a strong sense of community between them and AIA in the years to come.