For the second successive year, students majoring in BA (Hons) in Language Studies (Korean) in the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were awarded scholarships by Samsung Electronics Hong Kong (Samsung) in recognition of their outstanding performance.

This year the number of recipients was double that of last year, highlighting the students' further enhanced achievements. To earn a scholarship worth $10,000 per recipient, each candidate had to submit a presentation on the topic "To promote Korean culture in Hong Kong" to a panel of Korean experts. Cheng Hong-ni, Ku Ho-yee, Law Yin-yee, Li Sze-wai, Siu Kwok-kwan, Brenda Sum Kit-ying, Cyndi To Pui -hing, Tong Yee-ling, Wu Wing-sze, and Carrie Yau Chor-lai best demonstrated their understanding of Korean culture, creativity and presentation skills to earn themselves the scholarships.

Scholarship recipients said pursuing Korean Studies made them more optimistic about their future career. "As Hong Kong and Korea will be more closely linked in the future, by gaining a greater understanding of Korean culture we are not only confident of pursuing careers with Korean companies, but also can serve as ambassadors of Korean culture in Hong Kong," said Cheng Hong-ni, one of the winners.

Dr Ellen Ko Law Yin-lan, Vice-President (Administration), was impressed by the students' academic achievements and appreciative of Samsung's contribution to CityU's programme. "Close collaboration with industry is invaluable in sustaining our programme. With Samsung's continuous support, CityU students can contribute to both the Hong Kong and Korean communities by building a strong bridge between the two," she said.

"Since its pioneering launch last year, our Korean Studies programme has attracted great interest among students. This year 10 students have been rewarded for their outstanding work and we look forward to seeing this number grow, as the years ahead are sure to see greater demand for Korean experts in Hong Kong," said Professor Jonathan Webster, Head of Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics at CityU.

"CityU has been striving to nurture community leaders that meet market needs, and our academic programmes emphasise both classroom learning and practical training," added Professor Webster.

"Samsung has always been a strong supporter of educational development. We are delighted to share our Korean heritage and cultural knowledge with new generations of talented individuals, such as students from CityU," said Mr Brian Kim Byung-wook, President of Samsung Electronics Hong Kong. "They are our future and will surely help build a closer bond between Hong Kong and Korea, which will greatly benefit both societies."

The BA (Hons) in Language Studies (Korean), established in the 2007-2008 academic year, is Hong Kong's first bachelor's degree programme majoring in Korean studies. Through intensive training, the programme encourages students to immerse themselves in Korean culture and language.