CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

The Cultus et Beneficentia Award was established in 2016 by the College, to be granted to the best student(s) of each graduating class and in Years 4 to 6. It aims to recognise students who have best demonstrated the spirit of the College during their normative study periods. It is the highest honour for students of the College.

Award 2020

The Award 2020 went to Ms YIP Hiu Ching Chloe, a Year 6 medical student and a dedicated member of the College. She served the College community as President of the Second Executive Committee of the Residents' Association (2015–16) and the wider community as a helper of the Fourth College Service Team (2015–16). She also provided enormous support for the organisation of College events and activities, such as College Orientation Camps and CWC Festival 2017.

The Award was presented to Chloe by Prof Wai-Yee CHAN, College Master, in the College on 7 June 2021 morning, in the presence of Prof Suk-Ying WONG, Master-Designate, Prof Thomas AU, Associate Master and Dean of Students, and Prof Kenneth YOUNG, Founding Master.

As a final-year student, Chloe was struck by a rush of nostalgic memories of her College life when she returned to the College campus to receive the award plate, with deep gratitude to the College management team for making time to grace the occasion. She would like to give special thanks to Prof YOUNG for his constant encouragement in both words and action, since they first met at the College interview, and to her group counsellors (taken up by more senior College students) in the College Orientation Camp she joined in Year 1 for motivating her to get more involved in the College community. To her, the Award has recognised her efforts into the College community in the past six years, and drawn her College life to a perfect end. It has also reminded her to give back to the College in future.

When asked whether there was any key to winning the Award, Chloe replied that if College students truly treated the College as their family, it would never be difficult for them to exemplify the values espoused by the College, such as the four ‘I’s. With the sense of belonging to this ‘family’, they would be more eager to make more friends in the College, and get along well with fellow students as if they were family members (Intimate). Even if these ‘family members’ were from other origins, the students would be more patient to have cultural exchange with them and respect their cultures (International). Also, the students would be more motivated to enrich their knowledge, for example, through the College General Education Programme and outbound exchange programmes (Intellectual), so that they could be better equipped to contribute to their ‘family’. Their interest and concern would reach beyond CWC as their immediate family, to the wider community in which they are involved, to contribute in their small ways to make society a better place, and through that, to make the College itself also a kinder place for all its members (Involved).

After graduation, Chloe aspires to be a surgeon, which will take her another six years of training. She wishes to stay in Hong Kong and serve in the public sector. Amid the pandemic that has been disrupting much of University and College life, Chloe would like to encourage fellow students to keep connected with one another and with the College. She believes that the pandemic will not last forever, and ‘the best is yet to come’.

Award 2021

No eligible student has been nominated by the College for the Award, so there is no Award recipient.