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Graduate honours old school

THE best economics graduate of the Chinese University this year has been awarded $10,000 for her distinguished academic results - but she will not be able to spend any of this money.

It will be used to promote economics education in her secondary school, which she left four years ago.

First class honours graduate Juni Yan Yuk-ping, 22, received the $10,000 cheque from Nanyang Commercial Bank deputy general managers Duan Yong-kuan and Ng Lin-fung and immediately handed it over to her mother school - Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School - as stipulated by the bank.

Yuk-ping was selected from among 105 graduates of the Department of Economics because of her first class honours and her above 3.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) in her four years of study.

Dr Liu Pak-wai, chairman of the university's Economics Department, initiated the scholarship.

'For the recipient, the honour of getting the scholarship is far greater than getting the money itself. All the students in the secondary school will realise that they have an alumnus who came out as the best student in the Chinese University,' he said.

'The scholarship is a gesture to show our appreciation for secondary schools which provide a strong foundation for students. It also serves as recognition of our students' academic excellence.' Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School has decided to use the money to buy reference books for the school library, which currently has a collection of 1,1946. Each new book bought will bear the names of the recipient and donor.

'The money will allow us to buy more reference books for the library, but we still have to discuss with panel heads to see what sort of reference books we need at the moment,' said principal Tang Ping-leung.

Mr Tang is glad that the community realises the importance of secondary education, which is comparatively longer than the three or four years of tertiary education.

Yuk-ping recalled that when she was studying in secondary school, she found that some of the computer reference books were outdated.

'I believe that good education starts from strong motivation. Brand-new books in the library would definitely stimulate students to work harder in their studies,' said Yuk-ping, who received a certificate of academic merit from the department as well as a set of expensive pens from the bank as souvenir.

Yuk-ping, who lives with her family in a public housing estate in Kwai Chung, has a job lined up for her. She will be working as a business consultant in an accounting firm in February.

The outstanding student attributed her academic excellence to her serious interest in economics.

'I would spend hours and hours in my dormitory thinking about what the lecturers taught me. Upon the completion of my education at Chinese University, I have developed a sharp and analytical mind.' A CU spokesman reckoned that the main purpose for financially rewarding the secondary school instead of the student is to alert society to realise that secondary education is equally important as tertiary education.

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