The Prince Philip Scholarship scheme was set up in the early 1980s by the Friends of Cambridge University in Hong Kong.
According to the introduction booklet, the scheme has, in the past 18 years, 'extended that privilege [of studying at Cambridge] to many talented young men and women from Hong Kong who would otherwise not have the opportunity or the financial means to study at the University of Cambridge'.
The Scholarship includes a non-means-tested cash award of GBP2,500 (about HK$27,700) per annum plus a return air ticket to Britain. In addition, scholars can claim the full costs of tuition and subsistence when necessary.
The most unusual aspect of the scheme is that scholars do not have to go through the normal entrance interviews at Cambridge. They are accepted automatically based on the results of the local interviews.
Many well known and wealthy Hong Kong people and local graduates of Cambridge have supported the scheme and have made generous donations.
However, over the years, a number of scholarships have been granted, surprisingly, to the sons and daughters of some of the wealthiest and most influential families in Hong Kong.