THE MOMENT I WAS told I had won a $200,000 scholarship from the Rotary Foundation to study in England, I conjured up images of cycling from a university dorm to an Oxbridge-style lecture hall crammed with students of every conceivable nationality.
A year later I returned to Hong Kong with a Master's degree in international relations from the University of Sussex, a south-coast campus unadorned by any ancient Oxbridge-type edifice, and a host of unforgettable memories of things I had never imagined.
I had delivered a speech on post-handover Hong Kong to a meeting of 30 Rotarians, danced to British rock during an Oxford ball, and tasted Brussels sprouts, coleslaw and sherry trifle for the first time during a Christmas family lunch.
The attractiveness of an overseas scholarship is not confined to free tuition and a return air ticket. Often, it lies in opportunities for cultural immersion, confidence-building and developing lifelong friendships.
The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship programme is a good example. It funds about 10 overseas scholarships each worth a maximum $200,000 for local students annually. The recipients benefit as much from the financial support as from their association with Rotary Clubs worldwide, an organisation of professional and business leaders which aims to offer humanitarian services and promote peace in the world.
While abroad, SAR students are invited to speak about their homeland in Rotary Clubs and take part in exchange activities with their counterparts from other parts of the world. After completing their studies, they are expected to share their overseas experience with Rotarians in Hong Kong.
