Twenty-seven outstanding students have been awarded The Hong Kong Jockey Club Compassionate Leader Scholarship this year.  Their journey as Jockey Club Scholars (“JC Scholars”) began in June with a Welcome Day and a two-day Induction Camp, where they connected with fellow scholars, explored social issues and reflected on how they can contribute to society as future compassionate leaders.

At the Welcome Day, JC Scholars from the eight University Grants Committee-funded institutions and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts learned about the Club's commitment to creating positive social impact and the opportunities available through the Scholarships. 
 

Welcome Day for JC Scholars (2025/26 Cohort)

JC Scholars meet their peers at Welcome Day 

At the Induction Camp, JC Scholars took part in learning activities designed to strengthen empathy, communication, teamwork and leadership.  Through role-playing exercises, silent team challenges, bamboo rafting and social innovation workshops, they gained a deeper understanding of different community needs and the importance of collaboration in driving positive change.

Community Story Lab – JC Scholars participated in role-plays to understand challenges faced by different people and learn about the importance of empathy. 

JC Scholars co-create community stories featuring all walks of life

JC Scholars shared their key takeaways

• “Practising empathy is about understanding the root causes of challenges you hope to address.  Time spent helping others is always time well spent, in my opinion.”

Silence Experience – JC Scholars worked in teams to complete challenges without speaking. 

Learning to listen actively and observe carefully as leaders

JC Scholars shared their key takeaways

• “I realised that different people often interpret the same situation or instructions differently.  This helped me think more systematically about guiding the team and aligning our understanding.”

Bamboo Rafting Challenge – JC Scholars worked together to build and sail a bamboo raft within a set time limit.

Lead. Build. Sail. 

JC Scholars shared their key takeaways

• “Group work under time pressure taught me that effective teamwork is not about rushing ahead, but about stepping back, listening actively and understanding different perspectives.”

Social Innovation Project – JC Scholars took lead in thinking critically about social issues and developing solutions for different stakeholders, exploring how they might contribute to positive change in their communities.

JC Scholars present their project ideas

JC Scholars shared their key takeaways

• “Initiative is key.  Positive change would not happen if people were unwilling to step forward and embrace challenges.”

• “I realised that we often assume what people in need require, rather than understanding their needs from their own perspective.”

The Induction Programme marked the beginning of the scholars' JC Scholar journey, equipping them with new perspectives, meaningful connections and a shared commitment to creating positive change in society.