The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently admitted over 60 students with diverse talents for the 2024/25 academic year intake through two direct admission schemes – the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS) and the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA). These students demonstrate a wide range of talents. Some excel in art or sports, some started profitable businesses at a young age, while some have planned to pursue their innovative ideas at the University.
In recognition of their passion and achievements, the University hosted the HKUST Celebration for Talented Scholars Ceremony today, with HKUST Associate Provost (Teaching & Learning) Prof. Jimmy FUNG and Undergraduate Recruitment & Admissions Director Prof. Emily NASON exhorting the students to immerse themselves in the creative and vibrant community of the University. Other attendees included secondary school principals, teachers as well as representatives from the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Hong Kong, China Table Tennis Association.
Prof. Jimmy Fung said in his welcome remarks, “At HKUST, we celebrate diversity and appreciate the different talents our students bring to the university community, such as art, leadership, entrepreneurship, sportsmanship, and community services alongside their academic achievements. By adopting a holistic assessment approach, we aim to attract exceptional students from various fields and provide them with a dynamic environment that fosters learning, discoveries, and innovations so that each and every one of them can unleash their multidimensional potential. By harnessing the power of diversity, we will nurture these talented students into internationally-minded innovative leaders who will make significant contributions to society.”
Since the Education Bureau introduced SNDAS in the 2022/23 academic year, HKUST has been gradually introducing more undergraduate (UG) programs to the scheme to support more talented students with excellent non-academic accomplishments in pursuing their passions at the University. In the 2024/25 admission cycle, 19 UG programs across all schools were available for application through the scheme and the number of admitted students had also multiplied over the past two years. Many of them exhibited strengths in areas such as art, artificial intelligence, robotics and business, winning various honors and accolades in different international competitions. They will receive a HK$50,000 scholarship and may qualify for additional scholarships based on the number of 5* and 5** grades achieved in their HKDSE.
Another non-academic admission scheme that HKUST adopts is SALSA, which aims to encourage local athletes to pursue UG studies at local universities. Through sports achievement-based assessment, HKUST has admitted quite a few elite student athletes since University Grants Committee (UGC) launched the scheme in the 2022/23 academic year, including Minnie SOO, a bronze medalist of the Table Tennis Women’s Team Competition in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and a few other professional athletes from fencing, sailing and table tennis this year. To support SALSA, HKUST also runs the Student Athletes Admissions Scheme (SAAS) to offer top local athlete applicants special admission arrangements, scholarships, living allowance, and other relevant assistance such as flexible study arrangement to better balance their training and studies.
