Every year, Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) of the University organizes the “Recognition Ceremony” to celebrate students’ exceptional co-curricular achievements and contributions to the community. This year 19 law students were recognized, including the Port-of-Call Initiative Team, which received the Prize for Distinguished Service to the Community. The Faculty congratulates all awardees and the team. The Team is thankful to CEDARS and the wider HKU community for its ongoing support and facilitation, without which the Initiative’s success would not have been possible.
About the Port-of-Call Initiative
The Port-of-Call Initiative is a student-run project that began after winning the PILnet Law for Change Student Competition in 2022. The Initiative aims to improve access to tertiary education for asylum seekers in Hong Kong. To do so, the Initiative collaborates closely with NGOs, universities, secondary schools and the asylum seekers to address systemic issues one at a time. The Initiative holds annual Education Talks, Human Libraries and publishes an annual Education Guide to help bridge the information gap faced by asylum seekers. The Initiative has also made recommendations to the HKU Admissions Office to streamline and clarify its application procedures for asylum seekers, who, due to their legal circumstances, cannot be treated the same as other JUPAS or non-JUPAS applicants. Port-of-Call is delighted to share that these recommendations have been accepted and implemented by the HKU Admissions Office in recent months.
Currently, the Initiative is working towards communicating with prospective donors to help establish an asylum seeker-specific scholarship that would then enable asylum seekers to overcome the financial barriers concomitant with pursuing tertiary education. This is a long-term endeavour and the Initiative is currently seeking support from various sources. Additionally, the Initiative also hopes to expand its efforts beyond HKU in the near future and to establish closer links with secondary schools with notable asylum seeker enrolment.
Please visit the website of Port-of-Call Initiative for more details.