The academic excellence of BNBU's top students took center stage on December 17, 2025, at the university’s annual Scholarship Presentation Ceremony. Amid the celebrations in the Mr. & Mrs. Ching-Fai Ng Performance Theatre, the very first Collins Family Centre for Foreign Languages Scholarships were awarded.

The ceremony featured inspiring speeches from distinguished guests, including Professor CHEN Zhi, President of BNBU and Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities, and Professor Emeritus FANG Kai-Tai of the Faculty of Science and Technology. In their remarks, the speakers underscored the vital importance of recognizing student accomplishments and encouraging academic excellence, a value embodied by the launch of the Collins Family Centre for Foreign Languages Scholarship.

The scholarship was established through a generous donation from the family of Mr. Jason Edward Collins, a former staff member of the Centre for Foreign Languages (CFL). It recognizes and rewards six outstanding BNBU second-year students annually for exceptional dedication and achievement in their English language studies, with each selected scholar receiving an award of CNY 3,000 to support their academic journey.

The following students from the 2024-25 cohort were honored as the inaugural recipients:

2430006103 李奕淳 LI Yichun

2430024269 夏永欣 XIA Yongxin

2430026232 谢昕甜 XIE Xintian

2430032022 林乐怡 LIN Leyi

2430031084 吉子轩 JI Zixuan

2430031244 王一诺 WANG Yinuo

                                                Mr. Jonathan James Corbett, Head of Centre for Foreign Languages of SGE, and Student Awardees

The selection process looked beyond grades to find truly dedicated students. A panel of four CFL members, headed by Mr Duncan Wood, reviewed applications letters, assessed academic records, conducted interviews, and verified which candidates had prioritized their development through consistent engagement with the Student English Support Hub (SELH). Duncan noted, “It was fantastic to see the applicants' passion for learning. Many shared how their regular visits to the SELH were a key part of their academic improvement, which is exactly the kind of active engagement we were looking for.” Awardee Li Yichun from the Faculty of Business Management called the scholarship a "meaningful recognition of my efforts" and a motivating "milestone." She also credited "the SELH teachers for their consistent support and guidance," which were instrumental in her progress.

Over the next two years, the Collins Family Scholarship will continue to reward exceptional students, while also serving to inspire all students to fully make use of the resources and opportunities provided by the Centre for Foreign Languages of the School of General Education.