?Scholarships provided by the School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will enable 15 outstanding local secondary school students to study veterinary medicine courses this summer at Cornell University.

Summer school at Cornell, a world leader in the field of veterinary studies, would provide an invaluable experience, the scholarship recipients said. Several of the successful students said that they hoped to study related programmes in Hong Kong in the future.

The new scholarships were set up with a generous donation from Mr Cliff Sun Kai-lit, Member of the Board of Governors of the City University of Hong Kong Foundation and Executive Director of Kinox Enterprises Ltd.

The aim has been to sponsor talented local secondary school students to study veterinary medicine related courses at Cornell University’s Summer College, Ithaca, US.

“The CityU-Cornell Summer School Programme enables students to discover more about veterinary science, different training and teaching methodologies used in overseas veterinary programmes, offering them a unique perspective, and an opportunity to decide on their future career path” said Professor Michael Reichel, Dean of CityU’s SVM.

During the screening process for the scholarships, many secondary school students expressed an interest in studying veterinary programmes, he said.

During the three-week summer school, which starts at the end of June, the students will study either “Veterinary Medicine: Science and Practice” or “Sustainable Animal Husbandry”. In addition to classroom learning, they will also receive training in laboratories and have an opportunity to interact with animals that are not so commonly found in Hong Kong.

Katrina Sheh, a Grade 12 student at the German Swiss International School, thanked CityU for awarding her a scholarship, stating that she hoped to learn about issues as diverse as animal health and welfare as well as food safety. A volunteer for animal rights, she said she was particularly interested in helping stray animals.

Leung Tsz-wan, a Form 5 student at St. Paul’s Secondary School, said she was interested in studying the biology of animals in addition to that of humans, adding that an undergraduate programme in veterinary medicine in Hong Kong was a good idea because it would mean that local students would not need to study abroad.

Victoria Ngai, a Grade 11 student at the Chinese International School, said she had loved animals since childhood and that one day she would like to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

CityU’s SVM was set up in 2014 in collaboration with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, one of the top veterinary medical schools in the world. This strategic partnership enables the two institutions to design and develop a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Science (BVMSc) programme modelled on the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University.

In addition, by nurturing veterinary professionals and undertaking interdisciplinary, problem-based research in veterinary medicine and related fields, SVM can advance the “One Health” initiative, which aims to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment.