Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, awardees,
In line with the Hong Kong SAR Government’s policy of promoting bilingualism, I will first address the audience in Cantonese, followed by English.
各位嘉賓、各位校長、各位老師、各位同學、各位獲獎者：
我很高興出席香港特別行政區政府獎學基金及自資專上教育基金聯合舉辦的2022/23學年獎學金頒獎典禮。這次是我們經過三年疫情後首次復辦的實體頒獎典禮，印證了香港已經走上全面復常之路。
2. 香港特別行政區政府獎學基金及自資專上教育基金分別於2008年及2011年成立，目的是表揚在不同方面有卓越表現的本地學生，同時吸引更多優秀的非本地學生來港就學，提升香港作為區域教育樞紐的地位，以及推動香港的蓬勃發展。兩個獎學金推出至今，已經有超過9萬4千位同學獲獎，涉及獎學金總額約19億9千萬元，而今個學年的受惠學生接近5 500多位，我在此衷心祝賀各位得獎同學和他們所代表的院校。
3. 一直以來，政府銳意發展優質教育，通過推動公帑資助和自資專上教育界別相輔相成的發展，為學生成長成才提供寶貴機會。兩個獎學金計劃正好彰顯政府在培育人才發展方面的承擔和努力。各位得獎同學，我衷心希望這個獎項除了為你們的履歷增添亮點之外，更會勉勵你們繼續致力成為德才兼備、愛國愛港愛家愛社會、有識見、有承擔、持守正面價值觀、抱積極人生態度，以及具世界視野的終身學習者和社會的貢獻者。
4. 高等教育是人才的搖籃，啓發青年的潛能，增強香港的發展動能。放眼未來，政府會繼續投放大量資源促進高等教育的發展，並壯大人才庫，其中包括增加教資會資助大學的研究生學額及優化各項吸引非本地學生來港就學和發展的措施。我們的目標是培育人才，特別是為了香港成為八個重點領域的發展中心（「八大中心」），包括金融、貿易、航運、航空、創新科技、中外文化藝術交流、國際法律及爭議解決服務，以及區域知識產權貿易中心。
5. 政府亦致力支持自資專上教育界別的發展，與公帑資助的學校相輔相成，為香港培育更多元人才。為善用自資專上教育界別靈活、多元的特點，政府一直推行多項措施，以及為學生增設很多不同的資助計劃，通過自資專上院校為有迫切人力需求的行業培育高質素的人才。當中，政府在《2022年施政報告》中公布，會擴大現行的「指定專業／界別課程資助計劃」，簡稱SSSDP，為修讀自資銜接學位課程的學生提供資助；並會積極研究與自資界別合作推出更多應用學位課程，加強職業專才教育在專上程度的定位，以完善職專進階路徑，為青年人提供更多元學習和就業機會。
6. 在此，我要特別感謝香港特別行政區政府獎學基金督導委員會、自資專上教育委員會轄下的支援措施小組委員會和兩項基金的投資委員會主席和各委員，你們實在勞苦功高。同時，我亦感謝各參與的大專院校。多得大家的努力，讓兩個獎學金的各獎項得以順利推展。
7. 「青年興，則香港興；青年發展，則香港發展；青年有未來，則香港有未來」。各位得獎的同學，你們就是未來的領袖，我鼓勵你們在不同的學術或非學術領域繼續追求卓越，利用香港背靠祖國、聯通世界得天獨厚的優勢，好好裝備自己並勇於作出多元發展，為國家和香港、為全世界的發展作出貢獻。
8. For those non-Cantonese speaking students who are with us today, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you. It gives me great pleasure to be here today at the Joint Scholarship Presentation Ceremony for the 2022/23 academic year, particularly when this is the first physical ceremony after a three-year prolonged disruption during the pandemic.
9. May I extend my warmest congratulations to about 5 500 awardees under the two Funds this year. In particular, I would like to congratulate our non-local awardees on your excellent performance. As guests of Hong Kong, I hope you all find studying in Hong Kong a fruitful experience. We hope you will treasure Hong Kong as a home away from home. Hong Kong also treasures your presence. We encourage you to stay in Hong Kong to pursue your studies and career after graduation, as Hong Kong is a place full of opportunities for talents like you. As an international city in a fast-developing region, Hong Kong is indeed full of opportunities. We are pressing full steam ahead to develop the “eight centres” under the national strategies. Our priority is to reinforce our position as an international financial centre, and promote the development of two emerging industries, namely innovation and technology as well as arts and culture. At the same time, we will continue to play our role as an international trade centre and fully capitalise on our shipping and aviation development to enhance our functions in the regional supply chain. We will also continue to enhance our strengths in legal services and develop Hong Kong into a regional intellectual property trading centre. The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, or GBA in short, has enhanced the interconnectivity and integrated development among all the GBA cities. So we welcome you to explore your opportunies in Hong Kong.
10. Hong Kong is indeed a very attractive place. It is within five hours’ flight from half the world's population. It is one of the few Asian metropolis where you can enjoy the four seasons of the year, immerse yourselves in the hustle and bustle of an urbanised environment and then hop on public transport to reach some of the world’s finest hiking trails and beaches within an hour. You can see and feel the vibrancy and diversity in food and culture. Hong Kong is a wonderful place for you to explore. Hong Kongers like me, who are born and raised in Hong Kong, love this place. I hope for those non-local students and also our guests from afar will also find Hong Kong an attractive place to stay and to visit again and again.
11. Finally, may I once again commend all awardees this year for your perseverance and accomplishment. I also wish you every success in your future endeavours. Thank you.
