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Exploring the world of law

Cora Chan: “Success is doing the best you can within your abilities to contribute to society.”

Law is closely related to life, though many people do not realise it. Cora first came across the Basic Law in class when she was 15. “It wasn’t an in-depth discussion, but it brought me an opportunity,” she recalls. Her growing interest in politics and law led her to join the Government and Laws double degree programme at The University of Hong Kong. The award of a Jockey Club Undergraduate Scholarship then gave her more room to explore the world of legal research. During Cora’s studies, a number of prominent legal controversies further piqued her interest. Understanding the far-reaching influence of law, she developed a sense of mission and went on to the University of Oxford in England to study a Master’s degree in law. While this exposed her to various foreign legal systems, Hong Kong was always at the front of her mind. “I knew my aspiration was to contribute to Hong Kong under the principle of One Country, Two Systems,” she recalls.

Throughout her long journey of study and research, Cora never forgot her goal of nurturing legal talent for Hong Kong. She held public forums during local constitutional controversies, inviting members of the public to express their opinions on political reform and also encouraging her students to comment and respond. She strived to popularise legal knowledge among the public with two-way interaction while helping students learn about law in everyday practice.

Cora is very grateful to the Club for subsequently awarding her a Graduate Scholarship, which gave her the opportunity to return to Oxford to study for a Doctorate in Law, after working as a constitutional scholar for 10 years. This Scholarship not only recognised her aspiration, but also allowed her to become a student again. She plans to develop her doctoral thesis into a book. She is now working on a project that explores how Hong Kong can preserve its uniqueness while integrating further into the national development blueprint under the framework of One Country, Two Systems. She hopes to continue contributing to constitutional developments in Hong Kong and worldwide through education and research.

Did you know?

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships programme hopes students it supports will not only fulfil their academic potential, but also serve the community.

Over the past 25 years, scholarship recipients have come from a wide range of backgrounds, from local Chinese students to ethnic minority students, and from those who pursue music, atmospheric science, aerospace engineering and zoology, to budding teachers and educators. The programme has supported a number of students with special learning needs.

All scholarship recipients are members of The Jockey Club Scholars Alumni Association, forming a close-knit group to perform community service.

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