End poverty in all its forms everywhere

The Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies conducted a telephone survey in May–June 2022 to canvass public views on the wealth disparity in Hong Kong. The results showed that about two-thirds of the public believed that the problem of the disparity between rich and poor in Hong Kong was serious. Near 43% of the respondents regarded poverty as mainly caused by social factors (such as unfair system and monopoly of resources). Faced with the current wealth disparity in Hong Kong, 80.1% of respondents felt that the Government should do more to close the gap.

Financial aid schemes, including ‘University Bursaries and Loans’, ‘Emergency Bursaries and Loans’, ‘Student Residence Bursary Scheme’ and ‘Summer Subsistence and Travel Loan Scheme’ were offered to students with financial difficulties to support their studies and help with their hostel residence fees. In addition, the Summer Work-Study Scheme for Students was introduced to help undergraduates improve their finances by providing them with on-campus part-time job opportunities.

In support of the Hong Kong government’s effort to alleviate intergenerational poverty, CUHK announced a landmark partnership with the Strive and Rise Programme. The government-led programme supported nearly 3,000 junior secondary school students from underprivileged families, providing the participants with mentorship, personal development planning and financial assistance. CUHK was the first local higher education institution to receive mentees from the programme. In 2023, a lineup of seminars, workshops and a series of targeted interactions were arranged to give mentees the opportunity to meet with representatives from CUHK’s eight Faculties and nine Colleges.

We tend to think of ‘poverty’ as meaning that a person does not have sufficient resources to make ends meet, but it can also refer to an individual’s relative disadvantage compared with the majority. Since 2015, the Office of Student Affairs has been maintaining the Lean Poverty Alleviation Initiative. Through experiential learning activities and direct services, the programme allows CUHK students to explore the underlying causes of poverty in Hong Kong and build an enabling environment to moderate poverty.

To offer secondary school students a comprehensive understanding of poverty alleviation, the Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Office launched the Design Thinking Summer 2023: No Poverty and Zero Hunger programme. Through a series of workshops and training, participants utilized the design thinking concept and compose multiple short videos as their response to this long-standing issue. The programme demonstrates the importance of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and how they contribute to the city’s sustainable development.