The HK Prize is awarded to a single person for his or her outstanding contributions in the field of scientific and technological innovation that have significant impacts on the transformation of our society, economy and people’s lives. It is open to scientists and technologists of all ages from Hong Kong, Macau or mainland China, who have made fundamental contributions to science and technology. The winner of the Prize will receive a sum of HK$2,000,000, a certificate and a trophy. The prize is presented by BOCHK in partnership with the Museum of History, the Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture and other organisations.
It is the largest and most prestigious prize of its kind in Hong Kong, with a total of US$20.8 million (HK$163,999,329) in cash prizes. The Prize is also accompanied by a number of honours and awards for runners-up, as well as various trophies and a special award for the best article published in the Journal over the same year. All original articles of a clinical or observational nature (including prospective and retrospective studies, meta-analyses and basic research) published in the Journal during the year are eligible for consideration for the Prize. Review articles and letters to the Editor are not considered.
The Prize is supported by a grant from the Mainland and Hong Kong International Development Cooperation Fund. It encourages researchers in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to explore unchartered territory of fundamental sciences and frontier technologies, and spark interest in the public about science.
This is the third time that the award has been given, with previous winners including a Nobel Chemistry Prize laureate. This year, the judging panel includes two Nobel Laureates and experts from academia, industry, government and financial sectors. The selection will be based on three criteria: the scientific and technological innovations, the transformation of those discoveries and the impact that they have had on human society.
BOCHK’s sponsorship of the Prize also includes a contribution to support the organisation of the Award Ceremony and the awardees’ travel expenses for receiving their honours and awards. The Prize is presented at an annual ceremony held in the presence of representatives from the HKSAR Government and BOCHK, as well as a number of celebrities.
During the last round of protests in Hong Kong last year, a lot of innocent mainland tourists or local residents were hurt by anti-government rioters. Many of them were attacked, and some of their properties like subway stations and shops were vandalized. A photograph taken by Reuters that showed a bleeding man being hit by masked rioters won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. Hundreds of comments were posted on social media, and almost all of them criticized the jury committee for “shaming and stigmatizing China”.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has introduced a variety of measures to ensure that the prize draw is fair and impartial. For example, employees with HKJC’s security and customer service departments will strictly check all materials used in the prize draw, from boxing to transport. In addition, all balls are measured, weighed and examined by X-ray on a regular basis, and the same set of balls will not be used for consecutive draws.