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  HKBU's Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop
First of its kind in Asia promoting journalistic excellence

The Pulitzer Prize Winners Workshop, organised by the Journalism Department of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), held an inauguration ceremony today (17 October). The ceremony was followed by a forum entitled The Impact of Technologies and Globalisation on News Reporting and the News Industry.

Officiating at the ceremony were Mr. Wong Yan-lung, Secretary for Justice; Mr. James Cunningham, US Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau; Mr. Cho Chi-ming, Executive Director, Hong Kong Economic Journal Co., Ltd.; Mr. Wilfred Wong, Council and Court Chairman, HKBU; and Professor Ng Ching-fai, President and Vice-Chancellor, HKBU.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Wong Yan-lung said that freedom of the press is one of the core values of Hong Kong, and that the most effective way to protect it is to ensure the quality of the press. He said the workshop provided an excellent opportunity for journalists and journalism students to be inspired by the experience, insights and thoughts on the direction of their profession of the six Pulitzer Prize winners.

Also addressing the gathering, Professor Ng Ching-fai said: The University considers it one of its major endeavours to promote journalistic excellence as a core value of Hong Kong and a key to preserving an open and free society. Professor Ng said HKBU faculty and students, as well as local journalism professionals, would benefit immensely from this close exchange with the Pulitzer Prize winners.

(From left) Mr. Wilfred Wong, Mr. James Cunningham, Mr. Wong Yan-lung, Mr. Cho Chi-ming and Professor Ng Ching-fai officiate at the Workshop's Inauguration Ceremony

Six Pulitzer Prize Winners and HKBU's professors (From left) Mr. Peter Arnett, Professor John Kaplan, Mr. Michael Vitez, Professor Yu Xu of HKBU, Professor Huang Yu of HKBU, Ms. Amy Goldstein, Mr. Steve Stecklow, and Ms. Mei Fong.

 

The six Pulitzer winners attending the workshop are: Mr. Peter Arnett, 1966 International Reporting; Professor John Kaplan, 1992 Feature Photography; Mr. Michael Vitez, 1997 Explanatory Journalism; Ms. Amy Goldstein, 2002 National Reporting; Mr. Steve Stecklow, 2007 Public Service; and Ms. Mei Fong, 2007 International Reporting

The workshop, which runs from 15-22 October, was organised by HKBU with the support of a $1 million donation from the Hong Kong Economic Journal Co., Ltd. Each year, four to six Pulitzer Prize winners in journalism will be invited to the HKBU campus for a two-week academic exchange, with an aim to enhance the quality of journalistic education and train highly professional journalists with global vision. For details of the workshop, please visit the website at http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppww.

Photos will be sent out by email.
Media Enquiries: Connie Ko of the Communication and Public Relations Office of HKBU (3411 7963 / 7472 2120)