Student Stella Lau named Sanford Yung Scholar for Excellence in Accounting Studies

Professor Simon Ho, Dean of Business (left), Mr. Sanford Yung (second from left) and guests at the award presentation ceremony congratulate Stella Lau (third from left)	Stella Lau is named the 2006 Sanford Yung Scholars for Excellence in Accounting Studies

Miss Stella Lau, Year 1 Accounting student, has won the prestigious Sanford Yung Scholars Award for Excellence in Accounting Studies for 2006, earning her a cash prize and an eight-week internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers London next summer.

Stella, the first HKBU accounting student to win the award, beat 34 other candidates nominated by seven local institutions. "I am very happy and honoured to receive the award. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the School of Business and Department of Accountancy and Law for their nomination, Dr. Tedmond Tang for his invaluable advice, and my family and friends for their support and faith in me."

A science student at secondary school, Stella turned down an offer to study nursing at university as she was not interested in that field. She worked in a law firm and later discovered that her real interest was in business. After two years, with the encouragement of her boss, Stella returned to school to study accounting. Although the subject was new to her, she scored high marks in the first examination. She was listed in the President's Honour Roll and was awarded a scholarship. In order to enhance her competitiveness, Stella also studies German.

Stella said she chose London instead of New York or Vancouver for her internship because the accounting system in the United Kingdom is similar to Hong Kong and London is an important centre of accountancy. Through the internship she hopes to gain practical skills and gather experience of working under pressure.

Established by Mr. Sanford Yung in 2001, the Sanford Yung Scholars Programme for Excellence in Accounting Studies is an annual programme supporting the training of quality students in accounting studies in Hong Kong. The 2006 award recognises an outstanding year-one local student who demonstrates excellence in the field of accounting.