"The HKU-SCF FinTech Academy will provide a platform to expand HKU's current line of research platform and cultivate new research and development collaborations between HKU and the banking, finance and technology industry to accelerate the growth of financial technology in Hong Kong and the region," said HKU president Zhang Xiang.

With the growing trend of mobile payments and digital currencies, many awardees at the HKU-SCF Scholarships ceremony discussed their future aspirations in these fields.

A recipient of the HK$200,000 full scholarship, Rain Lee Sze-choi, developed a passion for programming in secondary school.

Lee, who is now a year one student, was able to gain experience and achieve his ambitions of studying fintech thanks to the opportunities given by his secondary school and the university. He hopes to become a mobile payments expert in the future.