The One Health research cluster of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences held an award presentation ceremony to present the first and second prizes of the COVID-19 Writing Competition on 7 June 2021.  

Among the presenters were Director of Kelly International Corporation Limited Christine VAN, social anthropologist Chiara PECORARI, Head of CityU’s Department of Asian and International Studies Professor Mark THOMPSON, and the cluster’s convener Dr Nicholas THOMAS.

The competition was held from last November to this February, around the time the fourth wave hit hard in Hong Kong. It was divided into two categories, namely “oral history” and “back to the future”. The participants of the former category were encouraged to talk to people around them to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on their life in Hong Kong, while those of the latter category was to imagine how the disease shaped Hong Kong’s future direction. Within these two themes, entries were further subdivided by the type of education track (DSE or Open) and the year groups of the students (junior and senior secondary).

The competition was well-received, with over 420 entries. The judges were impressed by the quality of the entries, which displayed a great deal of maturity and a distinguished style. Numerous outstanding entries were seen, that the judges decided to create a new award category, an Outstanding Writing Award, for another 24 students. The full list of awardees is available here. 

Not only was the competition allows students to reflect on what COVID-19 means to them, but it also showcases the need to pursue One Health as a key strategic goal of the University across different pedagogical platforms. The cluster anticipates holding another One Health writing competition and reaches out to a broader community in the next academic year.  

Cover photo: Students were rewarded for their clear-sighted observations on the impact of the pandemic now and in the future.