Yersin Laureates stories 2022

Since 2000, the French Consulate has supported more than 100 students from Hong Kong and Macau in pursuing a Master’s degree in France.

The Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship goes hand in hand with promoting the excellence, diversity and quality of French higher education, and encourages deeper cooperation between France, Hong Kong and Macau. Through this scholarship, France is committed to building a diverse cohort of remarkable leaders who can further developments and international understanding in their respective fields.

Being a laureate not only provides you access to quality and accessible education; it also opens doors to new cultural perspectives, as well as 800+ French companies in Hong Kong, driven by an entrepreneurial French community of more than 20,000 people.

For those of you who are thinking of pursuing a Master’s degree in France, hear from some of our current French Government Excellence Scholars about their experiences:

Institution: Sciences Po Lyon

Master: Affaires Publiques Internationales

L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt et rêvent ambitieusement ! Other than preparing yourself well for the uncertainty in life, having someone, and even a group of people who support and believe you in accomplishing your life goals is the essence to be successful. The Alexandre Yersin Scholarship is a generous gift which funds more than just my education in France, it offers a variety of cultural activities, encourages my passion to serve the community with professional locals and makes my dreams attainable.

Life in France can be challenging but romantic in the French way: imagining yourself in a completely new environment, you need to make effort and be courageous to get out of your comfort zone, facing a diametrically different learning atmosphere – the more independence given, the more you need to dedicate to taking the initiative to learn and experience. The second year at Sciences Po Lyon is an open door for me, not to mention the cultural immersion into my school and the city, to be actively engaged in socio-political conflicts as I should, etc. Since last winter, I have been committing myself to initiating and participating in some community projects which aim to bridge cultural differences and serve the people in need in the society. France offers me absolutely a comprehensive and powerful personal transformation by changing my mentality and my attitude towards life, inviting me to fully step into my growth zone.

France is the cradle of dreamers; dreamers in France always wake up to find their dreams come true.

With my tremendous gratitude to the support from Campus France, and encouragement to future dreamers!  

Institution: IÉSEG

Master: Fashion Management

The past several months in Paris have completely changed my life in the best way possible.

Since all of my studies and career are luxury fashion related, Paris has always been the dream city that I coveted to visit. I'm constantly amazed by the craftsmanship, elegance and the presentation of products while working in Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Hence, thanks to the support by Campus France, I had the opportunity to further my pursuit of beauty by enrolling in Masters of Fashion Management at IÉSEG School of Management.

Everyday when I take metro for commute, I can't help but to be captivated by the advertisements showing which spectacle or opera show or museum exhibition coming up next. Growing up in Hong Kong such a prosperous commercial metropolis, it really dawned on me that Paris, on the other side of the globe, is always about culture and cultivation. I've got to visit museums of the iconic houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Alaïa, Elsa Schiaparelli and even Lesage where I could take a peek at the savoir-faire of embroidery. Paris never ceases to amaze me by their passion in art.

Among all, it's the french mentality and philosophy that astounded me the most. With the persistence of strikes and manifestations, I truly admire the determination in sustaining and underlining the importance of equality and liberty. I hope that one day, this tiny seed of wisdom could be spread and germinated elsewhere and everywhere as many countries are still suffering from severely from censorship ans oppression.

Institution: Sciences Po Paris

Master: Public Policy (Energy, Environment and Sustainability)

The story began when I started to learn French, which opened the door for me to another world of history, culture and knowledge and brought countless possibilities to my life. "Le véritable enseignement n'est point de te parler mais de te conduire." (from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). I never imagined that my learning journey would go beyond textbooks and be realized in France.

I am now doing my Master in Public Policy (Energy, Environment and Sustainability) in Sciences Po Paris, where students have different expertise and are highly motivated. The learning environment here is very open and positive and the culture of debate is very much valued. France is also a strategic country with many international organizations headquartered here, providing political science students with an ideal environment for academic and professional development.

Studying in France was one of the best decisions that I ever made, bringing me numerous chances to meet people from different countries and backgrounds. I am very grateful to my teachers, friends and every encounter here, who gave me new eyes to appreciate the world. From arts and culture to beautiful cities and nature France has so much to offer. I am so glad for the opportunity to live here, travel around and discover all the gems of this country.

I would like to thank Campus France Hong Kong for providing the Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship and tremendous support including administrative, accommodation and cultural activities, allowing me to learn the most out of my postgraduate study here. If you want to study abroad, I will recommend France without reservation!

Institution: Emlyon Business School

Master: Health Management and Data Intelligence

Understanding digital transformation is the prevailing trend in the healthcare sector, I enrolled on the Master of Sciences in Health Management and Data Intelligence in emlyon business school, Lyon to further advance myself professionally and academically.  

In contrast to the ethnically diverse environment in France, the international cohort of my class all has one solid collective goal in mind - to make positive impacts on humankind and society. Predictably, in just 2 months in emlyon, my multinational team and I succeeded in developing an innovative application that can bring positive impactful structural changes to the French Healthcare system and can benefit numerous healthcare professionals and patients.

My time in France was also filled with top-class education - intensive learning about health management, data science and AI development, exchanging ideas with top engineers, healthcare elites and classmates from Europe, Africa, South America and Middle East, it definitely further transformed and cultivated me holistically to be a proficient and versatile healthcare professional with cutting-edge global insights amid the age of digital transformation.

Thanks to the Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship, I can stay focused on my intensive study in France. Thanks to Campus France, I always feel well taken care of in France. Digital Transformation is on the trajectory of evolutional changes in the healthcare system, I am forever grateful for this opportunity which cultivates me exponentially to be an early maker with a global perspective and experience. If you are looking for a change, I sincerely invite you to be my companion and to study in France.

Institution: Institut Polytechnique de Paris

Master: Physique

Paris is both a culturally rich and vibrant city. I feel so honored to be able to spend two years of my youth exploring the city and France. On one hand, this city is full of historic architecture. It is not uncommon to walk past buildings with more than 300 years of history in daily life. On the other hand, this city is full of parties and events. Everyone can easily make friends through these parties and events. It is also worth mentioning that France produces robust and influential research. As a master student in physics, it is a valuable opportunity to learn from world-class researchers in France. Paris is also the paradise of gastronomy. French cuisine is not famous for no reason.

Moreover, Campus France provided many supports to international students for settling down after their arrival! They have also organized tons of cultural activities for us. Through these activities, I have known so many international students from all over the globe. It really opens my mind up to how people from other countries think and the various issue happening in the world. Without Campus France, I don’t think my journey will be so smooth and enjoyable. 

France produces robust and influential research. As a master student in physics, it is a valuable opportunity to learn from world-class researchers in France.

Institution: Sciences Po Paris

Master: Environmental Policy

It is my great honour to be selected as one of the laureates of the Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship 2022. With the enormous support from the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau and Campus France Hong Kong, I am delighted to develop my interest in environmental policies at SciencesPo Paris after working for a few years in Hong Kong.

SciencesPo provides a world class curriculum in political science and politics. I enjoy the extremely meaningful and interesting dialogues and exchanges with students from all around the world. What’s more, students have plenty of chances to directly converse with famous figures including heads of states, leaders of governments and international organisations.

Cultural exchange is another highlight, especially when I shared the residence managed by Campus France with fellow students. We shared food and celebrated festivals of our home countries. Living abroad and enjoying school life with students from different backgrounds is one of the most valuable experiences I have ever had in my life.

With the laureate of the Alexandre Yersin Excellence Scholarship, you are welcome to join the activities organised by Campus France and connect with other scholarship laureates here in Paris. Campus France would also assist you to settle and enjoy student life here.

A big thanks to myself for applying for the Scholarship hours before the deadline back in May 2022, if I have given up the chance, I won’t be here in Paris for sure. Don’t be shy, apply for it now! Trust me, you won’t regret it!