Media

 The University of Hong Kong's Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) held the Fitness Buddies for Inclusion (FBI) with the Blind programme Closing Ceremony on 29 March 2025. The event was attended by Ms Linda LAM, SBS, Chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission, and Professor Samson TSE, Dean of Student Affairs, who officiated the ceremony and presented certificates to all participants. The event also featured a sharing session by retired Para triathlon athlete Mr Chu Kin Wa. 

In collaboration with Centre For Sports and Exercise (CSE) at HKU, Hong Kong Network for the Promotion of Inclusive Society (HKNPIS), D2B Consulting (D2B) and Beyond Vision International (BVI), the inaugural programme trained 60 HKU students who are passionate about sports and community service to become Fitness Buddies for 30 visually impaired individuals. The HKU students come from a diverse background with the highest proportion coming from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, while the rest of the students mainly come from the Faculties of Science, Social Sciences, and Engineering, studying subjects related to sports, health, or social services such as kinesiology, food and nutritional, psychology, social work, and biomedical engineering. Apart from local students, the programme attracted 20 mainland and international students from countries such as France, Italy, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, India and Malaysia, accounting for one-third of the student participants and showcasing the university's cultural diversity. As for visually impaired individuals, recruited through collaborating organizations, the majority are seniors aged 50 or above, with most being fully blind or having only 1-2% vision remaining.

The 20-hour curriculum consisted of eight sessions divided into two stages. In the first stage, HKU students first learned ten resistance band exercises under professional coaching, as well as techniques for using tactile fitness cards and verbal imaging, communication skills with visually impaired individuals, and guiding techniques. In the second stage, local and international students worked in pairs to assist a visually impaired individual in learning 10 essential resistance band exercises tailored for the elderly. After the fitness training, participants engaged in various activities such as interaction with guide dogs and human library session to encourage HKU students to break barriers with visually impaired individuals, share and support each other, thus promoting disability inclusion. 

At the beginning of the Closing Ceremony, Professor Samson TSE, Dean of Student Affairs, welcomed all guests and participants, acknowledging HKU students for their commitment to social service driven by their expertise and passion, learning through application. He also sincerely thanked all visually impaired individuals for participating in the HKU activities, paying tribute to their positive attitude towards life challenges. He hoped that all participants would continue training after the program ends and strive to demonstrate and promote inclusion. 

During her keynote address, Ms. Linda LAM, SBS, Chairperson of Equal Opportunities Commission, emphasised the importance of this programme in bridging the gap between the abled and the disabled, challenging social stereotypes through fitness exercise. The programme has also cultivated a new generation of young talents dedicated to promoting inclusion with a sense of empathy. 

Mr. MOK Kim Wing, MH, Founder and Chief Executive of HKNPIS and a visually impaired participant of the programme himself, said, “This is the first time I have systematically trained like this with a resistance band and a guidebook that includes braille and tactile graphics. Having so many HKU students to assist us is even more important than exercise itself as we are able to exchange ideas and views with each other.” 

During the Closing Ceremony, Mr CHU Kin Wa, Para Athlete Ambassador from Para Athlete And Friends and a retired Hong Kong Para Triathlon athlete, attended a dialogue session with the students, encouraging the participants to challenge themselves and overcome their limits.

In the student graduation speech, Ms Hannah MAK Hoi Lam, a Year 1 MBBS student and one of the Fitness Buddies, shared that she has learned how to communicate with international students and collaborate to guide the visually impaired in practicing correct movements. and that empowering other is more effective in achieving lasting impact than directly solving problems. She was inspired by the programme to start an initiative promoting inclusion and encouraged her peers to join her to continue exploring the possibility of promoting inclusion through sports. 

Ms Tauirbay AIKHANYM, a Year 1 Biomedical Engineering student, reflected that “By the end of this programme, I feel more certain than ever about my path as a prospective biomedical engineer. I don’t just want to assist; I want to create a world where no one needs assistance to live their fullest life. As an international student, I want to bring the best global practices back to the community, ensuring inclusivity is not just an idea but a reality.”

"This FBI with the Blind programme has received very positive feedback, with attendance rates and satisfaction levels exceeding ninety percent. In the future, we hope the programme can expand to benefit different categories of disabled individuals, benefiting communities, and cultivating more student leaders with community awareness, empathy, and resilience," said Mr Laurence Tang, Head of Campus Life at CEDARS.  

For more details about the FBI with the Blind programme, please visit: https://leaf.cedars.hku.hk/our-programmes-fbi/
Download high-resolution photos from the link below: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1a1YUV9_0tt7tZi7jUpQabunVYSWS8MN2

About The Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS): 
CEDARS is committed to fostering an intellectually stimulating and culturally diverse campus to enrich students’ total learning experience at HKU. Bridging the boundary between classroom and the world, we provide support services, resources and educational programmes to all current undergraduate and postgraduate students.

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Website: https://www.cedars.hku.hk/ 

Media Enquiries 
Please contact Mr. Oscar Ng (Student Advising Officer, CEDARS): 
Office: (852) 3917 4655 
Mobile: (852) 9210 5600 
Email: oscarnwk@hku.hk