News and Media

Published: Dec 30, 2011

HONG KONG - SCAD, The University for Creative Careers®, is pleased to announce that SCAD Hong Kong graphic design students Ka Wing Leung and Gogo Chan and advertising student Chase Ko are winners of the first Disney ImagiNations Hong Kong Design Competition.

Disney has held the ImagiNations competition in the United States for 20 years, and Hong Kong is the first region outside of that country to hold the competition. Seventy teams of students from Hong Kong colleges and universities submitted their creative work for consideration.

The SCAD Hong Kong winning team designed a themed area based on the Disney•Pixar animated film "Monsters, Inc.," to include rides, restaurants and a cinema. According to the students, they based their idea on the movie's central theme that laughter is the most powerful energy in the world. As Hong Kongers, the team said they believe that local residents need positive energy to recharge from their busy lives. The judges said they chose the SCAD Hong Kong students' design because it showed a broad vision and offered a good balance as both larger ideas and smaller details were considered.

As Hong Kong's first Disney ImagiNations winners, Leung, Chan and Ko will travel to the Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters in California in January 2012 to exchange their ideas with finalists of the U.S. Disney ImagiNations competition. The team also has been awarded the opportunity to pursue internships at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

"This competition has given us the chance to turn our imagination into reality," said Ko. "We are looking forward to this exclusive U.S. visit to learn more about how people work at Walt Disney Imagineering. The experience will certainly be very inspiring and assist us in developing our careers in design."

Leung also noted that SCAD Hong Kong helped prepare them to take on the ImagiNations competition. "There are a number of professional professors at SCAD," she said. "We learned the computer software, model-making skills and drawing from our various classes, and we combined our knowledge and creativity for the competition."

"It was so exciting to see our students win this competition only being in our second year of classes at SCAD Hong Kong," said Associate Vice President for Academics Grant Preisser. "We are so proud of our students, and this success is a testament to the quality and rigor of the curriculum we offer at SCAD."

SCAD provides an active learning environment, actively encouraging collaborative learning opportunities for students, professors and external partners. These opportunities allow students to gain hands-on experience inside and outside of the classroom with real-world projects that result in tangible outcomes. SCAD Hong Kong has partnered on collaborative learning projects with a number of local businesses and organizations, including Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, G.O.D., Hong Kong Tourism Bureau, VTech and Shaw Studios, among others.

About Hong Kong Disneyland Resort
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers immersive, unique Disney experiences for all families, generations and ages to enjoy. Hong Kong is one of only five locations in the world that is home to a Disney themed park and the many Disney characters that are beloved the world over, such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Since the Grand Opening in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland has received more than 30 million guests from around the globe. Through the unique product offerings and the world-class service provided by the 5,000 strong cast at the theme park and the two hotels, the resort has received outstanding guest satisfaction ratings and a range of awards from the hospitality and entertainment sectors.

Hong Kong Disneyland is dedicated to serving Hong Kong people through a wide spectrum of community services programs, from helping those in need to encouraging the protection of the environment in the region. Learn the latest news and see photos from Hong Kong Disneyland.