Beijing, 7th May 2008— At the Fifth Tsinghua-Serge Dumont Communications Scholarship Awards Ceremony held today, Tsinghua University students, Ms. Hou Qingyang and Mr. Zhang Dong, were awarded scholarships and three-month internships with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Geneva and Bangkok respectively. Two other students from the Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communications also won top honors at the Serge Dumont Awards for their essay submissions based on the theme of "Chinese Companies and Corporate Social responsibility: Their Role in HIV/AIDS Prevention in China".

Ms. Hou and Mr. Zhang will work in the communications department of UNAIDS, learning from global health professionals while tackling one of the world’s most serious health threats. During the ceremony, they were presented with their awards and air tickets to Switzerland and Thailand by Mr. Serge Dumont and Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, UNAIDS China Country Coordinator.

At the ceremony, Mr. Serge Dumont, Special Representative for UNAIDS ran a TV spot developed by creative agency TBWA to help fight the stigma associated with the disease. He said that 33 million people worldwide now live with HIV and that more than 700,000 are infected in China. HIV currently accounts for more deaths in Asia annually compared to any other disease. “While there is some good news, the bad news is: too many people and companies still feel unconcerned - they consider that AIDS is not their problem”. Mr. Dumont said, “This is where you, as graduates from the department of journalism and communications, at one of the best universities in the world, can make a real impact. Through your work, by disseminating information, you can contribute to slowing down the spread of the disease in China and prevent new infections. You can also help bring about a change of attitude in society at large, and reduce the stigma that people living with HIV face in their daily lives.”

The Tsinghua -Serge Dumont Communications Scholarship is supported by the Serge Dumont Fund, which is managed by the China Youth Development Foundation. The Fund was established in 2004 by well-known businessman and communications expert Serge Dumont. The scholarships are awarded through an annual essay competition open to students at the Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communications. Mr. Dumont established the scholarships to encourage China’s future journalists and communicators to become more involved in major world issues.

“CSR is the key theme of this year’s competition and is an important component of any modern responsible company”, stated Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, Country Representative UNAIDS China. “For companies to get involved in HIV is not only the right thing to do. It makes business sense as businesses suffer when staff, their families and/or the surrounding communities are affected by HIV.”

“I wish the winners all the best during their internships in the UNAIDS offices in Geneva and Bangkok. We are happy and feel privileged that these talented young professionals with the generous support of Serge Dumont, will be part of our team”, said Mr Schwartländer.

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About The Tsinghua- Serge DumontCommunications Scholarship

The Tsinghua-Serge Dumont Communications Scholarship Program was launched in 2004 to encourage bright students to enter the strategic communications field.

Scholarships are awarded through an annual essay competition open to students enrolled in theTsinghua School of Journalism and Communications. So far, 38 students have won scholarships through the program.