Media

HKU Welcomes Positive Measures on Education in Policy Address

14 Oct 2009

 

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) welcomes the positive measures mentioned in the Chief Executive's Policy Address that support further development in the education sector, and the new initiatives to attract Mainland and overseas students to study in Hong Kong. The new measures will help increase diversity at the university level, and lay a solid foundation for Hong Kong to sharpen its competitive edge.  

HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui said: "We are pleased that the government has made internationalization at academia a priority policy area. Hong Kong is a global city. A diversified education sector and more opportunities in further studies will certainly be conducive to helping Hong Kong develop into a leading education hub in the region."

 "We hope the government will continue to provide more land for campus facilities and hostel places, and allocate more resources to research, which will all contribute to speeding up internationalization in higher education."

Professor Tsui said it was encouraging that the Policy Address has identified clear objectives for Hong Kong: to develop into a high-level value-adding, knowledge- based economy, and to strategically spur growth in six areas, namely, education services, medical services, testing and certification services, environmental industries, innovation and technology, and cultural and creative industries. The University is looking forward to doing its part in contributing to the territory's success.

HKU and HKU SPACE welcome the government's plan to introduce more self-financed degree programmes, and are awaiting further details to be disclosed.

With reference to the new measures to encourage closer collaboration between enterprises and higher education institutions in technological and scientific research, Professor Tsui is pleased with the move. He said: "This is a good beginning. I hope to see more of such measures from the government to build on the proven strength of the research of higher education institutions here."

Internationalisation at HKU:

• Over half of our academic staff are from overseas and include over 50 different nationalities
• academic links with over 400 universities globally
• student exchange programmes have been established with over 150 overseas higher education institutions
• Over 4,000 non-local students and over 1,000 exchange students now studying at HKU
• 80 nationalities represented in the HKU student body

Admissions in 2009-10:

• About 10,000 applicants from the Mainland
• Students from 74 different nationalities have applied
• Non-local students constitute 14% of total first-year-first-degree student intake

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2606 email: pychoy@hku.hk  or Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk .