Opinion | Building HK into a 'study-abroad capital' - an opportune moment
By Jiang Hu
On October 16, the Chief Executive's third policy address was released. Entitled "Jointly Reforming and Developing, Benefiting the People and Shaping the Future," the policy address proposes multiple measures that are of great concern to the public, such as increasing the supply of public housing, facilitating youth in buying their homes, and promoting the transformation of local small and medium-sized enterprises, among other regulations, are all social hotspots that address the core issues. Regarding the regulation to build the "Study in Hong Kong" brand, as far as I'm concerned, it is a highlight that should have been introduced and vigorously implemented much earlier.
Hong Kong's educational status in the world, especially in Asia, is widely well-known. According to the 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings released last week, five universities in Hong Kong are ranked among the top 100. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) remains in 35th place, the same as last year. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has made significant progress, rising from 53rd to 44th in the world. Given that Hong Kong is a city with a mere population of 7.5 million, this is truly an accomplishment that fills all Hong Kong residents with pride.
If we compare the data, it's no surprise that the United States has the largest number of universities in the top 100 rankings, with 38 institutions, including 13 in the top 20. The United Kingdom has 12 universities, featuring Oxford and Cambridge, in the top 100. Australia has six, and Canada has three. Mainland China has seven universities, including Tsinghua and Peking University. When comparing regions or cities of similar economic scale, Singapore has two universities in the top 100. Guangzhou has only three universities ranked in the top 300, with Sun Yat-sen University reaching the top 250. On the opposite bank of the river from Hong Kong, the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen is ranked 183rd, entering the top 200. From the perspective of higher education, Hong Kong's educational achievements truly stand out as a remarkable miracle.
Numbers can't tell the whole thing, the effect becomes even more apparent when observing the outstanding talents locally nurtured in Hong Kong, as well as the technological, humanistic, and medical achievements researched and developed in Hong Kong. Taking Nobel laureates as an example, up to now, there are 11 ethnic Chinese Nobel laureates. Among them, Lee Tsung-dao and Yang Chen-ning received their entire education on the mainland before going abroad for further studies. Samuel C.C. Ting and others received their secondary education in Taiwan. Zhu Diwen and others were born and raised in the United States. Two were educated in Hong Kong: Charles Kuen Kao, the "Father of Fiber Optics," who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Daniel Chee Tsui, who won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics. Tsui attended Pooi Ching Middle School in Hong Kong for six years and planned to enroll at HKU but eventually went to the United States for further studies on a full scholarship. The only ones who were cultivated entirely in the mainland are writer Mo Yan and medical scientist Tu Youyou.
Besides Kao and Tsui, Hong Kong has locally cultivated outstanding scholars such as Shing-Tung Yau, a mathematician from The Chinese University of Hong Kong who won the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics, and economist Steven N.S. Cheung. There are countless scholars who have produced top-notch academic achievements in Hong Kong's research environment. For instance, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung of HKU conducted research on rotavirus during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Professor Dennis Lo, who will soon become the ninth Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, developed the "Non-invasive Prenatal Testing" technology during his time at the CUHK Faculty of Medicine. For this research, Lo has been hailed as "the Hong Konger closest to the Nobel Prize."
It is evident that Hong Kong's remarkable educational achievements and outstanding educational status make it a worldwide sensation. The Chief Executive's regulation in the policy address to build the "Study in Hong Kong" brand is not an empty word. In my view, not only should Hong Kong aim to be a "Study-abroad Capital," but it should also leverage its unique advantages to establish itself as an "Education Hub" and even position the "City of Study Abroad" as one of its new identity cards for the future. This is not only grounded in its rich cultural heritage and historical accumulation but also supported by the practical conditions for immediate and accelerated implementation.
On the one hand, this is due to Hong Kong's advantages and traditions of connecting the East and the West, as well as linking the mainland with the outside world. From historical experience and modern educational history, Hong Kong has always played a crucial role in introducing modern civilized ideas and cultivating outstanding talents with a global perspective and modern knowledge to serve Chinese society. For example, famous figures such as Sun Yat-sen, Wu Tingfang, Wang Chonghui, and Zhan Tianyou, who had a profound impact and made extraordinary contributions to modern history, all have deep connections with Hong Kong.
When Sun Yat-sen was invited to speak at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 1923, he publicly stated, "Returning to Hong Kong is like returning to my hometown for I studied at the University of Hong Kong and received my education here." Following Sun Yat-sen, the elites educated in Hong Kong have made positive contributions and impacts on both Hong Kong and the mainland. Since the Republic of China era, it has been common for mainland talents to come to Hong Kong for education, and writer Zhang Ailing once studied at HKU. Therefore, reviving the tradition and using Hong Kong's educational resources to serve and cultivate global youth talents, including those from the mainland, is undoubtedly an excellent way to benefit society, future generations, and all parties involved.
On the other hand, besides cultural value and social significance, the economic driving effect of study-abroad education is also evident. Taking the United Kingdom as an example, international master's students' tuition fees have become an important source of income for British universities. According to a survey by The Daily Telegraph, postgraduate education generates 6 billion British pounds in revenue for British universities annually, accounting for one-eighth of their total income. This proportion has been rising over the past seven years, from 2.2 billion British pounds (6.2% of total income) in the 2016/17 academic year to 13.1% today.
Moreover, Hong Kong must seize the current opportunity and expedite its efforts to establish itself as an "Education Hub." Studying in the United States was previously the preferred choice for overseas study among mainland families of middle-class and above, and the number of Chinese students in the United States has been steadily increasing. For instance, in 2018, there were 360,000 mainland students in the United States, accounting for 33% of all international students there. However, due to the pandemic over the following three years and significant rises in prices in the United States, particularly influenced by Sino-US geopolitical factors, many families are now considering not prioritizing the United States for their children's education. The return of overseas students has emerged as a new trend, presenting an opportunity for Hong Kong. According to the author's observations, Hong Kong universities are increasingly recognized on the mainland and have even become the preferred choice for many families: they offer a way for children to avoid intense competition, receive quality education comparable to mainland "985" and "211" universities, and are more economical compared to studying in the United States or the United Kingdom. These parents also believe that this option allows them to avoid the significant uncertainties associated with Sino-US conflicts. Hong Kong university degrees are highly popular and facilitate job seeking and employment on the mainland.
From the enrollment practices in recent years, it is evident that there are more and more mainland students at Hong Kong universities, and studying in Hong Kong has become a widely recognized pathway for further education among mainland families. Therefore, there should be no concerns about student recruitment. For Hong Kong, the biggest challenge is whether it can create more job opportunities in the future to retain this new generation of talented individuals who have come here out of admiration so that they can not only "study" but also "stay".
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