After the U.S. government suddenly announced that Harvard University would disqualify international students, many international students who originally planned to go to the U.S. to further their studies have been caught in a difficult situation. At the same time, the universities in Hong Kong have acted swiftly to provide transfer opportunities and support, hoping to attract these outstanding students to come to Hong Kong for development, and making Hong Kong a new choice for international students to study in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Secretary for Education, Christine Choi, said that the authorities have immediately contacted the local universities to appeal for all-round assistance, and liaised with the Harvard alumni association in Hong Kong to ensure that students admitted by Harvard can receive proper arrangements and comprehensive support.
The Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) also emphasized that it will continue to keep a close watch on the development of the incident and adjust the support package according to the needs, so as to realize Hong Kong's advantageous position as an international education hub.
According to the EDB, Hong Kong has five of the world's top 100 universities and ranks among the top five in the world in terms of education competitiveness. To attract more international students to study in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government has increased the quota for non-local students in publicly-funded institutions to 40%, and expanded the number of scholarships and the PhD funding scheme to enhance the attractiveness of Hong Kong to top students from around the world.
Universities in Hong Kong Offer Special Scholarships to Harvard Students
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has responded quickly by taking the lead in inviting Harvard international students, offering a streamlined admission process, unconditional acceptance and academic support. The university has set up a dedicated team to assist with credit transfer, housing and visa arrangements, and has set up a dedicated contact mailbox to ensure a smooth transition for transfer students.
The City University of Hong Kong has also indicated that it will proactively support the affected Harvard students by setting up the "CityU President's scholarship scheme" for doctoral students, which covers tuition fees and accommodation expenses. In addition, CityU has invited the students' original supervising professors to act as co-supervisors to ensure that their research work and academic progress will not be affected.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University welcomes students from Harvard and other prestigious US universities to continue their studies in Hong Kong, and offers a wide range of support, including scholarships, to help students complete the transfer process quickly.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong has reiterated its internationalization mission, welcoming students from all over the world to apply for the programme and facilitating seamless articulation of their studies.
The Lingnan University of Hong Kong has also launched the " direct Transfer", a dedicated application page and personalized transfer credit policy for students studying in the United States, which is particularly attractive to Chinese students in the United States, providing them with flexible admission opportunities and helping them integrate smoothly into Hong Kong's diversified international campus.
Students Might Be Forced to Return Home as U.S. Revokes Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program Accreditation
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it is revoking Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) accreditation, prohibiting Harvard from recruiting international students and making it necessary for existing international students to seek transfer. The move has aroused concern and controversy in various sectors.
According to Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po, a number of Chinese students said that the policy came out of nowhere and disrupted their original plans to study in the US. Moreover, since the application season is over and most prestigious schools have limited enrollment, many students are afraid that they will not be able to transfer to other schools immediately, or even face the plight of being forced to return to their home countries.
According to students, after the announcement of the policy, Harvard's student service line has been busy for a long time. Some students have contacted other schools in the hope of transferring to another school. Sources say that Harvard is expected to regain its international enrollment status if it submits a complete record of international students within 72 hours, but the outcome is not yet clear.
Related News:
Harvard University admissions ban affects Belgium's future queen
Watch This | Not a cent less! Trump refuses to cut trillions from military budget
Comment