HK universities that open doors to mainland students
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong opening its colleges to students from the Chinese mainland in 2002.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong opening its colleges to students from the Chinese mainland in 2002.
Over the years, many top performers in China's ferociously competitive national college entrance examination have opted to study at Hong Kong universities rather than top colleges in the Chinese mainland, such as Peking and Tsinghua University.
Let's take a look at some of the major universities in Hong Kong allowed to enroll students from the mainland.
1. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong was among the first batch of colleges in Hong Kong to open its doors to students in the Chinese mainland.
Founded in 1963, the Chinese University of Hong Kong has become a comprehensive research university with a global reputation.
Over the past years, as many as 2,000 students from the Chinese mainland have studied in the university.
2. City University of Hong Kong
Established in 1994, City University of Hong Kong (CityU) now has 3 colleges and 4 schools.
CityU has performed strongly in international listings. According to the 2017 ranking, CityU took the 49th spot in the world. In 2016, CityU was ranked 7th in Asia and 4th among the world's top 50 universities established less than 50 years ago.
3. The University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (or HKU) is the oldest tertiary education institution in Hong Kong.
It was first incorporated in Hong Kong as a self-governing body of scholars by the University Ordinance on March 30, 1911.
On March 11, 1912, the university officially opened, with arts, engineering and medicine becoming its first faculties. The Faculty of Medicine evolved from the Hong Kong College of Medicine, founded in 1887.
After 1945, the university underwent structural developments as post-war reconstruction efforts began in earnest.
4. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a public research university in Clear Water Bay Peninsula, Hong Kong. Established in 1991, it is one of the youngest higher learning institutions in the area.
The university consists of four disciplinary schools, which offer degrees in business and management, engineering, science, and humanities and social science, alongside the Interdisciplinary Programs Office, which provides cross-disciplinary programs.
5. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
The story of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University can be traced back to the founding of the Government Trade School in 1937. The school was the first publicly funded, post-secondary technical institution in Hong Kong.
After World War II, the school became the Hong Kong Technical College in 1947, offering both full-time and part-time courses.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic was formally established on 1 August 1972, taking over the campus and staff of the Hong Kong Technical College.
6. Hong Kong Baptist University
In 1956, Hong Kong Baptist College was founded by the Baptist Convention of Hong Kong as a post-secondary college committed to the provision of whole person education.
In 1983, the college became a fully-funded public tertiary institution. It gained university status in 1994 and was renamed Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU).
Today HKBU encompasses eight faculties/schools offering a range of undergraduate programs, associate degree and higher diploma programs as well as postgraduate programs and research postgraduate programs leading to the award of master and doctoral degrees.
7. Lingnan University
Lingnan University is the liberal arts university in Hong Kong. Its history can be dated back to 1888, when its forerunner, the Christian College in China, was founded in Guangzhou, and to 1967, when the institution, as Lingnan College, was re-established in Hong Kong.
In 2015, Lingnan University was named as one of the "Top 10 Liberal Arts College in Asia" by Forbes.
8. Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Hong Kong Shue Yan University was founded in 1971 by Dr Henry H.L. Hu and Dr Chung Chi Yung in response to serious concern over the acute shortage of tertiary places for local secondary school leavers aspiring for university education.
Shue Yan was registered under Post-secondary Colleges Ordinance in 1976 and offered a four-year diploma which was recognized as a qualification for appointment to the civil service.
The university currently offers 12 undergraduate and 6 postgraduate programs with a total student population of about 5,000.
9. The Open University of Hong Kong
The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK), formerly the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI), is the first self-financed university established by the local government offering open and distance education in Hong Kong.
The change of title, in May 1997, reflects the recognition of the university's outstanding academic standing, achievements and contributions to Hong Kong's higher education.
Since its inception in 1989, the university has striven continuously to achieve its mission of providing high quality and flexible further education opportunities for adults.
10. The Education University of Hong Kong
The Education University of Hong Kong is a publicly funded tertiary institution dedicated to the advancement of teaching and learning, through a diverse offering of academic and research programs on teacher education and complementary social sciences and humanities disciplines.
11. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, established in 1984, is a leading tertiary institution in performing arts.
It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese opera, dance, drama, film and television, music and theatre and entertainment arts.
Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning.
12. Chu Hai College of Higher Education
Chu Hai College of Higher Education traces its origins back to 1947, when a group of prominent educators founded Chu Hai University in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, with the mission of educating younger generation, helping rebuild the country soon after the World War II.
The name of the college literally means Pearl-Sea in Chinese, denoting both the original location of the college on the banks of Chu (Pearl) River, and the ideal of the college which urges its students to be as pure as pearl (Chu) and to pursue knowledge which is as deep as the sea.
In 1949, the university moved with all its teaching resources to Hong Kong and registered as Chu Hai College under the Education Ordinance with the approval given by the Director of Education Department to offer post-secondary courses to students.
