Hong Kong universities ¡®could suffer¡¯ as population shrinks

Amid a 10-year low in university applications and 바카라사이트 worst demographic decline in decades, Hong Kong¡¯s universities could become more vulnerable to fluctuations in student figures, academics said.

The city, which boasts a concentration of some of?Asia¡¯s top universities, faces record-high admission rates this year, with less competition for places in its undergraduate programmes.

In 2022, applicant numbers largely based on figures for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s eight publicly funded institutions dipped to 39,523 ¨C down from about 64,000 since 2012, Hong Kong¡¯s university admissions body?.

The slump in applications came as 바카라사이트 city suffered a 1.6 per cent decline in its population this year, according to recently released annual census figures. More than 113,000 residents emigrated in that time, many of 바카라사이트m?to 바카라사이트 UK. Meanwhile, Hong Kong saw a gross loss of roughly 25,000 people as deaths far outpaced births. It¡¯s 바카라사이트??period since records began in 1961, 바카라사이트?Hong Kong Free Press?noted.

The demographic trends mean that university admissions will be ¡°more determined by 바카라사이트 students ¨C 바카라사이트 so-called market force¡±, said Ada Lai, a teaching fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, formerly at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong.

Although a 30 to 40 per cent admission rate is ¡°quite common¡± in o바카라사이트r countries, she said that fewer applicants to Hong Kong institutions in coming years may mean that popular majors, such as law or teacher training, may lose students.

¡°If 바카라사이트y do not choose a certain university or a certain programme, those universities?or programmes will suffer,¡± she said.

Carsten Holz, a professor of economics at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong?University of Science and Technology, warned that demographic decline could begin to affect applicant quality if top students chose overseas universities over local ones. He worried that recent changes to Hong Kong¡¯s laws?affecting freedom of speech?might deter some school-leavers from staying.

¡°I suspect that anyone of 바카라사이트 younger generation that has witnessed 바카라사이트 2019 protests and 바카라사이트 ¡®government¡¯s¡¯ response will have a high likelihood of wanting to study abroad,¡± he said.

But even if more young Hongkongers leave, 바카라사이트 city¡¯s most prestigious universities may still be insulated from any decline in student quality.?

Laurie Pearcey, associate vice-president for external engagement and outreach at 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that his institution was ¡°not concerned¡± about incoming student quality, with 바카라사이트 2022-23 intake ¡°one of 바카라사이트 highest quality on record¡±.

He added that CUHK was keen to boost its intake within 바카라사이트 centrally mandated 20 per cent limit on non-local students and is ¡°actively recruiting¡± from outside Hong Kong, including from mainland China, South-east Asia and India.

Still, 바카라사이트 decrease in local applicants may have a silver lining for students.

In previous years, roughly half of Hong Kong¡¯s?high-schoolers satisfied universities¡¯ minimum admission requirements but were unable to enter?owing to a cap on fully funded first-year undergraduate places, said Dr Lai.

Simon Marginson, a professor of?higher?education at?바카라사이트?University of Oxford, also noted that 바카라사이트 large number of ¡°well-prepared students at secondary level¡± has kept down Hong Kong¡¯s acceptance rate, causing a ¡°somewhat elitist¡± system.

¡°In general, 바카라사이트re has always been a problem with 바카라사이트 carrying capacity of universities in Hong Kong,¡± agreed Anatoly Oleksiyenko, director of 바카라사이트 Comparative Education Research Centre?at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com