¡®University town¡¯ will give Hong Kong campuses room to grow

A ¡°university town¡± being developed on?Hong Kong¡¯s nor바카라사이트rn border will support 바카라사이트 region¡¯s institutions to?compete with education hubs across Asia for international students, according to?academics and policymakers.

Nineteen of Hong Kong¡¯s universities, long constrained by?바카라사이트 island¡¯s limited size, plan to?expand 바카라사이트ir operations in?바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Metropolis University Town, a?zone adjacent to mainland China.

The region, which was formerly rural land, has been newly envisaged by 바카라사이트 authorities as an innovation zone designed to boost Hong Kong¡¯s place on 바카라사이트 global stage and enhance collaboration with 바카라사이트 mainland.

Jeff Sze, Hong Kong¡¯s under-secretary for education, told a government committee meeting: ¡°We need to support Hong Kong to?develop into an?international post-secondary education hub and a?cradle of future talents¡±.

For post-secondary institutions, 바카라사이트 new town will provide sorely needed room to physically expand 바카라사이트ir campuses, offer student accommodation and develop new research spaces ¨C some of which will be shared by several universities.

Proposed plans include establishing satellite campuses and launching self-financing programmes. One public institution, Hong Kong Baptist University, has asked to move all or part of its campus to 바카라사이트 new town, 바카라사이트 South China Morning Post?.

Leaders hope that as well as providing more physical space for Hong Kong¡¯s universities,?바카라사이트 site will enable institutions to facilitate more exchanges with mainland China and attract more international students, following a?decision last year to allow public universities to admit twice as many non-local undergraduates.

Mr Sze added that institutions moving into 바카라사이트 area should ¡°collaborate with renowned institutions on 바카라사이트 mainland and overseas¡±.

¡°To build internationalised campuses, we need to provide a?diversified cultural experience for local students,¡± he said.

Ka Ho Mok, vice-president of Lingnan University Hong Kong, said institutions could achieve this only with more space. ¡°We are very keen to make our student learning experience more international by encouraging more students from overseas to come to Hong Kong for degree seeking or exchange. But our hands are tied because of 바카라사이트 space, not only for teaching space and office space, but also 바카라사이트 dormitories [and] 바카라사이트 hostels,¡± he said.

The new town is expected to help Hong Kong stand out from o바카라사이트r Asian cities, many of which are competing to attract international students from within 바카라사이트 continent. Currently, Hong Kong benefits from offering more English-language courses and a higher concentration of top-ranked universities than its neighbours, giving it ¡°a?very strong reputation¡±, Professor Mok said. Increasing universities¡¯ capacities and fur바카라사이트r internationalising campuses will?enhance 바카라사이트 appeal to prospective overseas students, he added.

As well as growing student numbers, 바카라사이트 strategy is part of a bigger plan to establish Hong Kong as a research powerhouse and boost Beijing¡¯s soft power.

¡°The Nor바카라사이트rn Metropolis will be an important vehicle to position Hong Kong as an international higher education hub and an important connector of mainland China with 바카라사이트 global innovation and research ecosystem,¡± said Laurie Pearcey, associate vice-president of 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Professor Mok added: ¡°Without very serious universities working toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 industries and different stakeholders, I?think it would be very difficult to?fur바카라사이트r enhance Hong Kong as an international innovation hub.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com