Thursday July 29, 8:33 AM
More Hong Kong students look to mainland China for higher education

(AP) For young achievers in Hong Kong, the dream universities are still Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge.

But some students are now setting their sights closer to home, considering elite mainland universities that might better prepare them for careers centered around China's booming economy.

Education in the West remains a mark of prestige in this former British colony where some people even list their academic credentials on business cards.

Shipping tycoon's son Tung Chee-hwa went to the University of Liverpool before coming back to help run the family business. Tung is now Hong Kong's government leader _ a post he took when Britain handed this former colony back to China in July 1997.

Tung's second-in command, Donald Tsang, has a master's degree from Harvard.

But Tung and Tsang are products of the colonial era, when Hong Kong thrived as a small outpost of the West stuck to the southern coast of China.

Nowadays, many Hong Kong students look north. The temporary Hong Kong recruitment center for China's Tsinghua and Peking universities was abuzz one recent afternoon with students filing in and out of a small office for interviews.

"The center of economic activity is veering toward China," declared 17-year-old Angie Ip, who is seeking admission at a top-notch Chinese university.

"Job opportunities are better in the mainland," said Christopher Lau, 18.

Tsinghua and Beida _ as Peking University is known in shorthand _ may not offer the global recognition of a Harvard or MIT. But they carry instant cachet with Chinese employers, and multinationals hiring for local positions are impressed with their graduates.

Still, an elite Chinese education has drawbacks.

Academic freedom is restricted in the social sciences, which must adhere to state-sanctioned Communist ideology. And Beida and Tsinghua teach in Chinese, not English _ the international language of business.

So there has been no drop in the thousands of Hong Kong students studying in the West.

An average of 15,500 studied in Britain every year from 1998-2001. The Hong Kong government kept the trend alive footing the bill for students who are children of civil servants _ a colonial legacy that was not changed after the 1997 handover.

The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong issued at least 3,300 student visas every year since 1997. Canada hosted an average of about 1,500 Hong Kong students every year from 2000-2002.

But while those numbers stay constant, the Chinese universities are seeing a boom in interest from young Hong Kongers.

The number of students who signed up for the Chinese university entrance exam jumped from 58 in 1990 to 464 in 2004.

And while Tsinghua only had four Hong Kong undergraduates in 1998, there were 33 in 2003.

Beida has 42 Hong Kong students enrolled for the 2004-05 academic year, though past figures were not immediately available.

Hong Kong education consultant Lily Chan, whose company hosted the Beida and Tsinghua interviews this year, said about 300 students applied and 200 were picked for interviews for 50 spots at each school.

Tuitions on the mainland are low. Beida charges about 10,000 Chinese yuan (US$1,200) a year _ a bargain for wealthy Hong Kongers who might spend more than 10 times as much on a U.S. university.

The growing stature of Chinese colleges coincides with Hong Kongers' evolving perception of China.

Locals traditionally viewed the mainland as a backwater and their northern neighbors as uncultured.

But as Hong Kong struggles with unemployment and deflation while China posts impressive growth amid capitalist reforms, the dynamic has changed. China is now bestowing favors on Hong Kong, sending more tourists its way and signing a free trade pact with the territory.

Very interesting. I deeply admire the cosmopolitanism of HK students. I have several friends from HK at Duke. Very few students from the US consider studying at overseas universities, but Hong Kongers go to the US, UK, Japan, Singapore, mainland China, you name it!

Even among the HK crowd here at SSC, there are students stuying in the UK, Canada, and the US. There is also a sizeable crowd in Australia but I don't think I've met them here. Actually, these 4 places are the typical destinations of Hong Kong students anyway. China is certainly a new market.

Cross-border deal increases study options
Teddy Ng, HK Standard

Evidence points to a surge of interest in Hong Kong from students interested in pursuing studies on the mainland after the SAR government signed an academic recognition agreement with mainland authorities last month.

More than 8,000 students visited the China Hong Kong International Education Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday.

The four-day expo featured more than 130 exhibitors from eight countries. Some 20 per cent of the exhibitors were from the mainland.

Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li signed an agreement with mainland authorities last month, confirming the reciprocal recognition of academic qualifications.

One expo exhibitor, Catch Communication director Stanley Kong, who helps students apply to Tsinghua University in Beijing and Shanghai's Jiao Tong University, said he had received about 700 applications and inquiries in the past two months, double last year's number. Results for the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination were released last month, and those for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) were released last Wednesday.

Kong said students formerly feared academic qualifications gained on the mainland would not be recognised in Hong Kong.

"But such worries have eased after the signing of this agreement,'' he said. "The government has tackled the problem, and students want to understand more about the mainland, which would help them to get a job there.

"Some of the applicants got 20 points in the HKCEE, but they gave up studying secondary six in Hong Kong and instead have opted for mainland education.''

Jinan University in Guangzhou says about 50 per cent of its students are from overseas, the majority from Hong Kong and Macau.

One student visitor to the expo, who got six points in HKCEE, said she would apply for Jinan University. "It's trendy to study on the mainland,'' she said. "The place is developing very fast. We feared in the past that mainland academic qualifications would not be recognised and we could not get a job with that. This is not the case now.''

Another student applying for Jinan, Lam Dik-woon, said: "I cannot afford to study abroad,'' she said. ``But I don't want to stay in Hong Kong because I have been in the city for a very long time and I am bored. I want to learn more.

"Students at mainland universities come from different provinces and I want to share with them.''

Meanwhile, local universities are also admitting more mainland students. The Chinese University of Hong Kong this year admitted 230 mainland students, up from 110 last year. Polytechnic University will admit 146 mainland students for the 2005-06 academic year.

The University of Hong Kong will admit 192 mainland students, Hong Kong Baptist University has admitted 68, and City University has taken 86.

17 August 2004 / 02:32 AM

St Paul's extends Beijing exchanges
Linda Yeung
9 October 2004
South China Morning Post

St Paul's Co-educational College students are being offered the opportunity to take part in exchange programmes in Beijing lasting for up to a year.

Principal Anisa Chan Wong Lai-kuen said there was a need for increased academic and cultural exchanges between mainland and local schools as increasing numbers of Hong Kong students attended universities in the mainland and vice-versa.

Dr Chan met with the principal of the secondary school attached to Tsinghua University during a heads' trip to Beijing this month. Her school signed a partnership agreement with Tsinghua in March when they agreed on collaboration in a range of areas including extensive student and teacher exchanges.

Dr Chan said: "We want to provide more diversified and productive programmes and are considering sending students on exchange programmes in Beijing for between six months and a year. This will allow students from both sides to gain an in-depth understanding of the cultures in Beijing, Hong Kong, and China at large." She said it would also help language studies.

"Such programmes are extremely valuable as they can serve as a channel to expand students' horizons and ensure they are better equipped for university studies."

But she said only lower form students were likely to benefit because of the need for senior students to prepare for examinations.

A total of 15 senior secondary students and three teachers from the Tsinghua school attended classes and took part in the annual swimming gala at St Paul's during a six-day study tour in Hong Kong that just ended. They also toured the University of Hong Kong's law and medicine faculties, the Legislative Council and the Court of Final Appeal. Parents and alumni of St Paul's helped plan the trip.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is sponsoring 170 Form Six students to take part in mainland education courses in Beijing each year under the $13 million "Hong Kong Jockey Club Award Scheme for Student Leaders of Hong Kong: National Education Course", which will run for three years.

The first will be held from December 17 to 26 at Remin University, offering visits, sharing sessions and lectures and seminars on economics, politics, science, technology and education.

Schools are invited to nominate up to two Secondary Six students before October 29. Further information is at http://www.emb.gov.hk

there's plenty of HK internation students in australia, so much that such a little popiulation of 7million people can become australia's 2nd largest source of international students!

there's plenty of HK internation students in australia, so much that such a little popiulation of 7million people can become australia's 2nd largest source of international students!

I agree, there's plenty of HK students that studies overseas, SSC members are a good example of this culture.

I wouldn't mind studying aboard somewhere in Europe. :)

Beijing university is among the top of the top universities in the world...

and that article, where's the love to Berkeley? =D

Beijing university is among the top of the top universities in the world...

and that article, where's the love to Berkeley? =D

Berkeley is nice but I find the university too radical. One of the known alumnis there from HK is

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.10.04/gifs/hung-0411.jpg

There was one time I was planning of studying fine arts at a university in Nanjing but decided to go to the US instead.

An increasing number of youngsters are being sent to camps in mainland schools during the summer break to learn Mandarin and more about Chinese culture as economic ties continue to strengthen with Hong Kong. That being said, there is still a substantial number of Hong Kong students studying abroad - some to find refuge for failing exams locally, others to further develop their strengths as high-calibre students.

That being said, as there are too many universities these days, a degree itself is meaningless without the brains and a strong backing from a reputable school.

An increasing number of youngsters are being sent to camps in mainland schools during the summer break to learn Mandarin and more about Chinese culture as economic ties continue to strengthen with Hong Kong. That being said, there is still a substantial number of Hong Kong students studying abroad - some to find refuge for failing exams locally, others to further develop their strengths as high-calibre students.

That being said, as there are too many universities these days, a degree itself is meaningless without the brains and a strong backing from a reputable school.

Yes, I strongly agree with you, I know a few students from Hong Kong who just aren't the type of students that takes education seriously :ohno: , yet, I do know a few who does and strives to get A's [95 average].

Many Hong Kong students in Canada!

Sen, you should visit Vancouver/Richmond, LOL

I must be considering bucking the trend. :) I am an Australian citizen currently looking at spending some time studying at university in Hong Kong. I am currently studying at the Uni of Adelaide in Aus. Does anyone here study at the University of Hong Kong?

^^

You may check this guy's blog - An Aussie in HK
http://www.hokwokwing.hk/

Top mainland universities ease HK student entrance
The Standard
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Top-ranked Tsinghua and Peking universities are among 63 mainland tertiary institutions that will accept Hong Kong students based on their new secondary school examination results.

Candidates sitting the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations and Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination next year are eligible for enrolment under the pilot scheme.

The universities will consider the admission of SAR students based on the local exam results - exempting them from taking the Joint Entrance Examination for Universities in the mainland, the Ministry of Education announced.

No such exemption was granted for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, which was held for the last time this year.

Vice Premier Li Keqiang announced the pilot scheme during his visit to Hong Kong in August.

An Education Bureau spokesman said yesterday the new academic structure for senior secondary education and the qualifications of the diploma examinations are "nationally accepted."

"This will not only provide an alternative route for Hong Kong students and relieve their pressure in getting entry into universities, but also help them in their career development in the mainland or Hong Kong, and nurture talent for our country," the spokesman said.

The institutions are located in 11 provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan.

Students can apply online from February 20 to March 5, and perform on-site confirmation at the China Education Exchange (HK) Centre from March 1-15.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority will provide students' exam results to the Joint Enrolment Office, and the results will be forwarded to the institutions for admission confirmation.

Institutions will announce admission results before August 3.

The Ministry of Education and the Education Bureau will jointly organize the 2011 Mainland Higher Education Expo on December 10 and 11 to help students and parents gain a better understanding of the pilot scheme.

All 63 mainland institutions that are taking part in the scheme will set up exhibition booths and organize talks at the expo, to be held at Queen Elizabeth School in Mong Kok.

Admission is free.