Promoting unique qualities of Hong Kong can attract students from abroad

Hong Kong legislators and university administrators must still believe the hype around Hong Kong styling itself as “Asia’s world city”.

This is, of course, no longer true and it may only ever have been true at the level of international investment and banking. It was never the case in terms of local population or student population.

I have tried many times to get collaborations going with universities in Ireland and the UK. When I meet international office representatives from these international universities, they want to know how creating expensive collaborations will be seen to boost the country’s economy.

Educational links are created most often now for the purposes of industry and technology opportunities for the national economies.

International officers tell me that students may have their eyes on some Chinese universities, given the supposed economic rise of China, but that most would still rather go to mid-range US universities. Hong Kong is never mentioned by students and international office staff fail to see how they can sell links with Hong Kong universities in terms of boosting industry and technology collaboration.