The president of City University has expressed confidence in the future of the territory and its education system after the handover.
In a speech to a group of Chinese-American scientists in the United States, Professor Chang Hsin-kang predicted Hong Kong would prosper under Chinese rule.
The territory's research capabilities increased tremendously in the past decade despite a lack of clearly defined goals and long-term vision, he told the Conference of the Chinese Engineers and Scientists Association of Southern California.
On the question of whether the future government would acquire high technology through a well-thought-out policy, he said: 'The answer I have been able to gather from influential people is definitely 'yes'.
'Because the Special Administrative Region government consists of Hong Kong people themselves, it will, for the first time, set a policy to develop education along with science and technology that is aimed at developing the most powerful and valuable resource in Hong Kong - the human brain.
'I foresee Hong Kong, in good time, becoming, in addition to being a financial centre, the centre for science and technology in South China.