Disenchanted students look to overseas

Sixty-two per cent of Hong Kong university students want to leave the SAR and pursue careers abroad because of the poor economy and uncertainties about the future, a survey released yesterday showed.

The survey of 700 undergraduates by two think-tanks highlights an alarming lack of confidence among students.

Sixty per cent of respondents said they were distressed by Hong Kong's economic performance and 37 per cent said they were pessimistic about the future. Fifty-seven per cent were worried they might not be able to find a job after graduating.

Many graduates wanted to develop careers elsewhere. Twenty-seven per cent hoped to go to the US and 22 per cent would like to move to the mainland.

Pollster Cheng Yiu-tong, head of the Hong Kong-China Relations Strategic Research Fund, said the Government had to act to stop a brain drain. 'On average it costs the Government $700,000 to educate a university student. If they choose to leave Hong Kong after they graduate, it will be a great loss to our social resources,' he said.

'The first thing is to revive small and medium-sized enterprises in Hong Kong,' said Mr Cheng, who is to be appointed to Exco next week as a member without portfolio.