HK Mensa suffering brain drain

Hong Kong Mensa is suffering a brain drain.

The group for people with high IQs is appealing for more potential members to come forward. It now has 300 members, but the group says it has a potential membership of 140,000 in Hong Kong, on the basis that about 2 per cent of any population meets Mensa's target intelligence levels.

'This makes the current membership appear quite small,' a statement from Mensa said.

Mensa currently runs a 40-minute test, held monthly at City Hall, to test candidate members' image recognition, logical reasoning and mathematical ability. Every month about 30 people sit the test, which costs $100 ($50 for people under 21). Most are university students.

Hong Kong Mensa's acting chairman, Ron Wilson, hoped more could take the test. About 80 per cent of Hongkongers who take the test pass it - higher than in most countries. He said Hong Kong people tended to do well as many were mathematically minded and used to pattern recognition because of their use of Chinese characters.

'It needs to be borne in mind that the majority will not come for a test unless they are reasonably confident. Hong Kong people tend to be quite shy of coming forward,' he said.