Schools build programmes to match changes in demand
As Hong Kong increasingly becomes a knowledge-based society, more people are seeing life-long education as a prerequisite for remaining competitive in the work market.
The Chinese University Of Hong Kong's graduate school has seen a continuous rise in the number of applicants for several years, according to assistant registrar Chris Wan. For the 2003-04 year, about 15,000 applications were received, two thirds for taught programmes.
The University of Hong Kong reports a constant figure of about 9,000 applications per year since 2000, compared to 4,000 in 1997. City University of Hong Kong says its available data does not suggest a decline in applications, while Lingnan University says the number of applications for its research postgraduate programmes has increased substantially in recent years.
The popularity of postgraduate degree programmes changes in line with market cycles. The information technology and e-commerce boom a few years ago led to an increase in the number of applications for related programmes but these have since levelled out, according to Ms Wan.
'Fortunately, we still have a steady group of applicants for subjects such as e-business management and e-commerce technologies,' she says.
Vice-president (Academic) at the Open University of Hong Kong, Danny Shek-nam Wong, agrees, saying expertise in IT management will always be needed, so applications in certain areas such as e-commerce will continue to be in demand.
