Impressive achievements by Hong Kong students at a Welsh university have prompted the introduction of a bursary scheme as the university tries to attract more of the city's top students and strengthen its links with local universities. Swansea University - part of the University of Wales - is offering Hong Kong undergraduate and postgraduate students discounts on tuition fees and accommodation. Vice-chancellor Richard Davies said the bursary scheme was already operating in Malaysia and Singapore and would be extended to Hong Kong because of the academic success of Hong Kong students at Swansea. 'They have been doing better than our own students from the UK,' he said, adding that engineering, computer science and business management were the most popular courses for Hong Kong students. Next year, the bursary scheme will charge undergraduate and postgraduate students GBP9,100 (HK$135,044) for each year of study. The cost is fixed for the duration of the student's studies. Swansea has 1,000 international students, including 180 students from Hong Kong and 600 from the mainland. 'We want to develop that because we believe that in the future the people you have done a degree with, if you go to an international university, are going to be your contacts for the rest of your life,' Professor Davies said. Swansea University, which began working with mainland institutions six years ago, is also trying to build on its research links, staff and student exchanges with Chinese institutes. Professor Davies also travelled to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Hebei University and met Ministry of Education officials in Beijing. Staff from Swansea's engineering department are expected to visit the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei province next summer. Meanwhile, the University of Sheffield is also trying to strengthen links with its Hong Kong counterparts in the field of social sciences. Michael Kenny, head of Sheffield's politics department, visited Hong Kong this week to explore joint research and teaching activities, and collaborations between Sheffield and Hong Kong students. Professor Kenny said it was important that Sheffield worked with its international partners to establish links that would enhance the educational environments and research cultures of both parties. Visit www.swansea.ac.ul/international