Universities have welcomed government proposals to double the proportion of non-local undergraduates to 20 per cent and allow them to work part time in Hong Kong.
Chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen this week unveiled initiatives to boost Hong Kong's economic competitiveness under the nation's 11th five-year plan, which included proposals to increase the quota of non-local full-time university students from 10 to 20 per cent of the undergraduate population.
The possibility of allowing overseas students to work part time in Hong Kong will also be studied.
While welcoming the suggestions, universities have urged the government to provide more accommodation places because of the expected rise in the number of non-local students.
However, some students have expressed concerns in an online forum, saying their access to a university education and job opportunities would be threatened. One said few mainland students would contribute to Hong Kong.