Business studies is by far the most popular subject for Hong Kong students who take undergraduate degrees at British universities, the latest enrolment figures show.
Nearly 30 per cent of the 7,260 Hong Kong undergraduates studying in Britain in 2006/07 opted for the subject, while the second-most-favoured field, engineering and technology, attracted nearly 10 per cent.
The number of Hong Kong undergraduates in Britain rose by 5 per cent in the year, up from 6,935, but the number of postgraduates fell by 4 per cent from 2,530 to 2,640.
The city was the fourth-largest contributor of non-European Union undergraduates to Britain after mainland China, the United States and Malaysia.
The figures come as applications for British first degree programmes continue to rise - up by 5 per cent this year and by nearly 25 per cent in the past four years. In 2006/07, applications rose 10.3 per cent.
'The increase in undergraduate numbers may be due to ... the strong local economy, continued limited access to sixth-form and university places in Hong Kong, the strong reputation for quality education that the UK enjoys and strong demand for teaching in English,' said Katherine Forestier, director of education services at the British Council. The council said the decline in enrolments for higher degrees could reflect increasing opportunities for postgraduate study in Hong Kong, including programmes offered locally by British universities, which rose from 628 to 660 last year.