To cope with the needs of economic restructuring and to rise to new challenges resulting from the global financial and economic crisis, the government is geared towards developing new economic pillars, including educational services. As the Task Force on Economic Challenges puts it, developing the educational services industry is a long-term investment in human resources. It points to many developed countries that compete in 'exporting education' and attracting more non-local students.
There's no doubt that Hong Kong has a strong cluster of tertiary education institutions. Making education in Hong Kong more widely available to students in the region is one way to consolidate its position as an education hub. In charting such a course, however, some fundamental issues have to be confronted.
First is the tension between meeting local needs and responding to the potential outside market. Hong Kong has no problem attracting non-local students; mainlanders make up 90 per cent of the total.
With the aid of generous entrance scholarships, local universities have been attracting top-grade students, much to the envy of mainland universities.
However, there is growing concern among some local students that their educational opportunities and benefits would be reduced if more non-local students were admitted. Some legislators are making similar complaints.
While there is a visible side of education costs, the intangible benefits from recruiting non-local students to our education system should not be overlooked. If Hong Kong, as a regional hub, is able to attract some of the best minds to study, teach and research here, it will create synergy, help lift standards, and enrich the learning and research environment, something that money cannot buy.
Local students who have had the opportunity to go overseas on exchanges or internships can attest to the immense benefit of studying and living on a cosmopolitan and multicultural campus. The same applies to the internationalisation of local campuses.
