The construction industry has been a major contributor to economic growth in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland for many years. As a result, there is an increasing demand for quantity and building surveyors in the region.
For those unsure as to what these surveyors do, a brief job description may be helpful.
Quantity surveyors manage all the costs relating to building and civil engineering projects. These range from initial estimates to final overall expenditure. They aim to minimise the costs of a project while still meeting statutory building regulations and quality standards.
Building surveyors might provide professional advice on site, relating to the construction of new buildings or in relation to the continuing care of existing structures. So they could give advice on buildings at different stages of their existence, such as their design, maintenance, repair, refurbishment and sometimes the restoration of buildings of architectural or historic importance.
For such a pivotal industry for economic growth, it may seem surprising to learn that none of the universities in Hong Kong offer master's level courses in surveying.
However, HKCyberU (the e-learning arm of Polytechnic University) seeks to meet this demand by offering an internationally recognised MSc in surveying, completed via distance learning, through its partnership with the College of Estate Management (CEM) in Britain.