Head of HKU Space defends associate degrees as HK$30,000 subsidy targets others

The principal of one of Hong Kong’s biggest providers of the frequently debated associate degree programme is defending its role in higher education, arguing it offers students a quality learning experience and a second chance to enter public universities.

The comments by Professor Chan Lung-sang, of HKU Space Community College, came as the new administration planned to review the positioning of associate degrees, and days before 20,000 secondary school graduates who met the basic requirement to enter these eight universities find out whether they secured a place.

The competition is fierce, with only 15,000 first-year government-funded undergraduate seats available. Those who are unsuccessful typically opt for self-financing degree programmes or sub-degree programmes, such as the more academically focused associate degree and the more vocation-oriented higher diploma.

“The government’s stance is very clear. The HK$30,000 is to help the self-financing institutions [instead of students] that are not doing well financially, and students enrolled in self-financing courses [at public universities] cannot benefit,” he said.