https://www.scmp.com/rss/323207/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ken Ip Ken Ip The numbers tell a revealing story. The city’s eight publicly funded universities, once primarily judged by academic output and global rankings, are now generating record income from knowledge transfer. Patents, licensing deals, industry partnerships. These are not side activities. They are becoming core business lines. Universities are no longer just custodians of knowledge. They are active market participants, packaging and monetising it. Around them, an ecosystem is forming. Student hostels... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350074/hong-kongs-education-hub-cannot-be-one-market-wonder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350074/hong-kongs-education-hub-cannot-be-one-market-wonder?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong authorities are doubling down on safeguards and guidance on fronts ranging from state security to national education, and understandably so. The revised school curriculum guide seeking to make children as young as six “feel proud to be Chinese” and gain a basic understanding of national affairs might be perceived as another aggressive step in this regard, but it is part of a broader drive to close the gaps stemming from inadequacies over the decades. Compared with the 2021 version, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350978/new-curriculum-guide-will-bolster-national-identity-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3350978/new-curriculum-guide-will-bolster-national-identity-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:45:07 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu The number of Hong Kong secondary school leavers pursuing higher studies outside the city fell to a 14-year low in 2025, with an expert attributing the trend to a surge in mainland Chinese students targeting local universities. Only 2,671 students, or 6.5 per cent of 40,948 Form Six graduates pursuing full-time courses, chose to study outside Hong Kong last year, a survey by the Education Bureau showed. The number was a 13 per cent drop from the 2024 figure of 3,061 and the lowest since... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350925/number-hong-kong-school-leavers-seeking-education-elsewhere-hits-14-year-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350925/number-hong-kong-school-leavers-seeking-education-elsewhere-hits-14-year-low?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:22:09 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Despite China’s stronger-than-expected first-quarter economic growth, young jobseekers found little respite as March brought a rise in youth unemployment across urban areas, snapping six straight months of decline. The jobless rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, edged up to 16.9 per cent in March from 16.1 per cent in February, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. The job market, weighed down by deflationary pressures and external... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350813/chinas-youth-unemployment-crunch-deepens-record-graduation-season-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350813/chinas-youth-unemployment-crunch-deepens-record-graduation-season-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:53:36 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Janusz Pawliszyn, the 71-year-old recipient of the Chemical Institute of Canada’s highest honour and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, has joined Guangzhou’s Sun Yat-sen University, the institution announced on April 9. Pawliszyn has supervised more than 110 master’s and doctoral students as well as nearly 200 postdoctoral students and visiting scholars, many of them from China. Ouyang Gangfeng was one of them. From 2004 to 2005, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Pawliszyn’s laboratory. He... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350619/canada-research-chair-chemist-janusz-pawliszyn-joins-chinese-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350619/canada-research-chair-chemist-janusz-pawliszyn-joins-chinese-university?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard French sociologist Émile Durkheim described the classroom as society’s “great workshop”: a place where collective values are forged and passed between generations. It is here that the core lessons of social life, acceptance of others and respect for differences, are meant to take root. For too many LGBTQ students in Hong Kong, however, reality has often fallen short of that ideal. Liam Mak, co-founder and co-director of Quarks, the city’s first support network for transgender youth, describes... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3350488/how-hong-kongs-students-and-educators-are-reshaping-lgbt-inclusivity-classrooms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3350488/how-hong-kongs-students-and-educators-are-reshaping-lgbt-inclusivity-classrooms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu A primary school on an outlying island in Hong Kong will cease operations in the 2029-30 academic year after failing to submit a survival plan due to an insufficient number of Primary One pupils for next year. CCC Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School will also be the first of 15 under-enrolled schools barred from operating subsidised Primary One classes from September. A spokeswoman for the Education Bureau said on Friday that the school did not apply for any survival options despite being... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350415/hong-kong-primary-school-close-2029-over-primary-one-enrolment-shortfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350415/hong-kong-primary-school-close-2029-over-primary-one-enrolment-shortfall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:38:56 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Hong Kong authorities expect students as young as six to “feel proud to be Chinese” and to have a basic understanding of national affairs, according to a revamped guide on values education stressing patriotism. The 2026 Values Education Curriculum Framework, published by the Education Bureau on Thursday, applies to all government, aided, special and private schools, as well as those under the Direct Subsidy Scheme. The framework was prepared by the Standing Committee on Values Education, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350358/hong-kong-students-young-6-should-feel-proud-be-chinese-learning-guide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350358/hong-kong-students-young-6-should-feel-proud-be-chinese-learning-guide?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:54:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A leading Indonesian university suspended 16 law students on Thursday after a sexually explicit group chat about their female peers went viral, sparking a debate about gender violence in the Muslim-majority country. Screenshots of a conversation among 16 male students at the University of Indonesia were posted on social media this week, eliciting shock and anger from female peers and a wider societal discussion. The university said in a statement on Thursday it had suspended the young men for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350283/university-indonesia-suspends-16-law-students-sexually-explicit-group-chat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:08:26 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A Japanese court on Tuesday sentenced a former teacher to two years in prison for taking indecent images of pupils and sharing them on social media, making him the first among members of an alleged teachers’ voyeurism ring to receive a prison sentence in a high-profile case that came to light last year. The Nagoya District Court handed down the sentence to Katsuya Ishikawa, 28, who was a teacher at a junior high school in Hayama, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the time of his arrest in September. Judge... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350058/japan-jails-ex-teacher-sharing-voyeuristic-student-images?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:14:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A former student opened fire at a high school in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people, before killing himself, an official said. The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, fired randomly inside a vocational high school in Siverek, Sanliurfa province. He later killed himself with the same shotgun after being “cornered by police”, Governor Hasan Sildak said. The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer hurt, Sildak said. While most... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350044/turkey-school-shooting-wounds-16-attacker-dead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350044/turkey-school-shooting-wounds-16-attacker-dead?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:21:50 +0000 Kelly Fung Kelly Fung Hong Kong students sitting the citizenship and social development paper in university entrance exams on Tuesday were tested on the “one country, two systems” governing principle, as well as contemporary topics such as e-commerce, online influencers and the new economy. About 50,300 candidates sat the paper for the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) this year, up from 48,000 last year. While foundational national education concepts remained central to the paper, educators noted a noticeable... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350036/dse-citizenship-exam-tests-students-social-awareness-and-national-principles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3350036/dse-citizenship-exam-tests-students-social-awareness-and-national-principles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:54:39 +0000 Meredith Chen,Fan Chen Meredith Chen,Fan Chen The US drive to reduce reliance on China for rare earths and critical minerals will take more than fixing resource and processing gaps, experts say, noting that the decisive factor would be talent. Eroding industrial know-how, a weak education pipeline, and the lack of a consistent long-term strategy could complicate US ambitions to become a mining powerhouse and rival or even surpass China, they warned. Rare earth supplies are expected to be on the agenda when US President Donald Trump and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349894/compete-china-us-needs-rebuild-rare-earth-talent-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349894/compete-china-us-needs-rebuild-rare-earth-talent-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China has launched a national action plan to embed AI across its education system, in a strategic push to future-proof its workforce amid intensifying global competition in advanced technologies. The “AI+ Education” action plan, unveiled by the Ministry of Education and four other ministerial-level bodies, mandates the integration of artificial intelligence at every stage of learning – from primary schools to lifelong education. The initiative builds on China’s long-term education plan to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349832/amid-fierce-global-competition-china-launches-national-plan-boost-ai-education?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:57:32 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Promotional posters for the horror film Aku Harus Mati (“I Must Die”) have been taken down in parts of Indonesia after sparking backlash from child protection experts, who say the campaign’s stark language and imagery are especially alarming amid what officials have called a “child suicide emergency”. The row has struck a nerve in a country where concerns over child mental health and suicidal ideation have been mounting, turning what might otherwise have been dismissed as provocative horror... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349702/indonesia-horror-film-posters-trigger-child-suicide-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3349702/indonesia-horror-film-posters-trigger-child-suicide-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:25 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Like their local counterparts, international schools in Hong Kong are also facing difficulties in enrolment amid changing demographics. The latest revelation that eight international school operators, including the city’s largest, the English Schools Foundation (ESF), have failed to meet the non-local admission targets is not surprising. It underlines the challenges Hong Kong faces as it strives to enhance its international appeal to expatriates. According to the Education Bureau, the proportion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349611/making-hong-kong-desirable-overseas-students-must-be-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349611/making-hong-kong-desirable-overseas-students-must-be-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:15:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Nepal has ordered private schools to stop double-charging fees, repay illegally collected ones and clearly publish their pricing structures, reopening a debate about education costs that runs across South Asia. From Dhaka to Delhi, parents have long complained that private schools charge too much and operate with too little oversight, inviting questions about whether governments should try to rein them in, improve state schools, or do both. Nepal’s Ministry of Education issued directives this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349666/nepals-school-fee-crackdown-upends-south-asian-private-education-norms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349666/nepals-school-fee-crackdown-upends-south-asian-private-education-norms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Philippine call centre industry is a juggernaut, employing over a million and generating billions in revenue. Its workers’ voices are a familiar sound for callers from around the world, the nation’s deep pool of English speakers underpinning the country’s rise into a global hub for customer service outsourcing. Artificial intelligence is shaping up to be a huge disruptive force but another, more insidious problem is emerging – an education system that is producing graduates who were never... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349321/could-philippines-declining-literacy-affect-its-status-help-desk-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349321/could-philippines-declining-literacy-affect-its-status-help-desk-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:29:06 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Eight international school operators in Hong Kong, including the city’s largest group, failed to admit enough non-local students this academic year, breaching their pledge to the government. The English Schools Foundation (ESF) said it had been increasing the proportion of “non-local passport holders” since the end of the pandemic, but noted it might take several years to return to mandated levels after being allowed to admit more local students during that period. The Education Bureau told the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349156/esf-among-8-international-school-operators-failed-meet-non-local-student-targets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3349156/esf-among-8-international-school-operators-failed-meet-non-local-student-targets?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Andrea Lo Andrea Lo Hong Kong’s international schools talk a great deal about preparing students for university. Increasingly, they are also building spaces with this in mind. Rather than functioning simply as a backdrop to academic programmes, the physical environment is envisioned as a tool to shape behaviour. In new campuses, students are encouraged to practise independence, engage in collaborative work and build the self-management skills they will need beyond school. Stamford American School’s West Kowloon... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3348636/how-hong-kong-schools-are-transforming-mirror-university-style-spaces?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3348636/how-hong-kong-schools-are-transforming-mirror-university-style-spaces?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:15:07 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu A US church that co-founded a prestigious Hong Kong international school has said it will take the lead in searching for a new head as the operator had failed to nominate candidates since 2022, accusing it of creating the “risk of leadership interruption” in the latest salvo in a war of words. The move by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) was revealed in a letter to parents on Sunday from Hong Kong International School (HKIS) management, which called the search part of church actions... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3348702/us-church-launches-search-new-hkis-school-head-amid-legal-row-operator?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3348702/us-church-launches-search-new-hkis-school-head-amid-legal-row-operator?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:10:49 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong (MAIHK) and Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) latest survey is a wake-up call: 43.5 per cent of Gen Z respondents reported moderate to severe depression. Researchers also found a positive correlation between screen time and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348107/start-early-connect-deeply-addressing-gen-zs-mental-health-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3348107/start-early-connect-deeply-addressing-gen-zs-mental-health-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Aidyn Fitzpatrick Aidyn Fitzpatrick Elise Phillipson was 45 when she returned to university, on what she calls her “second or third life”. She had first studied hotel management; as a nine-year-old growing up in Hong Kong, she asked her father what she should be, and he suggested she work in a hotel. In adulthood, she retrained as an English teacher, married and raised two children. By the time her youngest started primary school, she found herself wondering again what occupation was right for her. Her husband urged her to look at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347949/therapy-coaching-perfect-midlife-career-change-how-many-are-finding-new-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3347949/therapy-coaching-perfect-midlife-career-change-how-many-are-finding-new-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s Baptist University plans to spin off its School of Continuing Education (SCE) as a private university of applied sciences (UAS) next year, according to its president. Unveiling the plan at a media briefing on Thursday, Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong said a private institution would be more agile and responsive to societal changes than public universities, which often face lengthy funding approvals. “HKBU [Hong Kong Baptist University] will spare no effort to ensure the success of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347998/hong-kong-baptist-university-turn-one-its-schools-private?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347998/hong-kong-baptist-university-turn-one-its-schools-private?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:40:44 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Hong Kong’s low birth rate has shrunk the number of children attending school, burdening school budgets and threatening pupils’ learning. We must swiftly reform our schools for a brighter educational and economic future. Since 2012, Hong Kong’s crude birth rate has fallen most... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347817/hong-kongs-low-birth-rate-calls-swift-thoughtful-school-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347817/hong-kongs-low-birth-rate-calls-swift-thoughtful-school-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Boosting Hong Kong into a global study and talent hub is not just a mission for the government and the tertiary education sector. The latest move by local secondary schools to lure overseas students in Southeast Asia is a proactive step in this regard. While the city is still learning how to emulate British or US education systems to attract overseas students, it stands out in the region thanks to its unique East-meets-West background, international outlook, political stability and proximity to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347809/local-schools-outreach-overseas-students-boost-education-hub-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347809/local-schools-outreach-overseas-students-boost-education-hub-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:15:11 +0000 Rina Lai Rina Lai For most of my career in developmental and educational psychology, I have been guided by a single question: what do children truly need to flourish in the world they are entering? I don’t mean the world their parents inherited or the one textbooks were designed for, but the one unfolding – volatile, technology-saturated and deeply uncertain. Eight years ago, during my PhD studies at the University of Cambridge, I was certain I was close to finding the answer; I immersed myself in building... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347072/case-spiritual-wellness-age-anxious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347072/case-spiritual-wellness-age-anxious-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The United States will face a “critical shortage” of China expertise within a decade that threatens to leave policymakers struggling to manage Washington’s most consequential strategic relationship, a report said on Monday. As China experts retire and the number of Americans studying in China sharply declines, the resulting talent gap presents a “national security and an economic competitiveness” problem, warned the report by an expert working group of the Washington-based non-profit US-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347644/us-faces-critical-shortage-china-expertise-within-decade-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347644/us-faces-critical-shortage-china-expertise-within-decade-report-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 21:53:43 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Non-local students could pay up to HK$350,000 (US$44,680) per year to study in Hong Kong’s semi-private schools after the institutions were allowed to admit them by offering additional places, with scholarships to cover some expenses. But an education consultant specialising in expatriate placements for Hong Kong schools said the charges were uncompetitive, noting the cost exceeded those of a premium British boarding school in Malaysia and Thailand. The Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS)... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347630/non-local-pupils-could-face-hk350000-fees-hong-kong-semi-private-schools?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347630/non-local-pupils-could-face-hk350000-fees-hong-kong-semi-private-schools?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:37:02 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Regal Hotels International Holdings and its units have sold the 494-room Regal Oriental Hotel for about HK$1.52 billion (US$194 million) to the real estate investment arm of Centaline Group, which operates one of Hong Kong’s largest property agency networks, to be converted into a student hostel. Regal Hotels and affiliates Century City International Holdings and Paliburg Holdings agreed to dispose of the 17-storey hotel on Sa Po Road, including two basement floors, the group said in a filing... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3347571/regals-us194-million-hotel-sale-highlights-investor-push-hong-kong-student-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3347571/regals-us194-million-hotel-sale-highlights-investor-push-hong-kong-student-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:13:39 +0000 Douglas Parkes Douglas Parkes In an increasingly globalised world, culture is the common thread that binds communities together. For over two decades, the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) has worked to weave loose local threads into a cohesive global fabric, bringing together urban centres from all over the world. Its goal is to champion creativity in a way that helps make that sometimes ambiguous force a concrete driver of sustainable development, placing it at the heart of urban policy and international... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s shrinking school-age population continues to put the education system to the test, with more subsidised institutions facing the axe or being forced to go private or merge with others. The closure option, once regarded as a last resort, is fast becoming an inevitable fate rather than an exception. A smooth transition, or a “soft landing”, looks increasingly difficult as more schools find themselves on the brink amid intensifying consolidation spurred by the city’s declining birth... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347303/struggling-hong-kong-schools-should-heed-call-plan-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347303/struggling-hong-kong-schools-should-heed-call-plan-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:45:13 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu “What if?” and “but why?” are questions I’ve been bombarded with by young schoolchildren. I’m often stumped, but I’ve learned to avoid giving the “worst” answer possible – “that’s the way it is” – because who’s to say things can’t change. Children’s ability to challenge the status quo, questioning norms and authority, forces us to re-examine our assumptions on why things must be the way they are. Adults are often too impatient to experiment with the alternative. We rush through our to-do lists... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347350/hong-kongs-education-policy-must-reflect-innovative-future-it-seeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347350/hong-kongs-education-policy-must-reflect-innovative-future-it-seeks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Trump administration filed a lawsuit on Friday against Harvard University, accusing the institution of allowing a “hostile environment” towards Jewish and Israeli students during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus from 2023 to 2025. President Donald Trump has launched an offensive against major American universities, accusing them of giving free rein on their campuses to pro-Palestinian movements in the face of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, action which he equates with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/politics/article/3347411/us-government-sues-harvard-over-anti-israel-protests-cites-hostile-environment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 05:27:23 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin In 2012, American Jesse Appell stepped off a plane in China on a Fulbright scholarship to study an unusual subject: the art of Chinese comedy. Over the next few years, Appell, then in his 20s, found himself telling jokes in clubs across China, studying traditional comedy under a master, and even appearing on television. The country’s comedy scene and cultural footprint expanded in ways he could not have predicted – and Appell was along for the ride. “There were so many opportunities to be a part... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347393/fulbright-scholar-xiangsheng-comic-how-jesse-appell-found-his-voice-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3347393/fulbright-scholar-xiangsheng-comic-how-jesse-appell-found-his-voice-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 18:56:37 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa On World Obesity Day, March 4, Hong Kong launched its first three-year action plan on weight management targeting rising obesity rates. Citing a Report of Population Health Survey 2020–22 conducted by the Department of Health, the government noted that over 50 per cent of Hong Kong’s adult population is overweight or obese based on their Body Mass Index. “It’s heartening to see the government taking steps to build a healthy community that promotes nutrition education and regular exercise,” said... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347273/hong-kong-governments-plan-answer-obesity-or-eating-disorder-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3347273/hong-kong-governments-plan-answer-obesity-or-eating-disorder-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:15:12 +0000 William Yiu,Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen William Yiu,Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s Baptist University placed a big bet when it told the government in 2023 that it was interested in moving its campus from the upmarket Kowloon Tong residential area to a proposed new academic town near the mainland Chinese border. The 70-year-old university’s move to the Northern Metropolis megaproject will mean giving up a prime site for a spot where most of the land has yet to be prepared for construction, although its proximity to mainland tech hub Shenzhen and the Lok Ma Chau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347197/too-slow-hong-kongs-new-university-town-faces-questions-over-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347197/too-slow-hong-kongs-new-university-town-faces-questions-over-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:30:07 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China’s urban youth unemployment rate fell in February for the sixth consecutive month, though the marginal improvement provides little reprieve for jobseekers in a challenging post-holiday labour market. The jobless rate for the 16-to-24 age group, excluding students, edged down to 16.1 per cent in February from 16.3 per cent in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday. The figure has been gradually declining since August, when a record 12.2 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346838/chinas-youth-unemployment-falls-sixth-consecutive-month-february?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:57:31 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s education ministry has launched a campaign to combat sexual misconduct by teachers and revised regulations against voyeurism, following the arrest of seven male educators for filming students without consent and sharing the footage on social media. A law aimed at preventing sexual misconduct in schools took effect in 2022, but the offences prompted further revisions. The ministry intends to update teachers on the rules, including the dismissal and prosecution of those who take... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347065/japan-gets-tough-against-teachers-sexual-misconduct-voyeurism-after-arrests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3347065/japan-gets-tough-against-teachers-sexual-misconduct-voyeurism-after-arrests?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 03:00:08 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Fifteen Hong Kong public primary schools are at risk of closing after being banned from operating subsidised Primary One classes in the coming academic year due to insufficient enrolment, with authorities saying the figure is the highest in recent years. But Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin also warned on Tuesday that more closures were expected if school operators refused to plan for mergers. The institutions at risk comprise one government and 14 subsidised schools, with Deputy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3346926/15-hong-kong-schools-risk-closure-falling-numbers-trigger-primary-one-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3346926/15-hong-kong-schools-risk-closure-falling-numbers-trigger-primary-one-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:10:34 +0000 The Star The Star Not only was he punched repeatedly by a peer, a Malaysian student at a secondary school in Kuching, Sarawak, was caned and forced to write a note admitting his mistake, China Press reported. Angered at how the case was handled, the boy’s mother shared the incident on social media and lodged a police report. The incident took place last Thursday when another student allegedly grabbed her son’s leg and caused him to fall. The victim’s mother said the aggressor then sat on top of her son before... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346867/malaysian-mother-furious-after-school-punishes-bullied-son-caning-weeding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346867/malaysian-mother-furious-after-school-punishes-bullied-son-caning-weeding?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The Hong Kong Initiative for Diversity recently hosted a forum, “Building Bridges: Challenges and Solutions for Nepali Residents in Hong Kong”, bringing together educators, academics, entrepreneurs, Nepali community members and local Chinese residents for an honest discussion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3346740/how-hong-kong-can-better-support-its-nepali-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3346740/how-hong-kong-can-better-support-its-nepali-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu In the second of a two-part series on AI in Hong Kong, Oscar Liu reports on how society, from government and companies to institutions and individuals, is scrambling to embrace AI, as work itself gets redefined. Keith Li King-wah’s business once thrived during the 2010s. In a crowded field of more than 100 rivals, his programming consultancy, Innopage, easily secured contracts worth hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars to develop basic digital tools, such as a mortgage calculator, for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346561/hong-kongs-bid-win-ai-where-are-road-map-and-guardrails?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346561/hong-kongs-bid-win-ai-where-are-road-map-and-guardrails?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 00:30:12 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Nearly five decades ago, in 1978, a dozen or so professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) were on a mission to visit their American counterparts as well as research institutes and factories across the United States. The visit, said to be personally approved by then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, was designed to forge academic ties and led to sister-school agreements with four prestigious US universities, including the University of Michigan (UM). It was a pivotal moment in academic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345807/us-universities-retreat-china-partnerships-who-filling-academic-void?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345807/us-universities-retreat-china-partnerships-who-filling-academic-void?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 22:00:11 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Tung Wah College, a tertiary institution in Hong Kong known for its nursing care and allied health programmes, will undergo a combined review next month on its application to become both a private university and a university of applied sciences (UAS) and is “very confident”, its head has said. Professor Sally Chan Wai-chi, president of the 16-year-old Ho Man Tin-based college, said on Thursday that it planned to adopt the name “Tung Wah University of Hong Kong” if its application was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345609/tung-wah-college-undergo-review-april-bid-gain-university-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345609/tung-wah-college-undergo-review-april-bid-gain-university-status?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:53:24 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong Baptist University is “actively considering” issuing bonds to finance its future development, including campus redevelopment and its new Chinese medicine hospital, according to its president. But Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong also told the South China Morning Post on Thursday that the public institution would be cautious with bond issuance to avoid creating pressure on future management. “Our university needs funding in many aspects, such as our Chinese medicine hospital and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345579/hong-kong-baptist-university-may-issue-bonds-finance-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345579/hong-kong-baptist-university-may-issue-bonds-finance-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:07:34 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun Beijing should increase investment in early childhood education and lifelong learning as AI reshapes the world’s largest labour market, a prominent Chinese economist has said. The real policy test for China is whether it can shift decisively from investing in capital to investing in people, while policy and regulation must steer artificial intelligence (AI) towards empowering rather than replacing workers, according to Cai Fang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences focusing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345288/china-should-education-spending-help-population-adapt-ai-era-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:00:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Study and travel are both powerful ways to expand minds and shape lives. The double benefits have certainly enhanced learning opportunities for students from outside Hong Kong who attend local universities. It is good to see their ranks growing as recruitment efforts gather pace in a process that raises the bar for the city’s academic community. The city’s student outreach has been in the spotlight during “Study in Hong Kong Week”, which started on February 23. The city’s education minister... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345109/outreach-foreign-students-cements-hong-kongs-education-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3345109/outreach-foreign-students-cements-hong-kongs-education-hub-status?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:45:08 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu About 20 per cent of the 50 places in the inaugural intake of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s (HKUST) new graduate medical school in 2028-29 may be reserved for non-local students, with most expected to come from mainland China, according to the institution. Applicants for the four-year graduate entry-level medicine programme must pass an international admission test, with the university preferring those with a background in biotechnology. According to HKUST, the tuition fee... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345170/hkust-may-reserve-20-new-medical-school-inaugural-intake-non-locals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3345170/hkust-may-reserve-20-new-medical-school-inaugural-intake-non-locals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:33:23 +0000 Erica Fong Erica Fong From the classroom to the parent-teacher meeting, when it comes to achievement, one question persists: is a child’s potential written in their genes, or can it be boosted by education? The debate around nature versus nurture is especially pertinent in the context of Hong Kong’s high-stakes academic milieu – one in which students may find themselves on a predetermined track in science or the arts, regardless of their own preferences or natural talents. Experts agree that a child’s potential is... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3345153/nature-versus-nurture-unlocking-potential-hong-kongs-children?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/article/3345153/nature-versus-nurture-unlocking-potential-hong-kongs-children?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:56:50 +0000