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Hong Kong has eight tertiary institutions which are publicly funded by the Hong Kong government’s University Grants Committee and a grant-aided performing arts academy. They are:
Chinese University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Baptist University
Hong Kong Institute of Education
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Lingnan University
University of Hong Kong
The Open University of Hong Kong and private Hong Kong Shue Yan University are self-supporting.
In recent years, higher education institutions in Hong Kong have embarked on an internationalisation drive to bring more overseas and mainland students to their campuses and to expand exchange programmes. The goal is to give students, both in Hong Kong and elsewhere, the chance to establish friendships and links with people from different cultures and to learn about alternative worldviews.
Hong Kong higher education institutions use the term “non-local” to describe overseas students and those from Mainland China.
Non-local students can study in Hong Kong as full-time undergraduates or postgraduates, or for up to a year via exchange and self-funded study abroad/visiting student arrangements. Exchanges are arranged through partnership agreements between Hong Kong institutions and their overseas or mainland counterparts. There are exchange arrangements in place with a number of UK institutions. Students can exchange in to Hong Kong for up to one year, continuing to pay tuition fees to their home institution, while Hong Kong students are able to exchange out following a similar arrangement. Academic achievements are usually recorded through credit transfer back to a student’s home institution.
Study abroad/visiting students and full-time non-local students pay tuition fees to Hong Kong institutions.
The Hong Kong academic year runs from early September to early June and is divided into two semesters.
In selecting courses, it is a good idea to keep in close contact with the Hong Kong higher institution concerned before arrival to ensure availability and suitability for overseas students. Regular courses involving translation or Chinese culture may not be available to non-Chinese speakers, and more specialised programmes, such as medicine and architecture, may be subject to different exchange arrangements. Some institutions offer courses related to Chinese culture specifically tailored to international students. There are also often opportunities for Chinese language studies which cater for non-native speakers.
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