Building on the success of last year’s “Hong Kong Partners Week”, eight UGC-funded universities, recently welcomed representatives from 58 overseas university partners to promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand and strengthen bonds with overseas universities.

The program signifies the joint efforts of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Lingnan University (LU), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to echo with the government’s vision of developing Hong Kong into an international education hub. This year’s program welcomed 58 overseas university partners, a significant increase from last year’s 38. The diverse collaboration spans a wide range of countries including Australia, Austria, Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the UK, and the US.

Prof James Tang, Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee, warmly welcomed the universities’ global partners. He highlighted that Hong Kong has world-class research and student facilities, along with unique strengths and opportunities that make it an attractive study destination for international exchange students. Prof Tang remarked, “Our shared vision of fostering international collaboration and enriching student experiences has brought us together. With all that Hong Kong has to offer, students from your institutions not only find quality education and friendships with peers from around the globe, but also broaden their horizons to experience rich and diverse cultures.”

The “Hong Kong Partners Week”, held from December 8 to14, 2024, featured a lineup of industry leaders sharing insights on Hong Kong’s latest developments. The program kicked off with a talk by Ms Karen Wang, Managing Director, Head of Growth, Greater Bay Area (GBA) of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), who presented Hong Kong’s development with its strategic positioning within the GBA. Ms Kristy Cheng, Head of Human Resources, Hong Kong, Human Resources Asia-Pacific, HSBC, captivated the audience by discussing the diverse career opportunities available for international students in Hong Kong, along with valuable perspectives on future skills in demand. Mr Bernard Chan, Vice Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and Chairman of M+ Museum, then shared insights on Hong Kong’s growth opportunities in art and culture. 

The Hong Kong universities’ senior management and faculty introduced the delegates to the universities’ facilities including: 

• CityUHK’s brand-new Lee Shau Kee Student Residence Village in Ma On Shan; 
• HKBU’s Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, Visualization Research Centre, Dorothy Shen Wong News Studio, ArtsTech Student Projects Exhibition, and School of Chinese Medicine; 
• LU’s new School of Data Science Building,  football pitch and other sports facilities, student hostels and the Art Gallery;
• CUHK’s Wu Yee Sun College and the School of Chinese Medicine;
• EdUHK’s The Arthur Samy Language Learning Centre, Mong Man Wai Library and the EdUHK Jockey Club Primary School; 
• PolyU’s Industrial Centre and Jockey Club Innovation Tower; 
• HKUST’s Cheng Kar-Shun Robotics Institute and the seaside student halls and facilities; 
• HKU’s Main Building, Jockey Club Student Village IV and Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing

Participants also had the opportunity to tour around Hong Kong, visiting sites such as Tai Kwun, Central, Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung town center, the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the West Kowloon Cultural District. These visits allowed them to explore the city’s rich history, cultural heritage conservation, as well as development in art and culture.

Universities in Hong Kong have strong and extensive student exchange programs which provide overseas learning opportunities for Hong Kong students. It also brings in international exchange students to study in Hong Kong, which significantly contributes to campus internationalisation. Through fostering close ties with overseas university partners, universities in Hong Kong continue to promote higher education in the city, reinforcing the exchange of students, and helping Hong Kong to develop into an international higher education hub.

The list of participating university partners is as follows:
Australia:

• Charles Darwin University
• Curtin University
•  Griffith University
• The University of Newcastle

Austria:

• MCI The Entrepreneurial School

 
Canada:

• University of Victoria
• Mount Royal University
• University of Montreal

 
Croatia:

• Zagreb School of Economics and Management

 
Czechia:

• Masaryk University
• University of Hradec Králové

France:

• IESEG School of Management
• TBS Education
• Université Catholique de Lille

Germany:

• EBS University for Business and Law, Germany
• Hochschule Heilbronn
• Konstanz University of Applied Sciences
• Leuphana University Lueneburg
• RWTH Aachen University
• University of Bayreuth
• University of Mannheim
• University of Regensburg

Ireland:

• Trinity College Dublin

Italy:

• University of Bologna

Latvia:

• University of Latvia

 
Lithuania:

• Vilnius University

 
New Zealand:

• Auckland University of Technology

 
Norway:

• NHH Norwegian School of Economics

 
Poland:

• University of Warsaw

 
Russia:

• Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

 
Spain:

• CUNEF University

 
Sweden

• Chalmers University of Technology
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology
• Linköping University 
• Linnaeus University

 
Switzerland:

• Zurich University of Teacher Education

 
Türkiye:

• Sabanci University

 
UK:

• Cardiff University
•  City St George's, University of London
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Queen Mary University of London
• Swansea University
• The University of Bath
• The University of Edinburgh
• The University of Sheffield
• University of Glasgow
• University of Reading
• University of St Andrews

 
USA:

• Lehigh University
• Michigan State University
• San Francisco State University
• Stony Brook University
• Temple University
• Tulane University
• University of California Berkeley
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of San Francisco
• West Virginia University