Hong Kong’s upcoming Policy Address, set to be released next Wednesday, is expected to propose making “studying in Hong Kong” into a brand to attract more international students to the city for higher education and long-term stays, local media reported on Thursday.
The government may leverage scholarships to boost the brand’s appeal, with a focus on encouraging talent — especially from ASEAN and the “Belt and Road” regions — to develop their future careers in the city, local media said.
On Wednesday, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 unveiled the latest university rankings, showcasing five Hong Kong universities in the top 100, with three of them having risen in the rankings.
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During a recent radio interview, Lau Chi-pang, a Hong Kong lawmaker and associate vice-president (Institutional Advancement and External Affairs) of Lingnan University, said that Hong Kong has achieved a lot in promoting higher education over the past year, adding that the government should further enhance its support for students.
For instance, the government should expand capacity at hostels and collaborate with the business and real estate sectors to provide incentives for enterprises that build student accommodation, thus benefiting students, Lau said.
He also suggested that the government should partner with businesses to offer post-graduation employment opportunities in Hong Kong for non-local students who are not from the Chinese mainland.
Hong Kong enterprises could sponsor scholarships for these students, giving them priority consideration for employment upon graduation, Lau said.
This initiative would not only alleviate the financial burden on the government but would also foster talent development within industries, benefiting all parties involved, Lau added.
In last year's Policy Address, the government proposed expanding its scholarship schemes by injecting an additional HK$1 billion ($128.7 million) into the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund, commencing from the 2024/25 academic year. Established in 2008 with an initial amount of HK$1 billion, the scholarship fund awards scholarships to exceptional local and non-local students.
The proposal was approved by the Legislative Council earlier this year, increasing the quota of Belt and Road scholarships under the fund from 100 to 150.
It is reported that the upcoming Policy Address will also propose ways to help young people purchase flats, improve the balloting arrangement for subsidized housing, and lower the taxes on spirits.
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According to local media reports, the government is expected to propose revising the balloting mechanism for Home Ownership Scheme applications by giving a better chance of selection to applicants who have repeatedly failed to clinch a flat, or by setting an additional quota or an additional application number for them.
The taxes on spirits may also be lowered to revitalize the SAR’s nightlife and boost it as a dining and shopping hotspot; currently, tax of 100 percent on liquor measuring 30 percent in alcoholic strength is charged in the SAR.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has suggested a reduction in the stamp duty on stock transactions, a temporary reduction in or exemption from stamp duty for first-time home buyers, an increase in the tax allowance for those employing foreign domestic helpers or carers, and an extension of the tax deductions for eligible research and development activities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com
