Students in HKU, for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, can basically be
categorized into local students, who holds permanent living right or student visa in Hong
Kong, and non-local students, who holds Student Visa or Student Entry Permit for foreign
students and Mainland students respectively. The policy of admitting non-local students was
firstly carried out ten years ago aiming at enhancing the interaction between Hong Kong
students and foreign students and broadening the vision of education in the global extend.
However, it has been recently argued that too many non-local students were admitted every
year, especially for undergraduate programmes, and such circumstance resulted in
dissatisfaction to local students on the rationale that the intake of local students was limited
and even reduced. It is significantly being discussed among HKU students.
In my point of view, on educational grounds which I care most for an university, the
maximum intake of non-local students of 20% of total intake-quota is reasonably acceptable.
The primary purpose of in-taking non-local students to HKU is to provide more channels to
local students to communicate and interact with students who come from various countries
with different cultural backgrounds. It can actually be observed the effectiveness of the policy
on this purpose, through the performance and the quality of local undergraduate students.
On average students of HKU have always been well evaluated having great performance on
the communication skills and facilitating interpersonal relationship, as well as high level on
speaking English. It is also applicable to workplace. This may not be obvious to be seen that it
is resulted from the policy mentioned. But, the opportunities to get along with students who
are using other languages as their mother language will definitely help to improve students’
speaking in English. English is used as the official language for the education in HKU. The
only way to consolidate the abilities of students, especially for local students, is to provide
sufficient and various ways for them to use and apply the skills and knowledge gained in
classes, and which is clearly to be utilized in their daily life.
Admission of non-local applicants can directly achieve the purpose above. English is just an
example to be used to explain the importance of admitting non-local students. No matter for
other languages or students from other countries, even from Mainland China speaking
Mandarin, they all giving the same situation. But the argument, on the whole to say, is on the
amount of intake of non-local students.
The Government of HKSAR has launched the policy on the admission of non-local students
that up to 20% of the total intake-quota can be non-local students being admitted by each
institution. Looking back to recent years, 17.6% and 17.2% non-local applicants were
admitted to HKU last year, and 15.6% non-local applicants were admitted this year. Actually if
we can think from the prospect of education on bring the university to the global level, these
numbers are rational. Optimally one fifth of total undergraduate students being admitted as
non-local students equivalent we can meet a non-local students in every five students. Using
the mentioned purpose of the policy, in fact it is merely enough to create an international
atmosphere to HKU students as it is based on the opportunity for local and non-local students
to interact with each other.
The admission of non-local students actually does not affect the limit of the intake quota of
local students. Some local students may consider such policy ruin the benefits of themselves
since part of the proportion of intake-quota is distributed to non-local students and thus the
intake-quota and even resources for education to them. Certainly it brings international vision
to University students. Look from other angles, the policy carried out by the University is
acceptably to be considered as a booster to local students to study hard and to make
progress. The future of the education in Hong Kong should be looking forward to the space
to make advancement and develop to a higher level. Our vision, shall broaden to a wider
views.
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