The government is actively recruiting China’s best universities to establish campuses in Hong Kong as it bids to become Asia’s premier post-secondary hub
Hong Kong Goes Recruiting — On the Mainland
Hong Kong’s government has launched an active campaign to recruit China’s top mainland universities to establish campuses or collaborative programmes in the city, as part of a broader push to position Hong Kong as the premier international higher education hub in Asia. The initiative, reported by Caixin Global on March 5, represents a significant new direction in Hong Kong’s education strategy — one that seeks to capitalise on the city’s five world-top-100 universities and its status as the most internationally diverse university system in Asia to create an education precinct that can attract talent and investment from around the world.
The Case for Hong Kong as an Education Destination
Hong Kong’s university sector has genuine strengths that stand largely independent of the city’s political situation. Five of its eight University Grants Committee-funded institutions rank in the world’s top 100. The city claimed all top four spots in the ranking of the world’s most international universities in 2025, with around one in four students coming from outside Hong Kong. Academic staff are 70 percent non-local. At the 2026 Asia-Pacific Association for International Education Conference, hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong under the theme Asia-Pacific Partnerships for the Global Good, Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuk-lin launched the Study in Hong Kong brand, describing the city as a place where world-class education, cultural diversity and opportunities in the Greater Bay Area converge.
The Mainland University Strategy
Bringing top mainland institutions to Hong Kong creates a hybrid model — leveraging mainland academic resources and student pipelines while offering a learning environment that retains common law protections, English-language instruction and international accreditation. The strategy aligns with the government’s broader goal of positioning Hong Kong as a bridge between mainland China and the world. Critics note, however, that inviting mainland universities more deeply into Hong Kong’s educational ecosystem carries risks for academic freedom.
Academic Freedom: The Elephant in the Room
The expansion of Hong Kong’s education hub ambitions comes against a backdrop of documented academic self-censorship, staff departures and the closure of research centres and academic programmes that touched on politically sensitive topics. Organisations including the American Association of University Professors and Scholars at Risk have documented the chilling effect of the National Security Law on Hong Kong’s universities. Professors have left, syllabi have been revised, and student unions have dissolved under pressure. The Scholars at Risk network maintains detailed records of academic freedom violations in Hong Kong that raise serious questions about whether the city can genuinely offer the open intellectual environment that makes a great university hub. The Times Higher Education rankings, which Hong Kong’s universities perform well in, include academic freedom as a consideration. A city where a scholar’s past criticism of the Communist Party can bar them from testifying in court — as happened this week in the Tiananmen vigil trial — is not a city with fully free academic inquiry. Hong Kong can be both ambitious and honest about this tension.
Hoi Yan Tsang
Courts & Justice Affairs Journalist, Apple Daily UK
Contact: hoiyan.tsang@appledaily.uk
Hoi Yan Tsang is a courts and justice affairs journalist with professional experience reporting on judicial proceedings, civil rights cases, and legal accountability. She received formal journalism training at a leading Chinese journalism school, where she specialized in court reporting, legal documentation analysis, and media law, establishing a strong foundation for precise legal journalism.
Her reporting career includes work with Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese newspapers, covering trial developments, sentencing decisions, procedural justice, and the impact of legal rulings on civil society. Hoi Yan’s journalism is grounded in direct courtroom observation, verified court records, and expert legal commentary.
She has operated in newsroom environments where legal accuracy is essential, developing practical expertise in translating complex legal processes into accessible, fact-based reporting. Editors rely on her disciplined sourcing practices and careful use of legal terminology.
Hoi Yan’s authority is reinforced by sustained publication within established media institutions and adherence to editorial review and correction standards. At Apple Daily UK, she delivers trustworthy legal reporting rooted in firsthand experience, professional judgment, and respect for the judicial record.
