In an exclusive interview with the Post, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said the enrolment of non-local students studying undergraduate programmes at the public universities in the new academic year was already at nearly 30 per cent of local student places.

Starting in the 2024-25 academic year, the government doubled non-local student admission quotas at public universities to the equivalent of 40 per cent of local students.

Choi said that with the growing supply of more student hostels in the near future and the successful recruitment of distinguished academics, the sector was ready to expand.

She added that Hong Kong would boost its admission drive in countries in the Belt and Road Initiative – China’s plan to grow global trade – and Southeast Asia to diversify the student profiles of the public universities.

“We are currently recruiting top professors, senior and high-end scientific research talents. Hong Kong is attractive to them. So this is also a rare opportunity. We think it is not worth delaying [raising the quota],” she said.