Concern as Hong Kong admits record student intake from mainland China

As Hong Kong institutions hailed marked increases in applications from mainland China, some academics have raised concerns about how changes to the student body could affect campus and classroom dynamics.

The island recently hit a new record in the number of students from mainland China enrolled at its eight government-funded institutions, with more than 8,600 on the books in 2022 – a 9 per cent increase from 2020-21, according to figures from its University Grants Committee. In comparison, Hong Kong recorded more than 72,000 local learners in the same year.

A couple of institutions on the island told Times Higher Education that they had seen a surge of interest from Chinese students in recent months – something they expect to continue in the coming years.

At the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), total mainland applications more than doubled from last year. At Lingnan University, the number of undergraduate applications from the mainland grew by 63 per cent over 2021; for postgraduate programmes, applications doubled.

While university leaders welcomed the increase in non-local applications, scholars expressed concern that continued growth might alter Hong Kong’s “distinctive culture”.

Carsten Holz, a visiting professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, who is on leave from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said a larger number of mainland Chinese undergraduates “makes little difference” in large lecture classes and STEM courses, but “matters for small classes as well as for the climate on campus”.

“In small social science classes, students have become reluctant to engage in certain topics when students have to be afraid that others might report on them. In that case, any number of mainland students shifts the quality of a class,” he said.

In larger social science courses, a mainland student cohort of more than 5 per cent or so of the total “creates a noticeable degree of distance” in classes, he said, having observed some minor frictions between student groups.

Another Hong Kong-based faculty member, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that mainland students were “more reserved” compared with their local counterparts – something he attributed to China’s single-child policy and its much greater size.

“It’s like Hongkongers are from a massive family, so they interact like cousins or distant cousins all brought together for a wedding. They have innumerable shared experiences and come from what is a minuscule geographical area,” he said.

Although Hong Kong currently sets a limit on non-local students – in which Chinese mainland students are included – at roughly 20 per cent of total enrolment, some scholars speculate that the cap could be lifted if student interest remains strong.

Claudia Wang, a partner at the consultancy Oliver Wyman, estimated that, at undergraduate level, mainland students account for roughly 15 to 20 per cent of Hong Kong universities’ enrolment. She predicted that the proportion of Chinese students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels would continue to rise over the next few years.

Institutional leaders say they would be keen to take in more students from China if the robust demand holds up.

“Unlike many international education destinations, we do not teach non-local students to ‘make money’. We believe in teaching non-local students because they enrich our campus and offer a diverse, internationalised experience which delivers a vibrant environment for all,” said Laurie Pearcey, associate vice-president for external engagement and outreach at CUHK.

He thought that the growing number of mainland students could be attributed in part to people wishing to study closer to home because of Covid-19 and also to rising geopolitical tensions between China and the West – both factors that could affect future cohorts.

A spokesperson for the University of Hong Kong said that both the number and the academic quality of applicants from mainland China and elsewhere had risen, noting that “all the students have achieved outstanding results in major examinations including gaokao, IB [International Baccalaureate] and GCE A levels”.

Ka Ho Mok, vice-president at Lingnan, was optimistic that Chinese students would continue to come, drawn by Hong Kong’s strong education offerings and its attention to health and safety. He also believed that local students would benefit from a larger overseas student intake.

“Although mainland students have constituted a growing group of students, we are also admitting other international students. A creative mix of students from diverse backgrounds will make student learning more interesting,” he said.

pola.lem@timeshighereducation.com