Cheuk Wing-hing says Hong Kong to deepen national integration
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing (卓永興) said Hong Kong faces major opportunities as it aligns more closely with national development strategy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a focus on cultivating talent that combines national commitment, international outlook and innovation capability. Speaking at a dinner hosted by the higher education sector to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, he linked Hong Kong’s education ambitions to national advances in technology, space exploration and economic development. He said the Chief Executive will next week unveil Hong Kong’s first five-year plan together with the Policy Address, while the government pushes to build the city into an international education hub and a high-end global talent cluster. Cheuk also pointed to the Northern Metropolis university town as a transformative milestone for higher education development in Hong Kong
Key Points
- Cheuk said 2026 marks the opening year of the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, creating major opportunities for Hong Kong to connect with national strategies and Greater Bay Area development
- He cited the successful launch of Shenzhou-23 in May and the first Hong Kong astronaut’s arrival at the Tiangong space station as a national and local milestone
- Hong Kong has 22 degree-awarding post-secondary institutions, including eight University Grants Committee-funded universities, five of which rank among the world’s top 100
- From the 2026-27 academic year, the cap on self-financing non-local students in taught programmes at funded institutions will rise from 40% to 50% of local places
- The Northern Metropolis university town will follow a “one town, five elements” model covering education, technology, talent, industry and urban development
Why It Matters
The policy direction ties higher education more directly to Hong Kong’s economic planning, talent strategy and role in national development, which could reshape how universities recruit students, build research capacity and work with industry. For Hong Kong families, students and institutions, the changes point to a more internationalised but also more strategically coordinated tertiary sector, especially as the government expands non-local enrolment and advances the Northern Metropolis university town