Government Reserves HK$10B Loan for Hung Shui Kiu University Town Applications Opening in September
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
The Education Bureau announced on July 15 that applications for Hung Shui Kiu university land will open in September, kicking off the Northern Metropolis university town project. The first-phase sites have expanded from 9 to 22 hectares, with the government reserving HK$10 billion in loan facilities to support development. Meanwhile, the Summer Study Tour Hong Kong programme attracted over 10,000 applications from students in more than 30 countries and regions—a historic high.
Key Points
- Education Secretary Choi Yeuk-lin revealed on a television programme that the government will launch Hung Shui Kiu university land for eligible post-secondary institutions to apply from September, officially commencing construction .
- The first phase has been expanded from 9 to 22 hectares across three plots, with development proceeding in stages. The largest single plot of 12.7 hectares will see its first 5 hectares levelled initially, with the remaining 7-plus hectares developed in phases two and three .
- The government has reserved HK$10 billion in loan facilities for Northern Metropolis development, with Choi expressing confidence that universities can prudently and flexibly manage their financial arrangements to align with the site's phased development timeline .
- The core university town area spans 300 hectares in total, which will be rolled out in phases. The government will maintain close communication with universities to establish key industries and land use directions for the Hung Shui Kiu district .
- The Study Tour Hong Kong programme saw eight universities offering two-week to one-month summer courses, including cultural and academic experiences such as PolyU's Lamma Island excursion, Lingnan's liberal arts programme, and HKU's AI literacy course .
- Applications for this year's study tours reached a historic high of over 10,000 from more than 30 countries and regions, attributed to the 2,700 student exchange agreements the eight universities have signed globally and the programme's credit recognition mechanism .
Why It Matters
The Northern Metropolis university town is a cornerstone of Hong Kong's strategy to establish itself as an international education hub by attracting global talent. With the HK$10 billion loan facility and the successful pilot of the Study Tour Hong Kong programme, the initiative demonstrates both financial commitment and growing international appeal. From the 2026/27 academic year, 48 direct subsidy schools will also be permitted to admit overseas students through capacity expansion, further broadening Hong Kong's educational reach .
The Northern Metropolis university town is a cornerstone of Hong Kong's strategy to establish itself as an international education hub by attracting global talent. With the HK$10 billion loan facility and the successful pilot of the Study Tour Hong Kong programme, the initiative demonstrates both financial commitment and growing international appeal. From the 2026/27 academic year, 48 direct subsidy schools will also be permitted to admit overseas students through capacity expansion, further broadening Hong Kong's educational reach .