Hong Kong Delegation Explores University Town Development in Korea for Northern Metropolis Project

2026-04-23 18:30 Last Updated At：19:13

CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Korea (with photos/video)

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (April 23) led the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to continue its visit to Korea. The delegation conducted on-site visits to universities in Seoul and held meetings with officials, with a view to providing a solid reference for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT).

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CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Korea Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Korea Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

In the morning, the delegation visited Kyung Hee University's Seoul Campus. Established in 1949, Kyung Hee University is a top-tier private university in Korea, renowned for its programmes in humanities, international studies, medicine, hospitality and tourism. The delegation met with the university's president Kim Jin-sang and other representatives to learn about the university's self-financing operation model and experience in achieving financial sustainability. They also visited various facilities on campus, including the start-up centre, and listened to a briefing by the centre's representatives on how it assists high value-added technology start-ups in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedicine to develop their businesses through different programmes.

Mr Chan expressed hope that Kyung Hee University's successful example of diversifying its operating funds can serve as a reference for self-funded higher education institutions in NMUT, and that its development model, which integrates academic research, innovative thinking, start-up incubation and industry collaboration, can also serve as a useful reference.

Afterwards, the delegation attended a luncheon to exchange views with representatives from the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and several top Korean universities, on how to build a university town that deeply integrates higher education, scientific research and industry. Through this visit, they also aimed to promote exchanges and co-operation in the education field.

In the afternoon, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Mr Kim Byung-min, to have in-depth exchanges on government-university collaboration, attracting internationally renowned universities and talent, campus and innovation district planning, as well as future co-operation opportunities between the two places.

Mr Chan said that both Hong Kong and Seoul are committed to promoting the deep integration of education, technology, and talent development, and the potential for co-operation is immense. During their recent visits to Seoul and other Korean cities, the delegation exchanged views with representatives from various higher education institutions, research organisations and government departments on the planning and development of university towns. Their extensive experience in campus planning, industry-academia-research collaboration, talent cultivation, and multi-university shared campus models made the discussions highly insightful. He looks forward eagerly to having collaborative projects between Korea's top universities and Hong Kong's institutions in the NMUT, fostering innovative talent with an international perspective.

Subsequently, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Mr Dai Bing, to brief him on the planning and development of Hong Kong's NMUT.

Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation will proceed to Incheon tomorrow (April 24) to continue their visit.

Over 6,600 Students Awarded $210 Million in Hong Kong Scholarships at 2026 Presentation Ceremony

Over 6 600 outstanding students awarded government scholarships in 2025/26 academic year

The Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, today (April 23) presented certificates to awardees under the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund (GSF) and the Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund (SPEF) for the 2025/26 academic year at the GSF and SPEF Joint Scholarship Presentation Ceremony 2026.

Over 6 600 meritorious post-secondary students received scholarships and awards, amounting to about $210 million in total. Both the GSF and the SPEF also give recognition to meritorious post-secondary students with special educational needs (SEN) through the Endeavour Merit Award and the Endeavour Scholarship. This year, a total of around 690 SEN students were given awards/scholarships.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Sze said Hong Kong's post-secondary education system enjoys an international reputation, with local universities ranking among the top in global rankings for the most international universities. This not only demonstrates the strength of Hong Kong's post-secondary education sector, but also attests to the effectiveness of the Government's long-term commitment to investing in education and enhancing educational competitiveness. The Education Bureau (EDB) has been consistently adhering to the principle of integrity and innovation, integrating itself into the overall national development. It has been seizing the opportunities brought about by the country's Belt and Road initiatives and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to deepen Hong Kong's role as an international post-secondary education hub and a cluster of talent, while striving to promote the "Study in Hong Kong" brand globally.

Dr Sze encouraged the awardees to continuously equip themselves, and strive to realise their personal aspirations, thereby commencing the pursuit of dreams from Hong Kong while giving back to society and contributing to the country.

The GSF was established in 2008 to attract outstanding local students to advance their studies at home, and meritorious non-local students to pursue higher education opportunities in Hong Kong. There are five types of scholarships and awards under the GSF, namely Scholarships for Outstanding Performance, Belt and Road (B&R) Scholarship, Talent Development Scholarship, Reaching Out Award and Endeavour Merit Award. Scholarships and awards are offered to students studying full-time publicly funded sub-degree, undergraduate-level and above programmes in Hong Kong. Up to mid-April this year, about 2 100 students received scholarships/awards in the 2025/26 academic year, including about 1 200 local students and about 900 non-local students. In terms of levels of study, about 1 500 students were at an undergraduate level and above, while about 600 students were at the sub-degree level. In addition, the B&R Scholarship was introduced to encourage students from B&R countries/regions to pursue studies in Hong Kong. In the 2025/26 academic year, 150 students from 33 B&R countries/regions were awarded this scholarship for the first time.

The Self-financing Post-secondary Scholarship Scheme (SPSS) was established under the SPEF in 2011 to promote the quality and sustainable development of the self-financing post-secondary sector. There are five types of scholarships and awards under the scheme, namely Outstanding Performance Scholarship, Best Progress Award, Talent Development Scholarship, Reaching Out Award and Endeavour Scholarship. These scholarships and awards are offered to students pursuing full-time locally accredited self-financing sub-degree or undergraduate programmes. In the 2025/26 academic year, the SPEF offered scholarships and awards to about 4 000 local students and about 500 non-local students. In terms of levels of study, about 2 500 of them pursued undergraduate studies, while about 2 000 students were at the sub-degree level.

A list of participating institutions is in Annex I. A broad distribution of the scholarship recipients is set out in Annex II. Details of the scholarships and awards under the GSF are available on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/postsecondary/local-higher-edu/publicly-funded-programmes/scholarship.html). Those under the SPSS as well as the SPEF are available on the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education's website (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/index.html).

Hong Kong Delegation Explores University Town Development in Korea for Northern Metropolis Project

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