Hong Kong Chu Hai College has formally applied for university status and is moving forward with the process, its president Zhang Zhen said on Wednesday.
Zhang said the private post-secondary institution submitted its application at the end of last year and hopes the process can be completed “as soon as possible, ideally within this year”.
The college passed a five-year institutional periodic review in 2025, covering seven program areas across arts, science, engineering and business. Institutions seeking university status are generally required to have at least three accredited program areas, and the college’s seven approvals provide a strong foundation for its bid, she said.
The institution currently offers 19 master’s programs and has expanded its postgraduate offerings in recent years. Student numbers have also grown steadily, with total enrollment exceeding 2,000 for the first time last year, Zhang said.
The college also organized more than 100 extracurricular activities during the year, attracting over 5,000 participants, while expanding partnerships with five mainland universities and four overseas institutions, she added.
“The college actively responds to the government's call to build the ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand,” Zhang said.
The current ratio of undergraduate to postgraduate students at the college is about 1:5. Zhang said the college may place greater emphasis on taught postgraduate programs in the future, which do not have quotas for non-local students and could attract more applicants from the mainland.
Chu Hai College of Higher Education admitted 95 new associate degree and undergraduate students in the current academic year, including 59 students from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan (MMT).
Autor Chan Hon-suen, Vice President in Academic and Research, meanwhile, said the admission of all MMT students was conducted fully in accordance with policies set by the Education Bureau.
He stressed that the college is not concerned that the increase in non-local students will affect resources available to local students.
Looking ahead, Zhang said the college will focus on several priorities in 2026, including refining its admissions strategy, integrating artificial intelligence into teaching and research, strengthening industry collaboration and enhancing research capacity.
