Raising the admission cap for nonlocal students at universities would give institutions more room to attract international talent and recruit top-tier faculty worldwide, said Chinese University president Dennis Lo Yuk-ming.
His comment came after the government announced in the policy address that it would raise the admission cap for nonlocal undergraduates at its eight publicly funded universities to 50 percent starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
Lo said CUHK will actively support the policy by increasing teaching resources, academic facilities, and student housing, while promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand.
This academic year, CUHK admitted over 880 nonlocal undergraduates, accounting for 26 percent of its first-year bachelor’s degree students.
Lo highlighted that Hong Kong’s fourthplace ranking in the World Talent Ranking 2025 demonstrates the effectiveness of the government’s talent attraction policies. He noted Hong Kong’s institutional advantages and its unique position of “backed by the motherland and connected to the world” serve as fundamental conditions for attracting high-quality global talent.
To attract such talent, CUHK approved establishing a postgraduate college in July aimed at creating a centralized community for master’s and doctoral students.
A dedicated team is identifying a suitable location for a building accommodating at least 300 students, with the goal of establishing the first college within three to five years.
Lo acknowledged practical challenges but noted the policy address’s proposal to expand the “Hostels in the City Scheme” and business sector cooperation will help address housing needs.
The policy address also outlined promotional initiatives and dedicated funding for the eight universities to bolster recruitment efforts.
Lo also welcomed the government’s push to foster innovation in AI, pointing to the HK$3 billion Frontier Technology Research Infrastructure Support Scheme as key to attracting international research talent.
He confirmed CUHK will work closely with CUHK Shenzhen to advance the “One University, Two Campuses” framework in the Greater Bay Area.
