Maintain non-local student tuition to remain competitive, says govt official

Under Secretary for Education Jeff Sze Chun-Fai said Tuesday that university tuition for non-local students must be maintained at the same level to remain competitive, in an effort to build Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education.

Sze’s remarks followed an inquiry from lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu regarding whether tuition fees for international students would be increased in light of the government's budget deficit.

The government official emphasized that the city would risk losing non-local students if tuition fees are raised, noting that current fees are already comparable to those of universities in Japan and Singapore.

Universities must consider Hong Kong's education competitiveness when contemplating adjustments to tuition fees for non-local students, Sze added. 

Meanwhile, lawmaker Chan Siu-hung suggested strengthening local students' international horizons to prepare them for competition not only with mainland students but also with those in Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and the Belt and Road countries.

Lawmaker Nixie Lam Lam also recommended enhancing foreign language training for local students.

In response, Sze said the biliteracy and trilingualism curriculum has already incorporated international elements, and the Education Bureau has provided funding for schools to participate in international exchanges.