(Budget 2026) Three sites to be released for Northern Metropolis University Town

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Wednesday that three land parcels will be released in the short term, with HK$10 billion earmarked to support campus construction, as part of plans to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town.

Delivering his annual Budget, Chan said the government will strengthen efforts to nurture local talent, attract overseas professionals and develop Hong Kong into an international education hub.

As part of the Northern Metropolis blueprint, three sites located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area will be rolled out shortly for application by University Grants Committee-funded universities and universities of applied sciences. The sites will be designated for campus development.

To facilitate construction, the government will earmark HK$10 billion to provide loans for campus projects.

In the healthcare education sector, Chan said the government has reserved resources to support the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in establishing the city’s third medical school on a matching basis. The new medical school aims to admit its first cohort of students in the 2028/29 academic year.

Land has been reserved at Ngau Tam Mei in the Northern Metropolis for the permanent campus of the new medical school, along with space for the development of an integrated teaching and research hospital. The government will allocate the necessary resources for the project.