Caritas gets closer to attaining uni status

Staff reporters

Caritas Institute of Higher Education has entered the final stretch of its upgrade to the city's first Catholic private university, according to sources.

Caritas is still waiting for the Executive Council to discuss the matter.

If it gets the Exco's approval the institute will be called Saint Francis University, sources told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard.

The process for Caritas to acquire university status started in 2015.

The institute now has about 2,500 students in undergraduate degree programs, including its popular bachelor of nursing program, and about 400 students in subdegree programs.

To become a private university, self-financing post-secondary education institutions should meet four criteria before making an application to Exco, according to an Education Bureau road map.

These include having obtained program area accreditation status in at least three areas and demonstrating a certain level of research capability by having successful applications under publicly funded research-related scheme.

They also need to have at least 1,500 full-time students at degree level for the past two consecutive academic years and must have obtained the Institutional Review status from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications.

Hong Kong now has two private universities -- Hong Kong Shue Yan University in North Point and Hang Seng University of Hong Kong in Sha Tin.

Chen Zhi, president of self-financing Hong Kong Chu Hai College in Tuen Mun, said in February that it is aiming to apply to the government in 2026 for upgrading to a private university.