One of the most densely populated states in the world, Hong Kong is also home to some of the finest higher education institutions in the world. Education is readily available in both Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, and English, making it very accessible to international students.
Being an international student in Hong Kong also comes with the benefit of making it easier to learn the local language, which can have a variety of benefits (more on that here).
A leading center of trade and economics, Hong Kong also has a very strong economy, offering a very high standard of living. A unique blend of Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong has something for everyone, so international students will find plenty of interesting things to do in their spare time.
With the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world, Hong Kong is also home to many places built in the traditional Chinese architectural style, so expect to experience plenty of local culture.
Why Study in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong universities are world renowned for their innovation and research prowess, meaning it is already a popular destination for international students. Not satisfied with this, however, the government has implemented plans to attract even more international students, such as offering more scholarships.
6 of Hong Kong’s universities in the 2020 QS World University Rankings top 500. The only one not in the top 500 is the Lingnan University, and even it ranks in the 591 and 600 group.
With institutions in Hong Kong seeking to attract more international students, it is not that difficult to get a visa, most institutions have departments dedicated to helping international students with these things.
The cost of living is fairly manageable, with students also allowed to work part-time jobs, on campus or off, for a little extra cash.
Hong Kong has two officially recognized languages, Cantonese and English, with most institutions offering courses in both. This allows international students to easily study in English, and living in a part of the world where the official language is Cantonese will also make it easy to learn the regional language.
Where to Study?
As stated above, Hong Kong is home to some of the finest higher education institutions in the world, meaning choosing the best for you can be a difficult decision.
Here’s a list of the best schools the region has to offer, and a breakdown of what each one does best, to make that decision a little easier.
Known commonly as “Asia’s Global University”, the University of Hong Kong has been ranked 22nd in the world, and 1st in Hong Kong by the QS World University Rankings for 2021.
Founded in 1911, and located in one of the world’s most vibrant and diverse cities, the university provides students with a distinctive insight into the global landscape.
The university also places great emphasis on excellence in individual subjects. 12 subjects available at the university were ranked in the top 25 globally by the QS World University Rankings by Subject.
One of the big reasons for this is the diverse and multicultural nature of the university, with students and teachers attracted from all over the globe, providing all sorts of different insights into a particular subject.
Medicine, manufacturing, and architecture are just some of the fields where the University of Hong Kong’s researchers have made breakthrough in recent years, with the strong emphasis placed on research promising many more breakthroughs in many more fields, in years to come.
Ranked 6th on the QS Top 50 under 50 2021 list, Hong Kong Polytechnic University is well known for its ability to offer high quality education, in fields ranging from engineering and sciences, to hospitality and tourism.
A popular destination for many international exchange programs, the university attracts many students around the world due to the diverse nature of courses offered, meaning it offers something for everyone.
To facilitate these programs, the university has partnerships with over 350 universities worldwide, in over 50 different countries.
With world-class facilities catering to all of its diverse range of courses, the university is able to offer students some of the best hands-on experience in the entire world.
Some of these world-class facilities include the 5-star luxury hotel ‘Hotel ICON’, which is a teaching and learning center for students studying tourism and hospitality courses, the university’s ‘Industrial Centre’ for engineering students, and the ‘Hong Kong Jockey Club Innovation Tower’, for arts and design students looking to flex their creative muscles.
Non-local graduates (other than Afghanistan, Cuba, Laos, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam) who wish to stay in Hong Kong for employment are eligible to apply for the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG).
Ranked as the world’s best young university by the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2020, the Hong Kong university of Science and Technology (HKUST) aims to be a leading engineering internationally, both in teaching and research.
Its World-class faculty and staff have also earned it the 27th spot in the QS World University Rankings, 2021. HKUST maintains this high quality in faculty by hiring only PhDs from some of the most accomplished schools in the world.
With robust research infrastructure in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, the faculty and students are empowered to overcome any research based challenges and boundaries they may face.
The University seeks to develop an environment that fosters cooperation, helps generate ground-breaking ideas, and to create a platform that allows these ideas to be tested and realized.
This is our top 3 of all the universities operating in Hong Kong, let us know in the comments below if we’ve missed any good ones.
