Lingnan University welcomes Chief Executive’s initiatives on education and talent development in 2024 Policy Address

Lingnan University welcomes the initiatives outlined in the Chief Executive Mr John Lee’s 2024 Policy Address, aimed at advancing education and attracting talent, including improving hostel facilities, nurturing future talent, establishing a "Study in Hong Kong" brand, and creating a Committee on Education, Technology and Talents.

Improving Hostel Facilities

Lingnan University supports the launch of the pilot scheme to improve hostel facilities mentioned in the Policy Address. Since the admission quota of non-local students by publicly-funded, post-secondary institutions has been doubled to 40 per cent from this academic year, it is essential for tertiary institutions to expand their teaching and residential facilities to meet the needs of the additional students.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, said “Accommodation is a fundamental requirement for non-local students studying in Hong Kong, and a key factor in attracting talent to universities. As the number of students grows, limited land resources could hinder Hong Kong's development as an international education hub. Lingnan welcomes the Government's initiative to launch a pilot scheme assisting the University in identifying land and expediting applications for the construction of student hostels. Apart from exploring the provision of more on-campus hostels, public-private partnerships in more off-campus hostels will allow us to allocate hostel places to students who mainly attend off-campus learning centres, including Lingnan's ‘Lingnan@WestKowloon’ at M+ Tower in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Safety and ease of adaptation will be the overriding issues. The University also looks forward to the Government's study on the relaxation of plot ratios to help the University release more space for teaching and learning, research and accommodation purposes, so that Hong Kong develops into a first-class international education hub, and attracts more top students from overseas, Belt and Road countries, and Mainland China to study here.”

To Nurture Future Talents and Establish the "Study in Hong Kong" Brand

Lingnan University welcomes the Government’s encouragement of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. President Qin explained “Hong Kong is facing the problem of a shrinking and ageing population. It is important to make greater efforts to attract gifted students from overseas and Mainland China to make up for the shortage caused by the low birth rate. At present, many outstanding students from Southeast Asian nations and Belt and Road countries are unable to afford Hong Kong’s high tuition fees and living costs, preventing them from coming here. Lingnan welcomes the Government's initiative to increase financial assistance in the form of scholarships for non-local talents from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds to study in Hong Kong, so as to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of tertiary education institutions and promote the ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand, thereby helping Hong Kong to develop into a first-class international education hub.”

A Committee on Education, Technology and Talents

Lingnan University also welcomes the formation of a Committee on Education, Technology and Talents as proposed in the Policy Address. President Qin said “The three tracks of education, technology and talent are closely interconnected. I believe that this Committee will be important in developing Hong Kong's higher education sector into an international education hub. As Lingnan's goal is to become a comprehensive university in the arts and sciences, committed to promoting digital education and the use of Artificial Intelligence in teaching, it intends to commercialise the academic sector’s research by nurturing innovative talents and transforming knowledge into practical solutions to social problems. Strong education fosters strong talent, and strong technology drives strong industries. I expect the new committee to leverage the strengths of the higher education sector in science and technology, and encourage top talents from Hong Kong, Mainland China and the international community to stay on in Hong Kong after graduation, creating a cluster of top professionals in order to enable sustainable economic and social development and progress, and increase Hong Kong's influence in the global higher education arena and research in innovation and technology.”