The Mainland Higher Education Expo 2024/25, jointly organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Education Bureau (EDB), is being held today and tomorrow (December 2 and 3) in Hong Kong. The Expo will provide students aspiring to pursue further studies on the Mainland and their parents with information on the arrangements of the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions (Admission Scheme) for the academic year and other related information.
Speaking at the Expo's opening ceremony this morning, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that the Admission Scheme has achieved good results over the years. Over 42 000 Hong Kong students had applied under the Scheme for studying at Mainland universities since its implementation in the 2012/13 academic year. The number of participating institutions will increase to 138 under the Scheme for the 2024/25 academic year, providing students with more diversified choices that suit their needs.
She said that the MoE has always accorded priority to the nurturing of Hong Kong youths and would organise a large delegation comprising representatives of Mainland higher education institutions to visit Hong Kong and participate in the Mainland Higher Education Expo every year. She encouraged aspiring students to realise their dreams and seize the opportunity by applying for their preferred Mainland institutions and programmes through the Admission Scheme. This, said Dr Choi, would broaden their horizons and help students gain an in-depth understanding of the overall development of the country during their studies and embrace the unlimited opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government launched the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme in 2014 to support Hong Kong students in pursuing undergraduate studies on the Mainland. It comprises two types of subsidies, namely a means-tested subsidy (students who have passed the means test will receive full rate or half rate depending on their needs) and a non-means-tested subsidy. The level of subsidy has increased since the 2022/23 academic year to provide more appropriate support to Hong Kong students studying on the Mainland.
The Expo is open to the public today from 10am to 7pm and tomorrow (Sunday) from 10am to 6pm at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Admission is free.
Around 130 Mainland higher education institutions participating in the Admission Scheme for the 2024/25 academic year will set up exhibition booths to provide information on aspects such as faculties and subjects, admission criteria and the number of admission places, etc. Representatives from the Ministry of Education will also provide briefings on the application procedures and admission arrangements of the Admission Scheme.
The Expo will also feature a number of sharing sessions, including an introduction by representatives of Mainland institutions on the features of various programmes, experience sharing by Hong Kong students who graduated from Mainland institutions, and analyses of career prospects provided by guest speakers. An online platform (www.studymainland.hk) has also been set up for the Expo where virtual exhibition booths will be set up by all Mainland higher education institutions participating in the Admission Scheme.
In addition, the EDB has collaborated with the China Education Exchange (Hong Kong) Centre and the Hok Yau Club to compile the Handbook on the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions. The Handbook, which provides comprehensive information on the Admission Scheme and further studies on the Mainland, will be distributed free of charge at the Expo. The electronic version (Chinese version only) will also be available at the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/admissionscheme).
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