All-round Education and Lifelong Learning” is the overall goal of education in Hong Kong. We are committed to –
- fostering the moral, intellectual, physical, social and aesthetic development of students
- cultivating their adaptive, creative and lifelong learning capabilities as well as independent, multi-perspective and critical thinking skills.
We believe that everyone has potential. Our education and training are designed to enable students with diverse abilities, interests and aptitudes to unleash their full potential, so that they can become well-equipped to meet the challenges posed by globalisation and a knowledge-based economy.
New Academic Structure and Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education
The New Academic Structure (NAS) was implemented in Hong Kong in September 2009. ALL students in Hong Kong now receive 12 years’ school education (six-year primary followed by three-year junior and three-year senior secondary) and take only one public examination – the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination at the end of Secondary 6. The new structure aims at promoting whole-person and life-long learning capabilities of students, expanding learning opportunities and providing multiple progression pathways.
Undergraduate programmes changed from three year to four year long starting from the 2012/13 academic year.
Hong Kong’s post-secondary education institutions offer a variety of high quality programmes ranging from sub-degree to doctoral levels. We adopt international standards in curriculum design and quality assurance. All locally–accredited post-secondary programmes, both government-funded and self-financed, are required to undergo quality assurance before they can be offered in Hong Kong. Qualifications granted by post-secondary education institutions in Hong Kong are internationally recognized.
Apart from the academic programmes, you can also choose vocational training or some other short-term language programmes that best suit your interest and ability.
No matter what kind of post-secondary programmes you are planning to study, we assure that your learning journey in Hong Kong is fruitful and rewarding!
Scholarships
There are numerous scholarships available to support your studying and living here in Hong Kong. So please don’t miss any of them when planning your study!
A number of scholarships and awards are offered by the HKSAR Government, post-secondary institutions and other public or private organisations to assist non-local students finance their education in Hong Kong. Some are available solely for non-local students, and others are awarded on a competitive basis to all students regardless of nationality or residency status.
Scholarships/awards for non-local students –
- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship recognises the achievements of outstanding local and non-local students studying in the eight University Grants Committee-funded universities, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and the Vocational Training Council. The scholarship is HK$80,000 (approximately US$10,300) per year for non-local students.
- The Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund provides scholarships to outstanding local and non-local students pursuing full-time locally-accredited self-financing sub-degree or bachelor’s degree programmes. The scholarship is HK$80,000 (approximately US$10,300) per year for non-local recipients of Outstanding Performance Scholarship.
- The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme aims to attract the best and brightest students from around the world to pursue PhD programmes in Hong Kong. The Fellowship Scheme provides an annual stipend of HK$319,200 (approximately US$40,900) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$13,300 (approximately US$1,700) per year for each awardee for a period of three years. For awardees who need more than three years to complete the PhD degree, additional support may be provided by the chosen universities.
Scholarships for students from countries/regions along the Belt and Road –
- The Belt and Road Scholarship is established with a view to attracting more outstanding students from countries/regions along the Belt and Road to pursue full-time publicly-funded university studies in Hong Kong. All awardees would receive a scholarship to cover their tuition fees. The Scholarship has been expanded in the 2019/20 academic year and it now covers all Belt and Road countries*, as well as research postgraduate students. Interested students who are admitted to the publicly-funded local degree-awarding institutions may make enquiry to the institutions concerned on matters relating to the Scholarship.
* Reference: a list of Belt and Road countries is available at The Belt and Road Portal.
(i) Belt and Road Scholarship (Designated Countries)
- The Scholarship is open to students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Mongolia and Kazakhstan to pursue first-year full-time publicly-funded undergraduate studies in Hong Kong. Details of the respective schemes are as follows –
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Indonesia)
- Commencing from the 2016/17 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Indonesian students annually.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Malaysia)
- Commencing from the 2017/18 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Malaysian students annually.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Thailand)
- Commencing from the 2017/18 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Thai students annually.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Myanmar)
- Commencing from the 2019/20 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Myanmar students annually.
- Funding Source: The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and CGCC (Foundation) Limited*, HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- * Applicable to the first ten awardees from the 2019/20 to 2020/21 academic years
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Mongolia)
- Commencing from the 2022/23 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Mongolian students annually.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- Belt and Road Scholarship (Kazakhstan)
- Commencing from the 2024/25 academic year, scholarships would be offered to outstanding Kazakh students annually.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- (ii) Belt and Road Scholarship (Other Countries)
- Commencing from the 2019/20 academic year, scholarships would be offered annually to outstanding students from other Belt and Road countries not covered by Belt and Road Scholarship (Designated Countries) to pursue first-year full-time publicly-funded undergraduate studies in Hong Kong.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
- (iii) Belt and Road Scholarship (Research Postgraduate)
- Commencing from the 2019/20 academic year, scholarships would be offered annually to students from countries along the Belt and Road to study first-year full-time publicly-funded research postgraduate programmes in Hong Kong.
- Funding Source: HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
Other scholarships and award schemes are administered by the institutions themselves. You may wish to contact the student affairs or international office directly if you want to know more about the details of the schemes, including the procedures for submitting application.
