The University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Monday said it found hundreds of non-local applicants who allegedly submitted fraudulent documents while applying for admission this year.

None of these applicants were admitted, HKU said.

This came after Chinese University recently revealed having to deal with a similar issue.

In response to media questions, HKU said it reviews applications cautiously during the admission process and that it takes cases involving suspected fabricated academic credentials very seriously.

For cases with concrete evidence of fraudulent misrepresentation, the university would not hesitate to file reports to the police, it said.

The university also said in future it would adopt new measures to strictly verify applicants’ academic qualifications, public exam results, and related documents.

Polytechnic University said it discovered about 10 cases involving non-local applicants with suspected fake credentials during this academic year, and that their applications and admissions had been cancelled.

The university said it plans to use artificial intelligence in the admission system to make qualification verification more effective, adding that it has already adopted a cross-border data verification platform to review applicants' academic credentials on the mainland.

Meanwhile, the Education Bureau stressed it adopts a “zero-tolerance” stance on the matter, adding that universities are responsible for gate-keeping student admissions.

The bureau said it would maintain close communication with tertiary institutions and support them in improving relevant arrangements to safeguard Hong Kong’s academic reputation.