Secretary for Education Christine Choi said on Friday that her bureau would seek additional funding for the development of university towns at the Northern Metropolis.

In an interview with a local news outlet, she said universities would require much more funding from the financial secretary than the HK$10 billion loan set aside for them to build campuses there.

However, she also pointed out that the government had to take into consideration a need to prioritise public funding allocations.

Given that the development at the three university towns – located in San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling – would be carried out in phases, Choi said she believed institutions would not need to go heavily into debt in the process.

The government has been taking applications for the three sites slated for the Hung Shui Kiu University Town, which spans around 26 hectares in total, since September.

Choi said institutions need not to be in a hurry to compete for the sites, as they only account for less than 10 percent of the 300-hectare Northern Metropolis university town area.

On whether leading universities from outside the SAR would also participate in the project, Choi said she believed they would be inclined to collaborate with local institutions in setting up joint laboratories and research centres, as they have to take into consideration their finances and the geopolitical situation.

At a Legislative Council panel meeting, Choi said the SAR’s university town plan is very different from the ones on the mainland by having compounding advantages that place Hong Kong in a unique position.

For instance, she said, the city is highly international and diversified.

“Our institutions have long enjoyed a globally renowned reputation in academic and research fields," Choi said.

"Also, in terms of our ability to attract top talent as well as in aspects such as policies and the legal system, Hong Kong also has unique advantages.”

Choi added that Hong Kong would also complement other university towns on the mainland.


Edited by Aaron Tam