London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Number of Hongkongers seeking to study in mainland China, Taiwan surges

Number of Hongkongers seeking to study in mainland China, Taiwan surges

Some 20 per cent more Hong Kong students applied to mainland universities this year than in 2020, while the number applying to Taiwanese schools jumped 30 per cent.

The number of Hong Kong students seeking to study at universities in mainland China and Taiwan has reached its highest point in years, with the latter experiencing a 30 per cent spike in applications compared to 2020.

A major student guidance centre linked the surge to a broader increase in interest in studying at universities outside Hong Kong – even as competition for spots at local institutions has declined – saying the trend could be related to political concerns at home or a perception of better prospects abroad.

“Over the past two years, more students – no matter whether they are pro- or anti-government – tended to feel that leaving Hong Kong to pursue further studies was more suitable,” said Ng Po-​shing, a student guidance consultant with the Hok Yau Club.

“It might be a reflection that the current [scholastic] environment in Hong Kong is no longer as preferable to them.”

The uptick in applications to mainland and Taiwanese schools coincided with similar ones for countries such as Britain and Australia, according to education consultants, even amid travel restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Data released on Thursday by the China Education Exchange (Hong Kong) Centre, one of the major routes for students to apply to mainland schools, showed 4,783 applications had been received this year from high school graduates.

The figure represented a 19.7 per cent jump from last year’s 3,993 applications, and was the highest recorded since the Diploma of Secondary Education
(DSE) university entrance exam was rolled out in 2012.

Numbers provided on Thursday by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, meanwhile, show Taiwanese universities received 4,696 applications from bachelor’s hopefuls in Hong Kong this year, a 30.3 per cent rise from 3,603 in 2020.


This year’s figure is the highest since 2015, when 6,016 high school graduates from Hong Kong applied to institutions in Taiwan.

The number of students sitting for the DSE has been steadily declining for years, with just over 52,000 candidates taking the exam this year – down 37 per cent from a high of more than 82,000 in 2013. The number of places at local publicly-funded universities, however, has remained steady, at around 15,000 each year.

Interest among Hong Kong students in Taiwanese institutions, such as the National Chengchi University (pictured), has spiked.


A spokeswoman for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office would not be drawn on whether the increase in applications was related to political concerns, but said a high-quality education system and a broad range of university subjects were among the reasons students found Taiwanese institutions attractive.

The China Education Exchange (Hong Kong) Centre, meanwhile, attributed the increased interest to mainland universities’ improving quality and rising confidence in the nation’s economic growth.

Ng, from the Hok Yau Club, said the Beijing-imposed national security law also played into some pupils’ decision to leave Hong Kong, adding that some might be looking to permanently emigrate in the long-term.

“There are multiple factors. Some students might be worried about changes to Hong Kong’s academic freedom, while some believe there are better prospects in places including mainland China,” he said.

The latest data flew in the face of an annual survey compiled by the guidance centre in March, which found slightly fewer pupils were inclined to study in mainland China and Taiwan this year.

High school student Kona Siu, 17, who applied to universities in Taiwan this year, said she chose the self-ruled island because of its more affordable tuition and preferable study environment, adding she might consider staying there to work.

The local education scene has seen significant changes over the past year, including new requirements for schools and universities to promote national security education on campus. Several universities have also distanced themselves from their student unions over concerns relating to their opposition to the security legislation.

Meanwhile, a report commissioned by China’s Ministry of Education last week raised eyebrows after it suggested Mandarin should be incorporated into the local exam system, while simplified Chinese – rather than the traditional characters favoured in Hong Kong – should be granted a legal status in the city.

On Thursday, the city’s education minister, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, said the proposals were related to long-term education policies that required careful consideration, but added that Hong Kong students were already learning Mandarin and some simplified Chinese.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×