Report by India Education bureau; Hong Kong: This year, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has admitted about 2,500 students from 57 countries and areas to its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Another 600 students have enrolled in various exchange programmes.

Nearly 1,200 students from overseas and the Mainland were at Loke Yew Hall of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on September 14 (Saturday) to celebrate the beginning of their campus life here.

Welcoming the new students to the HKU family, HKU Dean of Students Affairs Dr Albert Chau encouraged students to embrace diversity and inclusion. He introduced to students the diversified and internationalized culture at HKU, and the support and facilities available to cater for diverse needs.

The universities in the territory are having a challenging year this year to receive a double cohort of students to their campuses. For 2012, HKU has hit a record high in the international undergraduate admission, receiving over 3000 overseas (excluding non-local students from the Mainland) applications from 96 countries.

HKU Chairman of the University Admission Committee Professor John Spinks remarked that, “We are delighted to have received so many applications from talented students around the world this year.  The University continues to receive substantial increases in both the number and quality of applications year on year.  This can be attributed partly to the Hong Kong economy, given that HKU graduates have been virtually 100% employed for the last six consecutive years, a fact that perhaps no other university in the world can match.  We know that being ranked by the QS World University Rankings as the best university in Asia continues to raise the visibility of HKU across the continent and beyond, while the increasing academic standards of the applicants is, to a large extent, a function of Asian families commitment to education and academic achievement.”

The University is remarkable for its long history of excellence and ability to attract students from all over the world. This year, the university is pleased to announce a great increase in the intake of international undergraduates. Compared with the year 2011, the international application numbers have grown by 44%, among which 13 countries, such as Argentina, Ethiopia, Iceland, Iraq and Jamaica produced applications to the University for the first time. From the numerous applicants, the university has admitted over 400 students (in total for 2 cohorts) from diverse countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Poland, South Africa and Vietnam. Students from nations such as Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Mauritius and Morocco are among 32 different nationalities represented in the undergraduate population this year for the first time. In addition to reaching new regions, HKU’s continual efforts towards outreach have resulted in students from India, Korea and Malaysia becoming the largest population of international undergraduates on campus. It is expected that by admitting students from all corners of the world, the university can facilitate the exchange of cultures and ideas as well as enrich the learning itself.

The emphasis on the quality of students selected during the admission process is just as, if not more important than the emphasis placed on regional diversity. Apart from admitting four full GSAT scorers (scoring 75 out of a maximum of 75) from Taiwan, over 10 admitted students achieved 4A* or above in their GCE Advanced Level Examination. Students achieved outstanding results of ATAR 99.8 (out of a maximum 100); IB 45 (out of a maximum 45); and SAT 2400 (out of a maximum 2400) also choose HKU as their place to pursue studies.

HKU has been working to strive for excellence through admitting outstanding students from the East and West alike, and cultivating an ideal learning atmosphere. Together, these students provide and share different perspectives with one another while developing their own global vision of the world.