Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis holds first meeting (with photos)

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     The Chief Executive announced in the 2025 Policy Address that he will lead the newly established Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis. Three working groups were set up under the Committee, including the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. Following the first working meeting of the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis chaired by the Chief Executive yesterday (September 29), Mr Chan convened the WG’s first meeting today (September 30).

     The meeting focused on discussing the overall development strategy and specific implementation plan for the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). Members of the WG thoroughly discussed the preliminary planning directions of the NMUT’s Hung Shui Kiu site, which endeavours to integrate with nearby, high-end professional services as well as vocational and professional education and training facilities for joint development. The WG will set up a research taskforce later to conduct field trips on the successful models of university towns elsewhere, seeking views from experts and academics of local, Mainland, and internationally renowned universities, to ensure the planning is both forward-looking and practical.

     Mr Chan emphasised at the meeting that the development of the NMUT will break away from traditional models, achieving synergistic and deeply integrated development between education and industry, holding immense strategic significance for Hong Kong's future growth. He pointed out that the University Town will not only provide development room for the post-secondary education sector to expand capacity and enhance quality, but will also serve as a key engine to advance the deeply integrated development of Hong Kong’s academic excellence and industry. It will also realise the promotion of industrial development through education.

     Mr Chan said the WG will adopt innovative thinking to formulate specific suggestions for the Northern Metropolis University Town Development Conceptual Framework, the development model of the University Town, and concrete facilities. The WG will also proactively study the strategies for attracting leading universities and research institutes on the Mainland and overseas to establish a base in Hong Kong, to attract world-class scholars and outstanding students to Hong Kong, facilitating Hong Kong’s development into an international education hub.

     The Government has earmarked a total of around 90 hectares of land for the NMUT in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK), Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area (NTM) and the New Territories North New Town (NTN NT) of the Northern Metropolis. The three batches of sites for the NMUT are at different planning and development phases, and will be available for use in 2026 (HSK), 2028 (NTM) and 2030 (NTN NT) respectively at the earliest.

     The WG will later report the work plan and the plan for matters that can be advanced in the short term to the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to ensure the effective advancement of the NMUT project.

     The membership list of the WG is set out in the Annex.

Ends/Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Issued at HKT 21:36

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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki (sixth left), today (September 30) chairs the first meeting of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis. Also attending are the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin (fifth left); the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn (sixth right); the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong (second right); the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui (fourth right); the Head of the Chief Executive's Policy Unit, Dr Stephen Wong (first left); and the Director of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office, Mr Vic Yau (fifth right).

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (September 30) chairs the first meeting of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis.

Attachment

Annex