LCQ1: Planning for Northern Metropolis University Town
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Questions:
In order to plan for the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), a delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (Working Group) recently visited the Xiasha Higher Education Park in Hangzhou, the Sejong Common Campus in Korea, the Bildungscampus Heilbronn in Germany, as well as the University of Basel and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland, to study these successful models of higher education development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the specific outcomes of the Working Group's study visits; whether it has concluded any models applicable to NMUT; if so, of the details;
(2) whether the planned student mix for NMUT will primarily consist of postgraduates, so as to maximise the benefits of synergistic development between education and industries; if so, whether the Government will consider dismantling the current model of independent operations and campus segregation among universities, and encouraging the universities to strengthen collaboration, exchanges and the sharing of support facilities such as libraries and sports facilities; if the student mix for NMUT will not primarily consist of postgraduates, how support facilities will be planned; and
(3) apart from the planning of teaching facilities, whether the Government will draw reference from the planning of university towns in places such as Boston in the United States, Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and Grenoble in France to promote NMUT's integration with the community and make full use of support facilities in the market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) is a core component of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in formulating the first Five-Year Plan to align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) is one of the key projects and is at the heart of the strategic plan for developing Hong Kong into an international education hub and a cradle for future talent. The NM not only creates the conditions for Hong Kong's post-secondary education sector to expand the capacity and enhance the quality, but also plays a significant role in promoting Hong Kong's integration into and service for the overall national development.
To expedite the development of NM, the Government established the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) last year, which is led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to study the development mode for NMUT, conduct field trips on the successful models of university towns elsewhere and seek views widely. The WG also explores the possible way forward to deeply integrate industry development with the academic sectors where Hong Kong has an edge, as well as the strategies for attracting leading universities and research institutes in the Chinese Mainland and overseas to establish a base in Hong Kong.
Our reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Augustine Wong is as follows:
(1) Between March and May this year, the WG visited various university town areas as well as science and technology parks in the Chinese Mainland (Zhejiang, Beijing and Hebei), Korea, Germany and Switzerland, where they observed and learnt from the development experiences and innovative models of the Chinese Mainland and international university towns.
From the findings of the field trips, the planning and operational modes of different university towns have their own distinctive features and advantages, especially on the fronts of campus-city integration, internationalised and smart operation, strategic industry-academia collaboration, and deep integration of the industry, academia and research sectors, etc, which have provided valuable guidance for the WG in devising a suitable development mode and direction for NMUT. Nevertheless, we have noted at the same time that university town areas and science and technology parks in different places have their own unique developmental background, conditions, environment and challenges to face; the overall policy directions, land systems and industrial ecosystems, etc. of various governments vary from place to place as well. Therefore, when referencing experiences from other places, we must take into account Hong Kong's own strengths and unique characteristics. We will adapt the lessons learnt flexibly to suit the local conditions, then prudently and pragmatically integrate the insights gained from the field trips with Hong Kong's actual circumstances into the planning of NMUT, so as to develop a modern university town that possesses distinctive Hong Kong characteristics while integrating into and serving the nation.
(2) To optimise the use of precious land resources, the planning of NMUT must maintain a certain degree of flexibility, and even incorporate appropriate strategic vacancy, so as to respond effectively to the rapid changes brought about by social and technological developments. At present, the Government has respectively reserved development sites in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK), Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area (NTM) and the New Territories North (NTN) New Town for NMUT. In line with the development strategy of "infrastructure-driven, step by step", we will plan and construct different town areas in phases. Amongst others, sites for post-secondary education use will be launched in 2026, 2028 and 2030 respectively.
To better align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, contribute to the development of building a leading country in education, provide strong talent support for both Hong Kong and the nation, and strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international post-secondary education hub, each of the three university town areas has its own different development positioning and objectives. The HSK University Town Area is positioned as a cultivation centre for applied higher education and internationalised talent, and will integrate with nearby high-end professional services and training of talent for joint development. The NTM University Town Area is situated adjacent to the San Tin Technopole and the Loop with the construction of the third medical school, hence it will provide a vital platform for the innovative development of advanced industries such as life sciences and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and microelectronics. As regards the NTN University Town Area, it will support the construction of the second campus of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and serve as an integrated arts cum industry campus area.
At present, universities in Hong Kong largely adopt the mode of scattered independent campuses and manage their respective resources, whereas university towns from other places mostly adopt the shared use of facilities and spaces among multiple institutions, including academic buildings, laboratories, libraries, sports grounds, hostels and ancillary facilities, to form a closely-knit university ecosystem. Having considered that land is a valuable resource in Hong Kong, the concept of sharing facilities is set to become a dominant trend. In planning for NMUT, the WG will explore more deeply on how these ideas can be integrated into the framework and design of the project.
In short, the planning of NMUT is a highly dynamic and interactive process. By maintaining close communication with institutions and relevant stakeholders, we are committed to developing NMUT into an internationally competitive platform for teaching, research and innovation, one that integrates industrial development and serves the overall objectives of Hong Kong and the nation. We aim to establish a joining framework that offers maximum flexibility, enabling institutions to devise innovative proposals that break with tradition and adapt to changing circumstances.
(3) Looking at university town areas across the Chinese Mainland and overseas, campus-city integration has become a common development mode. We will conduct in-depth studies on various campus-city integration modes around the world, and in the development blueprint of NMUT, adopt a similar holistic planning approach, combining government leadership with market forces to enhance resource efficiency and create an open, shared and campus-city integrated innovative community.
According to the latest planning, the three university town areas of HSK, NTM and NTN will all provide community living and residential supporting facilities, as well as different industrial positioning. The core teaching and research facilities of the university town areas can be integrated with the adjacent industry sites and residential communities to promote the integration and co-ordinated development of education, technology, talent, industries and urban functions, thereby creating a pattern of campus-city integration.
Thank you, President.
Ends/Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:22
Issued at HKT 16:22
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