LCQ15: Attracting students from Belt and Road countries to study and work in Hong Kong
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Question:
In recent years, the Government has been actively promoting the "Study in Hong Kong" brand. To strengthen educational co-operation with countries along the Belt and Road, the Government has added the Belt and Road Scholarships under the Targeted Scholarship Scheme of the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund, which are offered to students coming from designated countries along the Belt and Road regions, so as to attract more outstanding non-local students to further their studies in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information for the past five academic years, broken down by the three categories under the Belt and Road Scholarships (namely Belt and Road Scholarship (Designated Countries), Belt and Road Scholarship (Other Countries) and Belt and Road Scholarship (Research Postgraduate)): (i) the total amount of scholarships awarded under each category for each academic year; and (ii) the distribution of disciplines or departments in which the scholarship recipients were enrolled;
(2) given that post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong have been assisting non-local students (including Belt and Road Scholarships recipients) in staying and working in Hong Kong through various channels, including the provision of employment-related information and support services, whether the authorities will discuss with such institutions the further establishment of a dedicated job-matching mechanism to assist students from Belt and Road countries in staying and taking up employment in Hong Kong upon completion of their programmes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the authorities have any plans to establish, in collaboration with enterprises, a job-matching mechanism for students from Belt and Road countries to assist them in staying and taking up employment in Hong Kong upon completion of their programmes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
To strengthen collaboration in education with the Belt and Road (B&R) countries, since the 2016/17 academic year, the Government has offered the B&R Scholarship to non-local students from B&R countries and regions to pursue publicly-funded full-time undergraduate and research postgraduate programmes in Hong Kong. The annual quota for the B&R Scholarship has been gradually increased from the initial ten places to 150 places with effect from the 2024/25 academic year. After consulting the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the B&R Office, my reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Albert Chuang is as follows:
(1) (i) The total amounts of scholarships awarded under the three sub-types of the B&R Scholarship in the five academic years from 2021/22 to 2025/26 are set out in the following table:
| Sub-types of B&R Scholarship |
Academic year | ||||
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| Amount of scholarships awarded ($ million) | |||||
| Designated Countries | 15.8 | 16.7 | 20.0 | 24.4 | 29.6# |
| Other Countries | 11.3 | 14.7 | 16.0 | 24.1 | 30.7# |
| Research Postgraduate Programmes | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.1# |
| Total ($ million) | 29.6 | 34.5 | 39.2 | 52 | 64.4# |
(ii) The distribution of awardees by discipline under the three sub-types of the B&R Scholarship in the five academic years from 2021/22 to 2025/26 is as follows:
B&R Scholarship (Designated Countries)
| Discipline | Academic year | ||||
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| Architecture | - | - | - | - | - |
| Arts | 1 | - | 4 | 1 | - |
| Design and Performing Arts | - | 1 | - | 3 | 3 |
| Business Administration | 6 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 19 |
| Journalism and Communication | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Computer and Information Technology | 6 | - | 5 | 4 | 7 |
| Education | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Engineering and Technology | 14 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 15 |
| Law | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | - |
| Medicine and Health | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Sciences | 2 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 |
| Social Sciences | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Total | 34 | 40 | 45 | 55 | 55 |
B&R Scholarship (Other Countries)
| Discipline | Academic year | ||||
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| Architecture | - | - | - | - | - |
| Arts | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Design and Performing Arts | - | - | - | 3 | - |
| Business Administration | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 19 |
| Journalism and Communication | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| Computer and Information Technology | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| Education | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Engineering and Technology | 14 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 18 |
| Law | - | - | - | - | - |
| Medicine and Health | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Sciences | 12 | 13 | 10 | 20 | 12 |
| Social Sciences | 1 | - | - | 5 | 4 |
| Total | 41 | 35 | 30 | 70 | 70 |
B&R Scholarship (Research Postgraduate)
| Discipline | Academic year | ||||
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | |
| Architecture | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Arts | 2 | - | 1 | 2 | - |
| Design and Performing Arts | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Business Administration | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Journalism and Communication | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - |
| Computer and Information Technology | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Education | 1 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Law | 1 | 3 | - | 1 | - |
| Medicine and Health | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Sciences | 3 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Social Sciences | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Total | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
(2) and (3) Hong Kong's post-secondary institutions have been, through different channels, assisting students in planning their future development according to their abilities, strengths and aspirations, and encouraging non-local students (including the B&R Scholarship awardees) to stay in Hong Kong for development after graduation. For instance, the faculties and student affairs offices of the institutions have been providing information related to further studies and employment, as well as diversified support services such as employment and internship opportunities, recruitment seminars, and career counselling and consultation services. Meanwhile, the Government and the institutions have introduced the following measures to encourage non-local students (including the B&R Scholarship awardees) to stay in Hong Kong for development after graduation:
(i) The Government introduced the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates in 2008 and further relaxed the limit of stay under the arrangements from 12 months to 24 months in 2022, so that non-local students can apply to stay in Hong Kong to seek development opportunities upon graduation. Moreover, the Government has temporarily exempted full-time non-local postgraduate students from the restrictions on taking up part-time jobs starting from November 2023, and has extended the exemption to cover non-local undergraduate students starting from November 2024, with a view to enhancing their experience and understanding of working in Hong Kong, and providing them with a stronger incentive to stay in Hong Kong after graduation.
(ii) The post-secondary institutions have enhanced their campus facilities and provided social and personal support to facilitate student integration, so as to ensure an enriching, fulfilling and enjoyable experience for non-local students while studying in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing their incentive to stay in Hong Kong for development after graduation and promote Hong Kong to B&R countries.
(iii) To enhance the B&R Scholarship awardees' understanding of Hong Kong and connections with various sectors of the community, and to establish a mutual support platform for the awardees so as to encourage them to stay in Hong Kong for development after graduation, the Government has introduced the following special measures:
- The Education Bureau has been organising an annual sharing session on pursuing further studies in Hong Kong for new awardees since the 2024/25 academic year. It is planned that all awardees who are currently studying in Hong Kong and who have stayed in Hong Kong for development after graduation will be invited to join and share their experience at the sharing session starting from the 2026/27 academic year. This enables the new awardees to learn about studying, living and pursuing further studies in Hong Kong as well as the employment opportunities and development prospects in the city, and helps set up a peer and alumni network;
- The awardees will be invited to attend various exchange activities from time to time, including the B&R Summit and the Youth Development Summit, where they can exchange views with young people from different regions and backgrounds, connect with industry leaders from different fields, deepen their understanding of Hong Kong (such as Hong Kong's innovation and technology sector, cultural and creative industries, as well as initiatives to unleash young people's potential), and tell the good stories of Hong Kong; and
- Starting from 2026, with the assistance from the overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs), the awardees who have returned to their places of origin are invited to attend events held by the ETOs so that they can keep ties and maintain exchanges with Hong Kong even though they have not stayed in Hong Kong for development after graduation. This will continue to reinforce Hong Kong's worldwide network and advantage of being closely connected to the world.
Currently, the Government and the institutions have put in place various measures to address students' needs and encourage non-local students (including the B&R Scholarship awardees) to stay in Hong Kong for development after graduation. The effectiveness of these measures will be kept under review. The Government has no plan to introduce dedicated job-matching arrangements for student groups from particular places of origin.
Ends/Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:20
Issued at HKT 12:20
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