The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:

     The Chairman of the University Grants Committee (UGC), Mr Tim Lui, today (September 16) welcomed the announcement of the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan), as well as the initiatives concerning higher education, talent development, and research and innovation set out in the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address.

     Mr Lui said, "The UGC warmly welcomes Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, which provides a forward-looking strategic framework for Hong Kong's economic and social development from 2026 to 2030. Together with the measures announced in the Policy Address, it fully demonstrates the Government's commitment to fostering high-quality development, nurturing talent, advancing research and innovation, and strengthening Hong Kong's distinctive strengths as an international hub for post-secondary education and high-calibre talent. The UGC-funded sector has an important role to play in supporting these directions by nurturing talent, pursuing research excellence, enhancing the transfer of knowledge, and strengthening international engagement and collaboration with different sectors of the community."

     Mr Lui welcomes the latest strategic development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) announced by the Chief Executive in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan. It sets out a clear and coherent strategic direction, consistent with what the UGC-funded universities have been advocating: consolidating Hong Kong's position as an international education hub, and driving the integrated development of education, technology and talent in support of the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

     As announced in the Policy Address, the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) led by the Chief Secretary for Administration will be upgraded to the Committee on Construction and Development of the University Town  to co-ordinate the long-term planning and development of the NMUT. The NMUT is a long-term development project, and the WG had laid a solid foundation for the project. As the project moves into its next phase, the establishment of a dedicated high-level committee could further strengthen long-term planning and co-ordination across policy bureaux and departments, while helping to maintain policy and operational continuity. The UGC will continue to support the Government's work, and suitably provide advice and assistance on the overall development of the higher education sector and international trends, with a view to supporting the next stage of the NMUT's long-term development.

     Mr Lui also welcomes the Chief Executive's announcement in the Policy Address that the Government will gradually increase the number of UGC-funded research postgraduate student places from the current level of 7 200 by around 30 per cent to 9 600 in the 2030/31 academic year (AY). In conjunction with this increase, starting from the 2027/28 AY, the annual number of Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme awardees will also be gradually increased from 400 to 550 by the 2029/30 AY.

     Mr Lui commended the Government for both initiatives aimed at enhancing local research capacity and addressing the rising demand for new-quality productive forces. "The expanded pool of distinguished researchers will support the sustainable development of the NMUT and serve as a powerful catalyst in advancing synergistic industry-academia-research collaboration. The UGC will join hands with its funded universities to leverage the additional research support with a view to accelerating Hong Kong's development into an international hub for post-secondary education and high-calibre talent, and responding to the opportunities emerging from the National 15th Five-Year Plan," Mr Lui added.

     Mr Lui continued, "To further align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong's vision on the integrated development of education, technology and talent, we aim to enhance the higher education sector's capability and leadership in technology-enhanced education. To sustain the momentum for universities to harness AI and emerging technologies across the higher education sector, the UGC will provide $40 million under the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education per year starting from the 2029/30 AY. Meanwhile, to support our funded universities' efforts to expand their capacity and broaden their endeavours in knowledge transfer, the UGC will provide an additional $20 million in total per AY to these universities from the 2027/28 AY, enabling them to grasp new opportunities in industry academia-research collaboration, thereby accelerating the transformation of innovative achievements into tangible impacts."

     The UGC will continue to work closely with the eight UGC-funded universities and relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of the relevant directions and initiatives in Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address. These efforts will strengthen the city's role as an international hub for post-secondary education and high-calibre talent, support high-quality development, and enable further contributions to the country and Hong Kong. 

Ends/Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:00

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