LCQ10: Accreditation mechanism for self-financing post-secondary institutions
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Question:
Among the self-financing institutions in Hong Kong at present, apart from Hong Kong Metropolitan University which possesses self-accrediting status, all other self-financing institutions registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320) are required to undergo Programme Area Accreditation conducted by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ), and the post-secondary programmes offered by them must also pass the HKCAAVQ's external quality assurance mechanism. There are views pointing out that against the backdrop of the Government's active efforts in developing Hong Kong into an international education hub and developing the Northern Metropolis University Town, the authorities should review the relevant mechanism to promote and facilitate university development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the average annual number of programmes offered by self-financing institutions approved by the HKCAAVQ from 2021 to the present; the average time taken by the HKCAAVQ to process accreditation applications from self-financing institutions (from the submission of applications by the institutions to the completion of accreditation and announcement of results by the HKCAAVQ), with a breakdown by stage of the quality assurance process (i.e. Learning Programme Accreditation, Programme Area Accreditation and Periodic Institutional Review);
(2) of the total number of self-financing institutions registered under Cap. 320 which have applied to the HKCAAVQ for Programme Area Accreditation status from 2021 to the present; among them, the number of institutions whose applications have been successfully approved and the number of institutions currently awaiting accreditation;
(3) of the total number of institutions which have submitted applications to the Education Bureau to become universities of applied sciences since the publication of the Manual for Institutional Review for University of Applied Sciences in February 2024, and the respective numbers of such applications which have been approved and are being processed; and
(4) whether the Government will consider devising shortlisting criteria (such as years of operation in education, institutional scale and institutional rankings) to grant a greater degree of accrediting powers to more eligible self-financing institutions registered under Cap. 320 (particularly those which have been retitled as universities), so that they may accredit their programmes on their own without being subject to external accreditation?
Reply:
President,
Under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320), post-secondary colleges (i.e. institutions that provide self-financing degree or sub-degree education) must pass the Institutional Review (IR)
conducted by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ), and maintain their status through cyclical IR or Periodic Institutional Review (PIR) (Note 1), so as to demonstrate that the institution maintains the capability to provide post-secondary education.
In addition, the Ordinance also stipulates that degree or sub-degree programmes offered by institutions must pass the accreditation of the HKCAAVQ, confirming that the programmes have attained the corresponding qualification level of the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (QF). On one hand, the HKCAAVQ conducts Learning Programme Accreditation (LPA) or Learning Programme Re-accreditation (Re-LPA) (Note 2) for individual programmes; on the other hand, it also confers Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) based on the institution's track record. Institutions that have obtained PAA status can handle their own quality assurance matters for programmes in approved programme areas at approved QF levels, without the need for separate accreditation by the HKCAAVQ.
In response to the four parts of the question, our reply is as follows:
(1) In the five years from 2021/22 to 2025/26, the HKCAAVQ conducted about 65 accreditation exercises each year for post-secondary colleges, including LPA, Re-LPA, PAA and PIR, covering a total of about 360 local self-financing degree or sub-degree programmes.
Generally speaking, from the submission of accreditation documents by institutions to the issuance of the accreditation report by the HKCAAVQ, LPA or Re-LPA takes about 16 to 20 weeks; PAA takes about 24 weeks; and IR or PIR takes about 24 to 30 weeks.
(2) From 2021 to date (as at September 30, 2026), a total of four institutions registered under the Ordinance applied for PAA status; all four applications were approved, securing self-accrediting status in a total of 10 programme areas. Currently, the HKCAAVQ is processing the PAA applications of another two institutions.
(3) In February 2024, the Education Bureau (EDB) promulgated the criteria for qualifying as Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), including the requirement to pass the HKCAAVQ's accreditation confirming that the relevant requirements are met, i.e. the institution must possess the vision, commitment, capabilities and experience to operate an institution that embodies the key features of UAS; have obtained a university title; and have recognition and support from industries and professions. The relevant criteria are set out in detail in the Manual for Institutional Review for UAS issued by the HKCAAVQ.
Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University became UAS in February and November 2024 respectively.
The EDB has also received an application from one institution to become a UAS, and the relevant accreditation work is currently in progress.
(4) As mentioned above, the PAA mechanism provides institutions that have obtained PAA status (including post-secondary colleges that have acquired university title) appropriate accreditation authority, enabling them to self-accredit and handle the quality assurance matters of programmes within approved programme areas at approved QF levels, without the need for programme-by-programme accreditation by the HKCAAVQ. This allows institutions to respond more quickly to market needs and to launch new programmes flexibly.
To continuously safeguard the quality of post-secondary education, institutions that have obtained PAA status must undergo PIR by the HKCAAVQ regularly to confirm that their internal quality assurance mechanisms remain effective, thereby maintaining their PAA status in related programmes. Depending on the factors such as the institution's track record, the HKCAAVQ may, upon application by the institution, expand the coverage of the self-accreditation status after the institution has passed the accreditation.
The existing mechanism effectively balances the flexibility of institutions in offering programmes and programme quality assurance. We have no plan to further relax the accreditation authority of institutions.
Note1: Institutions that have passed IR must undergo periodic review by the HKCAAVQ to confirm that their institutional governance, operational effectiveness and internal quality assurance mechanisms remain effective.
Note 2: The validity period of LPA is determined according to the programme duration, accreditation outcome, risk assessment and institutional track record. Before the expiry of the validity period, institutions wishing to continue offering the programme must undergo Re-LPA.
Ends/Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:20
Issued at HKT 14:20
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