First applied sciences uni announced
Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin (third right), along with other guests, officiates at the ceremony marking the establishment of the first university of applied sciences in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) has become the first university of applied sciences (UAS) in the city, the Education Bureau declared today.
The Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the Government will facilitate the establishment of UASs.
Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said the bureau is pleased that the HKMU has met all criteria and become the first UAS in Hong Kong.
She highlighted that the HKMU demonstrates its vision, commitment, capabilities and experience in providing high-level vocational and professional education and training (VPET) programmes that blend theory and practice, and having strong recognition and support from industries.
It not only represents a milestone for the HKMU but also signifies the Government's commitment to raising the status of VPET at the university degree level, providing young people with an alternative pathway to success, Ms Choi added.
In assessing the HKMU’s application for becoming a UAS, the Government has taken into account the outcome of the institutional review for UAS by the Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications, and the HKMU’s experience in operating applied degree programmes and other VPET-oriented programmes.
The institutional review by the council is based on three domains, namely governance, management and quality assurance; learning environment and learner support; and industry collaboration and recognition.
Founded by the Government in 1989 as the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong, the HKMU became the first self-financing university in 1997.
In the 2023-24 academic year, the HKMU operates more than 140 self-financing post-secondary programmes, primarily focusing on professional and practical disciplines, ranging from Levels 4 to 7 under the Qualifications Framework. Plus, it currently operates two applied degree programmes.
Apart from submitting annual progress reports to the bureau, institutions that have qualified as a UAS, including the HKMU, are subject to ongoing reviews by the council.