CUHK chief urges funding for Northern Metropolis campuses
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, has urged the government to provide more funding for universities to establish campuses in the proposed 300-hectare university town in the Northern Metropolis . He said Hong Kong’s universities are academically strong but too small in size and scale, and that expansion near the mainland border could help them meet future challenges and increase their impact .
Key Points
- Lo said Hong Kong universities need greater financial support to develop campuses in the Northern Metropolis university town near Shenzhen .
- The proposed university town will cover about 300 hectares within the broader 30,000-hectare Northern Metropolis megaproject .
- Lo described Hong Kong universities as “boutique hotels”, saying they are excellent but limited by relatively small campuses and capacity .
- He said some ranking agencies consider institutional size, while major mainland universities already benefit from operating multiple campuses .
- The Northern Metropolis plan includes innovation and technology parks, housing estates and the university town, expected in Hong Kong’s first five-year blueprint .
Why It Matters
Lo’s remarks add pressure on policymakers to decide how much public support will be given to higher education expansion inside the Northern Metropolis . If universities secure land and funding there, Hong Kong could strengthen research capacity, student intake and cross-border collaboration at a time of growing regional competition .