2016 Mainland Higher Education Expo opens (with photos)
*******************************************************
Speaking at the Expo's opening ceremony this morning, the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Marion Lai, said that the increase in the number of participating institutions to 90 under the 2017 Admission Scheme and the provision of specialised programmes by some of the newly joined institutions would allow students to choose from a wide array of institution and programme choices and diversified pathways.
She said the Admission Scheme has been well received by Hong Kong students, noting that close to 15,500 students had filed applications under the Admission Scheme in the past five years and, among them, around 6,500 were admitted into Mainland higher education institutions.
The Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, visited some exhibition booths of Mainland higher education institutions after the opening ceremony. He thanked the Ministry of Education for its unfailing support for the Admission Scheme. Besides the increase in the number of participating institutions, the quota on the number of students nominated by each secondary school in Hong Kong under the School Principal Nomination Scheme is also increased from five to six. Also, as in previous years, a requirement that "participating institutions cannot refuse to admit candidates with disabilities if the candidates can fulfil the academic requirements, complete the enrolled programmes with their physical condition and take care of themselves in daily life" is added to cater for Hong Kong students with special education needs in the admission principles for institutions, thus offering more opportunities to students with different talents.
The Government launched the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme (MUSSS) in 2014 to support Hong Kong students in financial need to pursue undergraduate studies in the Mainland under the Admission Scheme. To support more financially needy Hong Kong students for pursuing undergraduate studies in the Mainland, the funding scope of MUSSS has, starting from the 2016/17 academic year, been expanded to cover all financially needy Hong Kong students pursuing undergraduate studies in designated Mainland institutions, irrespective of the channels of their admission to the institutions.
The Expo is open to the public today from 10am to 7pm and tomorrow from 10am to 6pm at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Admission is free.
The 90 Mainland higher education institutions participating in the 2017 Admission Scheme have set up exhibition booths and are holding talks to provide information on aspects such as faculties and subjects, admission criteria, the number of places and tuition fees. The event also features talks by the Ministry of Education on details of the application procedures and admission arrangements under the Admission Scheme.
There are also briefing sessions being conducted by representatives from the institutions on the characteristics and career prospects of individual programmes, and talks by Hong Kong graduates from Mainland institutions about their study life on the Mainland in sharing sessions. In addition, representatives from the education and business sectors are giving talks on the career prospects of students after their graduation from Mainland higher education institutions.
The EDB and the Hok Yau Club have jointly compiled the "Handbook on the Scheme for the Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions". The handbook provides comprehensive information on the scheme and further study on the Mainland, including information on all of the institutions participating in the scheme, the programmes offered, strategies on programme choices, and sharing by graduates of Mainland universities. The handbook will be distributed free of charge at the Expo. For details of the Admission Scheme, please visit the EDB website at www.edb.gov.hk/expo16.
Ends/Saturday, December 17, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:46
Issued at HKT 12:46
NNNN
Photo
