Tung Wah College to undergo review in April on bid to gain university status

Professor Sally Chan Wai-chi, president of the 16-year-old Ho Man Tin-based college, said on Thursday that it planned to adopt the name “Tung Wah University of Hong Kong” if its application was approved.

At a spring reception with the media, Chan revealed that the two applications, which would undergo an institutional review in April, had obtained the “blessing” of authorities.

“We are very confident. We know we have reached the level the review required, or rather, we have exceeded the minimum requirements. It’s impossible for us to only meet the minimum requirements,” said Chan, an internationally renowned scholar in nursing education and research.

To become a university in Hong Kong, an institution must obtain programme area accreditation (PAA) in at least three areas of study, demonstrate a certain level of research capability, maintain a minimum student enrolment of 1,500 at degree level for the past two consecutive academic years, and obtain institutional review status.

Tung Wah College obtained PAA status in occupational therapy, biological sciences and applied social sciences in 2020, 2024 and 2025, respectively.