Editorial | Admission cheats at Hong Kong universities should fail from start

High marks go to academics, authorities and the judiciary for taking decisive action after a student used fake papers to obtain a visa and gain admission to a Hong Kong university. While such cases may be infrequent, officials must remain alert to defend and bolster the city’s reputation as an education hub. Wu Linhui, who had been in custody since June, was found guilty last week and jailed for 17 weeks for using a fake certificate from a US Ivy League university and lying to immigration officers.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) business school said the 24-year-old had applied for a one-year postgraduate programme in September 2022. Her claim to be a mathematics graduate of Cornell University was exposed when HKU contacted the American institution only to be told that she had never been a student there.

The city’s No 2 official has warned students against taking such risks. Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said those caught faced not only punishment today but also “very difficult” obstacles when trying to enter the city in future.

The business school of HKU, the city’s oldest tertiary institution, said in July that about 30 master’s degree students had been found to have used fake documents for enrolment, and the number was expected to rise to at least 80.

As with many universities worldwide, other tertiary institutions in the city have also found fake academic credentials being used, exam results tampered with and admission tests or interviews sat by others, often with the help of agencies.

Authorities and institutions must continue to show zero tolerance to such fraudulent acts that risk undermining the city’s hopes of developing as a hub for tertiary education, as revealed by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his recent policy address under plans for a “Study in Hong Kong” brand to draw overseas students.