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Letters

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Hong Kong is rapidly evolving into an international education hub. With 22 local degree-awarding institutions – nine publicly funded and 13 self-financing – producing around 50,000 graduates annually, the quality of these degrees is cause for concern.
The prevailing approach often prioritises enrolment over academic rigour. This is driven by the funding formula for government-funded universities, which allocates resources largely based on total student headcount. Consequently, institutions are incentivised to maintain high intake numbers rather than enforce strict standards or fail underperforming students.
Universities may admit a small percentage of students under “flexible admission” policies. There has also been an increase in the non-local student cap from 40 per cent to 50 per cent of local places.
While inclusive, this risks admitting candidates with insufficient preparation. Coupled with graduation rates near 100 per cent, the system creates a “guaranteed pass” culture that fails to incentivise high standards.
Are employers truly satisfied with the competence of executive trainees, teachers and social workers? Complaints of graduates lacking English proficiency or pedagogical skills are not uncommon. To maintain global prestige, Hong Kong must enforce rigorous exit requirements that ensure absolute competency.
Current quality assurance relies heavily on institutional audits and peer reviews. To prepare for future expansion, three additional measures are essential.
First, institute a common exit assessment. “Graduate attributes” like critical thinking must be more than marketing buzzwords. The authorities should mandate an internationally validated cognitive skills test, similar to the US’ Collegiate Learning Assessment, for all final-year students. A minimum threshold should be required to achieve Level 5 of the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework. Anonymised cohort results published by the University Grants Committee would expose institutions failing to deliver value-added learning.
Second, make internships mandatory. Many traditional programmes allow graduation with zero real-world exposure. A universal requirement of 500 hours of accredited work-integrated education should be enforced. Crucially, if an employer fails a student on workplace competency or ethics, the student should not graduate, regardless of their Grade Point Average.
Third, introduce performance-linked funding. Universities are currently funded based on enrolment and staff performance, not alumni competence. A significant portion of recurrent funding should be tied to longitudinal metrics, such as employer satisfaction and career progression three to five years post-graduation. Institutions whose graduates consistently underperform should face enrolment quota cuts and funding penalties.
The trend of “easy entry, guaranteed pass” is unjustifiable and unsustainable. The government must take proactive steps to uphold the highest standards, ensuring Hong Kong remains a prestigious global education hub.
Dr John Tse Wing-ling, executive director, Hong Kong Initiative for Diversity
Orientation camps should go back to basics
Many first-year University students in Hong Kong look forward to orientation camps as a chance to meet new friends, blend into the university culture and, most importantly, to have fun after years of intense public examination preparation. Yet in recent years, reports of inappropriate activities and alleged sexual assault at such camps have emerged with worrying regularity. This year, people were shocked by a video circulating on social media showing an inappropriate disco night orientation event organised by a student society of a local tertiary institution. What is the fundamental cause of this troubling trend?
It is undeniable that well-designed orientation events can help university freshmen adjust to university life. However, this may no longer be the primary purpose of many orientation camps. Instead, some appear to have become occasions for students to “go wild” and seek entertainment, with insufficient regard for safety, dignity and consent.
The public and universities expect orientation camps to introduce freshmen to campus facilities, student societies and university services. Meanwhile, students may primarily see the camps as opportunities to meet new people and enjoy greater freedom after secondary school. Although orientation activities such as ice-breaking games, water games and campfires can encourage students to socialise, they can also create an environment in which peer pressure, alcohol consumption, sexualised behaviour or the abuse of senior students’ power are normalised.
This difference in expectations of orientation camps between the public and the students is the crux of the issue. Orientation events should not be treated as an excuse for humiliating, indecent or unsafe activities. Universities must exercise stronger oversight over orientation camps organised by student societies and provide mandatory training for student organisers to avoid indecent activities. Organisers should also verify participants’ identities and ages, ensuring they are legitimate students of the university.
More fundamentally, universities and student societies should discuss what orientation camps are intended to achieve. If the purpose of orientation camps is to help students begin university life, then fun and socialising should support that objective, not replace it entirely.
Leung Wai-chun, Siu Sai Wan


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Opinion

Readers discuss the need to ensure academic rigour in tertiary education, and university orientation camps


Readers discuss the need to ensure academic rigour in tertiary education, and university orientation camps.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss the need to ensure academic rigour in tertiary education, and university orientation camps

Readers discuss the need to ensure academic rigour in tertiary education, and university orientation camps