Central to those efforts is InvestHK, a government agency responsible for attracting new foreign direct investment, which it does by offering tailor-made consultation services and free advice on how to get started – and then expand.
Over the past decade or so, the success story of UOW College Hong Kong (UOWCHK) has been a prime example of farsighted planning and timely support coming together for mutual benefit in the higher education sector.
The college is part of the international network of the University of Wollongong (UOW) in New South Wales, Australia – one of the world’s top 200 universities – which includes campuses in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. Last September, many notable figures were delighted to attend the grand opening ceremony of its state-of-the-art campus in Tai Wai, New Territories.
The purpose-built campus, conveniently located close to Tai Wai MTR station, provides an excellent teaching and learning environment, while also offering recreational and other amenities to ensure a vibrant student life.
There are four 100-seat lecture theatres, 30 classrooms for small-class teaching, a 200-seat auditorium, laboratories and dedicated work rooms for computing, design, engineering, aviation studies and artificial intelligence. A large library has group study areas, a computer zone and audiovisual equipment to support learning, as well as easy access to e-resources managed by UOW in Australia, including online databases, full-text e-journal titles and e-books.
Preliminary discussions with InvestHK about the possibilities and procedures began back in 2011. But designs for the new campus really kicked into gear when the Hong Kong government confirmed its support for the project in very practical ways.
“In 2016, the Education Bureau approved the allocation of these 15,000-square-metre premises under our land grant scheme,” Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said in her speech at the opening ceremony. “The vision was for the college to thrive as a modern provider of quality self-financing postsecondary education.”
The institution actually began life in Hong Kong as the Community College of City University in 2004. A subsequent alliance with the University of Wollongong in 2014, plus a change in strategic direction, ultimately led to the present name being adopted in 2020.
Now, the scene is set for further growth and opportunities within a strong international network and with space to add numbers and offer new courses.
“We were very fortunate to be selected in a very competitive process,” Patricia Davidson, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Wollongong, said. “Without the support we were given, this amazing campus and our presence in the region would not have been possible. And we hope that this successful venture is a really great model for advancing educational initiatives here in the Hong Kong SAR.”
So far, UOWCHK has faculties specialising in arts and humanities, business, science and technology, and social sciences.
The programmes available include four-year bachelor’s degrees, as well as top-up and associate degrees and higher diplomas. Among the most sought-after courses are those in accountancy and finance, aviation, creative media and design, and information technology.
Built-in flexibility makes it possible to also take secondary specialisations in certain cases. Since some programmes have been formally recognised by professional bodies, graduates can receive exemptions when moving on to career-related training schemes.
“Popular subjects include aviation operations … Chinese, Japanese and Korean,” Currie Tsang, president of UOWCHK said. “Also, for our maritime services programme, we have set up a very special laboratory [with the help of a generous government subsidy] which is recognised by the industry and the [city’s] Marine Department.”
She added that graduates may have the option of progressing to various bridging courses offered by the university’s headquarters in Australia, Importantly too, there are plenty of opportunities for interaction with students from different campuses within the group and for overseas exchanges or study tours.
“In addition to providing students with a quality education, we also enable them to broaden their horizons,” Tsang said.
Two current students are quick to confirm that everything about the new campus has more than met their expectations and will open exciting opportunities in the years ahead.
For Mahmoud Malaika, who is in the second year of a bachelor of aviation in operations and management degree, the programme has allowed her to realise a long-held dream.
“I was always very interested in aviation from day one,” she said. “I was very happy to find what I really wanted to study, which seems tailor-made for me.”
Ng Chun-ping began a higher associate degree last year and, after completing that, hopes to continue with further studies at UOWCHK.
“I am already familiar with the teaching style and culture; this has been a good choice for me,” he said.
Hearing such positive comments, Herman Tse, head of business and professional services at InvestHK, has good reason to feel that all the hard work put into nurturing this project and bringing it to fruition has definitely paid off.
“Before we found the campus in Tai Wai, our colleagues provided a lot of information about land granted by the Hong Kong government for different educational organisations,” Tse said. “Overall, these are achievements we are very proud of.”
Davidson is similarly enthusiastic about how well the partnership has flourished and what it may yet lead to.
“InvestHK have helped us navigate a myriad of issues including building approvals,” she said. “Hong Kong has always been such a gateway city; it has always been welcoming and open. It is a great place to have our base in this part of the world and a fabulous place to do business.
“This is a great opportunity to create links with our existing campuses in Malaysia, India and Dubai, and we are very open to exploring the options in the Greater Bay Area. I know universities all around the world are looking at this as a portal into China.”