Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) today (5 September) held a media gathering, in which President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing and senior management met with the media and shared the admissions situation for the new academic year and the University's latest developments.
Prof. Lam said that over the past 35 years since its establishment, the University has kept pace with the times by offering professional and practical programmes. Despite the continued decrease in the number of secondary school graduates in Hong Kong, the number of applicants through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), direct admission, and the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) continued to rise in this academic year.
The number of students admitted to first-year, first-degree (FYFD) and taught postgraduate programmes in the current academic year is about 3,100 and 2,800, respectively, representing an increase of 23% and 13% over that of last year. The number of JUPAS applicants selecting HKMU programmes as their Band A choices increased by 6.5% compared to that of last year, and the admission scores also improved year-on-year, which is encouraging.
Among non-local students, both application and admission figures are record highs for the fifth consecutive year, with a 22.5% increase in the number of FYFD students and a 39% increase in the number of National College Entrance Exam (NCEE) applicants.
“As the first University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Hong Kong and the only self-financing institution granted self-accrediting status, HKMU has over the years developed its programmes to meet student and societal needs and has remained competitive,” said Prof. Lam. “With a current full-time student population of over 15,000 and the encouraging admission figures, it is evident that the University's programmes are popular among students and that our teaching quality is well recognised by society. This is the result of the collective efforts of all HKMU members, which is very gratifying.”
The University has grown rapidly in recent years, with the number of face-to-face students increasing by 40% compared with that of five years ago. To meet its teaching and research needs, the University is pressing ahead with various campus-development projects, including the construction of a new campus, titled “A Hub for Community Health and Wellness”, which will be equipped with a variety of teaching and learning facilities, as well as public space, to facilitate teaching and community connections. The new campus is scheduled to open in the 2028/29 academic year.
To enrich the students' campus life and promote their whole-person development, MU88, the student accommodation in Hung Hom, mainly for first year non-local students, was recently opened for the new academic year. The Student Affairs Office will organise a variety of orientation and exchange activities to help students integrate into the HKMU community.
In March 2024, HKMU became the first UAS in Hong Kong and has been actively promoting applied research, knowledge transfer and professional training. The University is actively identifying suitable premises for engineering- and construction-related research and internships, which are expected to cover an area of more than 40,000 square feet. In addition, the University plans to purchase suitable property in the commercial district for use as an “HKMU Town Centre”, which will provide a premium, multi-functional venue for executive training, business meetings, seminars and conferences, specialised laboratories and community outreach.
Prof. Lam said, “The University's development projects demonstrate our determination and ambition to provide quality higher education for our students, to nurture the talent needed by society, and to contribute to the development of our country and Hong Kong.”
