Rui Li, Jingmin Xie

Rui Li

June 30, 2026

Non-local students, Colleges and universities, Hong Kong, China, Features.

Cross-border mobility of students in higher education is receiving increasing attention. Research has found that the driving factors for the Hong Kong government to promote the recruitment of non-local students are the absorption of talents to promote economic income and industrial upgrading, as well as the creation of the "Study in Hong Kong, China" brand. The features of non-local student mobility in colleges and universities in Hong Kong, China show that the scale of non-local student mobility has been increasing year by year. Non-local students come from diverse sources, mainly mainland Chinese students, and have a wide range of professional choices, with a focus on science, business and other disciplines. However, the problem of non-local student mobility in colleges and universities in Hong Kong, China is that: the scale of Hong Kong's "study abroad economy" is relatively small, and the international higher education hub needs to be further formed; the reliance on Asia as the source of non-local students is excessive; and the efforts to cultivate non-local innovative technology talents need to be improved. In the future, the government of Hong Kong, China will strengthen policy support for non-local student mobility, accelerate the development of the North University Education City, and accelerate the introduction and cultivation of innovative talents.

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

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