The current Hong Kong administration has pretty much walked away from the aim of making the SAR a major center for education in Asia, says Professor Joshua Mok Ka-ho, acting vice-president (research and development) and associate vice-president (research and international exchange) of the Hong Kong Institute of Education. The reason may be to appease anti-mainland sentiment that sometimes drifts through Hong Kong like passing heat waves. Among the 3,000 placements occupied by non-local students at Hong Kong universities, 80 percent come from the Chinese mainland.

The increasing number of mainland students is a global trend, Mok notes, adding that Hong Kong could generate an immense income if it's truly committed to becoming an education center.

"From a global perspective, we admit students not based on their gender or race, but on their talents," he said. "Being an international city, Hong Kong should be more open to accepting talents from other parts of the world in order to optimize our population."

Singapore has been working vigorously to become an education hub in recent years and the number of international students has been increasing rapidly in the past two decades - increasing from 86,000 in 2007 to 150,000 in 2012.

By comparison, Mok said, Singapore has been more aggressive in trying to attract more foreign prestigious colleges to establish branches there with preferential policies. "Singapore has been doing the best it can to position itself as 'global school house' or 'Boston of the East'. But Hong Kong is more sluggish."

"Although international students may decide to leave Singapore after graduation, they will always be thankful to Singapore, this is diplomacy. Like its education minister said, 'It makes Singapore pleasant in the world'".

(HK Edition 08/30/2013 page1)