Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), the first university in Hong Kong to achieve the status of an institution of applied sciences, has reported a 23 percent increase in its number of first-year students, reaching over 3,100. HKMU's management attributed the surge in enrollment to several factors beyond its new University of Applied Sciences (UAS) designation. These include the introduction of new related programs, the university's rebranding, and a growing student preference for practical disciplines.
The schools have committed to hiring experienced and reputable professionals from various industries to expose students to the latest trends and advancements in applied science. The university reported that its number of first-year students for the 2024-25 academic year reached 3,102, a rise from 2,520 the previous year. President Paul Lam Kwan-sing noted to the media, "While the UAS title may have contributed to the increase, it is only one of several factors, and I do not want to attribute the rise to a single cause".
He was referring to a new program jointly developed by the university and the Airport Authority’s International Aviation Academy, which offers commercial pilot licenses to graduates. Lui Yu-hon, the senior adviser to the president, also highlighted that the renaming of the school from Hong Kong Open University in 2021 and the increasing student preference for practical and professional programs have contributed to the institution's growing popularity.
The university became the city's first institution for applied sciences in March, following Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu's proposal to establish UAS institutions in his policy address last year, aimed at improving perceptions of vocational education. Lam stated that the university plans to hire experienced professors who are experts in their fields to ensure students are exposed to the latest developments in their areas of study.
“They are not the ones with university backgrounds of doing research and publishing journals, but we will hire them, as these professional professors could help our students grasp society’s latest developments”, he said.
The university also announced a record increase in non-local student admissions, which rose from 668 in the 2023-24 academic year to 818 in 2024-25, marking a 23 percent increase. Non-local students now represent 19 percent of the undergraduate population, just shy of the government-imposed cap of 20 percent. However, Lam cautioned that there has been a rise in fraudulent academic qualifications among non-local applicants. He mentioned that the university has implemented rigorous screening measures, including verifying the credentials of graduates from mainland Chinese universities and contacting overseas institutions to confirm academic records.
University provost Kwan Ching-ping disclosed that the institution’s verification procedures had identified applicants using fake qualifications, with over 100 such cases now reported. Serious cases will be referred to the police. To accommodate the growing number of non-local students, the university has recently acquired a 255-room hotel, formerly known as Urbanwood Hotel in Ho Man Tin. Currently,
