Study Abroad in Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is a global city that is branded as Asia’s World City. It accommodates roughly 7 million residents in a city of gleaming skyscrapers and high-rise housing in Hong Kong Island, Kowloo, and the New Territories.

Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong.
Photo by Colin Speakman

Its universities are highly ranked in the surveys of best universities worldwide, making the city naturally appealing for study abroad. Hong Kong has eight publicly supervised institutions — including The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

These educational institutes developed in the period that Hong Kong was leased to the United Kingdom. They have continued to prosper since Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 as a Special Administrative Region (SAR), operated under a “one country, two systems” model.

Since it is compact with a high population, Hong Kong has property prices and general living costs notably higher than in mainland China. They are on a par with leading Western major cities. This is important to understand if looking at China programs as a “value destination” for international education.

Study-abroad programs in Hong Kong can be found at most universities, with international students entering them directly or through enhanced programs offered by third-party providers. U.S.-based universities sometimes include Hong Kong as part of faculty-led programs to China, but for cost reasons, often do not base most of their study abroad programs in Hong Kong.

Academics In Hong Kong. Its universities typically offer a wide range of courses taught in English, in stark contrast with the Chinese mainland — this is a huge draw for anyone looking here for study abroad. Hong Kong is a leading International Financial Center (which can only grow with internationalization of the Chinese yuan). It has its own currency (the Hong Kong dollar), and is a gateway to China for international business organizations to establish a base and take advantage of a well-established system of company law.

Thus, courses in international business, finance, and law are a good fit in this SAR, as are classes that look at Asia’s development, generally. Cantonese is the local language, in keeping with nearby Guangdong Province on the mainland. Of course, Mandarin can be studied here, as the Chinese government wants all citizens to know the national language.

Costs Of Study Abroad In Hong Kong. Though costs are on a par with international cities in Western countries, foreign students get good deals in university housing and on campus eating. Hong Kong’s public transport system of buses, trolley buses, and rapid transit metro lines is efficient. The metro system costs typically start at a couple of HK dollars, but depend on length and destination. Inter-island journeys can also be made on the famous Star Ferry for less than 1 U.S. dollar.

Eating off-campus, students can find good value food courts in malls, but also very expensive international cuisine. Paradoxically, luxury goods shopping in these malls is cheaper than in the Chinese mainland, as Hong Kong does not impose the high sales taxes found in Beijing and Shanghai.

Resources For Hong Kong. It is sensible to find out as much about the city as possible prior to a study-abroad program in Hong Kong. There are many trusted city guidebooks from international publishers and the latest updates from monthly local publications, usually available on the web. A good example is TimeOut Hong Kong. Study abroad organizations often provide detailed advice on their program sites.

Studying in Hong Kong is not the same as being a tourist in Hong Kong. The extra advantage is usually a longer time in a city and courses that encourage, even require, deeper engagement with the locale. The local providers will help facilitate this and give students an inside track.

Opportunities For Additional Travel. The city is compact, and anyone studying abroad in Hong Kong is advised to explore other areas. If looking for visa-free destinations for U.S. passport holders, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore are interesting comparisons. It is possible to visit Beijing and Shanghai as international gateway cities for 72 hours visa-free under a recent Chinese government policy. For longer stays and other mainland cities, a China visa is needed and can be obtained in Hong Kong.

The simplest and least expensive way to set foot on mainland China is to take a ferry, train, or express bus from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. It is always good to check if any such opportunities are included in your study-abroad program in Hong Kong.