HONG KONG: Hong Kong's University of Science and Technology reported a record intake of students from the Chinese mainland and overseas countries this fall. Non-local students comprise 12 percent of the student population.

However, Tam Kar-yan, the university's dean of undergraduate education, said that the university will likely fall short of its target of 20 percent non-local enrolment by 2012., because unavailability of student residences will not allow it.

"If we hope a fifth of our intake is from overseas, we need commensurate residence places for them. The target won't be met very soon," he said.

He added that the transition to the four-year undergraduate program will slowly progress toward achieving the objective, since more local students will be attending universities when the conversion starts in 2012.

Tam said the university is discussing a plan with Baptist University to build a joint residence hall in Tseung Kwan O to meet the rising demand.

Currently, non-local students are able to stay in residence on campus during their first two years. In their third and fourth years they will have to compete for places with local students, he said.

Tam attributed the increase in the number of non-local students to the university's active recruitment strategies overseas.

"We have held information seminars at high schools and colleges overseas. We have also joined the Trade Development Council's program along with other local institutions to promote our university overseas. This year, we visited India," he said.

Tam also said some current overseas students and alumni had recommended the university to their younger schoolmates at high schools.

Some 38 percent of the 242 non-local undergraduate students admitted this year come from 21 overseas countries while the rest are mainlanders, the university said.

Tam said he hopes half of its non-local undergraduate intake will come from abroad in the long run.

With this year's policy address around the corner, Tam called on the government to provide more subsidies for local university students to join international exchange programs, to expand their chances to study overseas.

He also suggested authorities consider creating measures to encourage talented students from overseas to work in Hong Kong after they complete their studies here.

Christoph Kramer, a 20-year-old German who began his studies in Global Business at the University of Science and Technology on a scholarship this year, said he still doesn't know if he will stay in Hong Kong after he graduates.

That will depend on whether he can find a suitable job, he said.

Tam added it will be difficult to make Hong Kong's education system a highly profitable business, due in part to high labor costs.

(HK Edition 09/15/2009 page1)