It was not until 1998 that mainland high school students had the opportunity to study at Hong Kong universities, in restricted numbers. This year, 8 Hong Kong universities became authorized to recruit undergraduates from more than 20 mainland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. This has led to a situation where mainland and Hong Kong universities are now vying for students and going all out to attract the cream of the academic crop.

As eight Hong Kong universities are now authorized to recruit undergraduates from the mainland, there is heightened competition to attract China's brightest students. In 2006, 151 out of a total 6,342 mainland students were enrolled by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the University of Hong Kong selected 250 from 10,000 mainland applicants. This vying for students has created a considerably wider scope of academic and career opportunities for both mainland and Hong Kong undergraduates.

The Allure of Hong Kong Universities

It was in 2003 that six Hong Kong universities first got the green light from the Chinese Ministry of Education to recruit mainland undergraduates from six provinces and municipalities. This was actually formalization of the practice that began in 1998, whereby leading mainland educational institutions, among them Peking (Beida), Tsinghua and Fudan (of Shanghai) universities "recommended" students to Hong Kong universities. In the year 2006 the number of Hong Kong universities enrolling mainland students increassed to eight, and the provinces and municipalities from which they recruited to 20.

Yang Yang achieved the highest score in Guangdong Province at this year's college entrance exam, and received admission notices from both Beijing's Tsinghua University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. This was no easy choice for Yang Yang, as he has dreamt of studying at the prestigious Tsinghua University since childhood. After much cogitation and several sleepless nights, he plumped for Hong Kong. His reasons? "I've had 12 years of elementary and high school education here on the mainland, and would like to try studying in a different environment. I've heard that the approach to education in Hong Kong is similar to that in the West, and I think the English teaching environment there will improve my English level." Yang's decision was undoubtedly also swayed by the full scholarship of HK $450,000 that comes with his place at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "The scholarship is a huge financial boost and gratifying too, as it seems like a reward for my ten years of hard effort. It's also a great relief to know that my parents need not worry about paying my tuition fees," said Yang Yang.

Yang Yang was in an experimental class of 58 of Guangdong's most promising students, and one of the ten that applied to Hong Kong universities. They are part of the new wave of mainland undergraduates who are casting their eyes south. In 2006, 30,000 or more applied to six of the eight authorized Hong Kong universities.

There are several reasons why Hong Kong presents such an attractive proposition for higher education. From a parental point of view, its being closer to home than Europe or the USA, yet offering an education that has much in common with that of the West, makes Hong Kong an extremely desirable study destination.

The China Youth Daily and the Chinese portal site Sina.com recently conducted a poll whose 2,767 participants were asked: Given the choice, would you enroll in a top mainland university or a well-known university in Hong Kong? A full 71.2 percent said they would choose Hong Kong. The main reason given by 81.6 percent of respondents was that Hong Kong universities are more globalized than those on the mainland. Another 50.9 percent thinks that Hong Kong universities provide a better academic environment, and 59.5 percent that mainland universities' competitive advantages have declined in the past 20 years. On a more practical level, 66.8 percent believe that Hong Kong universities offer better employment prospects upon graduation, and 46.1 percent are attracted by the generous scholarships they offer.

The last point is both confirmed and clarified by Zhu Lijing, who is responsible for the enrollment of mainland students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He confirmed that among the 151 applicants accepted by his school this year, 70 qualify for scholarships that add up to RMB 13.5 million (US $1.68 million). The Hong Kong Chinese University digs even deeper, allocating a full RMB 50 million (US $6.25 million) to enrollment of China's 100 top students, each of whom is awarded a full scholarship of RMB 500,000 (US $62,500).

Good job prospects are also a point in Hong Kong SAR universities' favor. In 2005, 99 percent of graduates from the University of Hong Kong either went on to postgraduate study or found work in the SAR. Those currently employed earn HK $14,000 on average and HK$ 74,000 at best, according to an investigation in May 2006. Most of the 2006 Hong Kong graduates that have found work are with international investment banks, consultancy firms and transnational companies. That neither the employment rate nor salaries earned by graduates of the prestigious Peking and Tsinghua universities in the Chinese capital compares to those of SAR graduates considerably adds to the appeal of Hong Kong universities.

The opportunity to obtain permanent residence in Hong Kong, with all its international connections, is another powerful lure. Hong Kong residence regulations state that mainlanders qualify for permanent residence status after living in the SAR for seven years -- a requirement that is easily met after four years of undergraduate study and just three years of working there.

Mainland Pluses

The growing trend of gifted mainland students competing for education opportunities in Hong Kong, however, is balanced by Peking and Tsinghua universities' enrolment of Hong Kong's top 52 undergraduates this year. Each student was awarded an annual scholarship of RMB 30,000 (US $3,750) and none was required to take the entrance exam. This was the third group of its kind to study at Qinghua and Beida. In 2006 a total of 914 Hong Kong students were enrolled by universities on the mainland.

This complementary phenomenon is partly due to the new Chinese Ministry of Education policy that came into force in September 2006, whereby Hong Kong students pay the same tuition and fees as their mainland counterparts. An undergraduate course at a mainland university costs around RMB 10,000 (US$ 1,250) including accommodation -- less than one tenth of what it would cost in Hong Kong. High tuition, fees and living costs in the SAR mean that it is only a viable financial proposition to mainland students that win scholarships there .

In April this year, Sun Dongdong, a recruitment expert at Peking University, went to Hong Kong to do research on higher education in the SAR. He came to the conclusion that many mainland students apply to universities in Hong Kong without giving due consideration to the economic ramifications, bearing in mind that scholarships are available to only 10 percent of applicants. "I think students should think more carefully about where to pursue their studies," said Professor Sun, "There's no denying that Hong Kong universities have more funds than those on the mainland, as well as outstanding teachers with international backgrounds. But I would not recommend undergraduates with science majors, such as mathematics, chemistry or physics, to study in Hong Kong, as the strengths of its universities lie in more practical subjects, such as economics, finance and computer studies."

This is a view shared, for one, by Hong Kong student Chen Hong, who is studying medicine at Peking University. She confirms that mainland universities often have research expertise far superior to that offered in Hong Kong institutions of higher education.

There are currently about 100 mainland colleges and universities that recruit students from Hong Kong and Macao, according to statistics. Hong Kong undergraduates are plainly becoming aware that, in addition to excellent research facilities, the mainland also offers a wide scope of career opportunities. China's WTO membership has expanded its global role and created job openings that are dependent upon a thorough knowledge of science, business and life on the mainland as well as in Hong Kong. It therefore makes sense to become familiar with the mainland environment.

As executive vice president Lin Jianhua in charge of student recruitment affairs at Peking University points out, "The chance to study at Hong Kong universities provides high school students with more higher education alternatives. Mainland and Hong Kong universities have characteristics that fill the specific needs of a wide scope of undergraduates."

There is concern that the ongoing competition for China's academic cream might adversely affect the future of mainland universities. But the general belief is that recruitment rivalry will encourage top mainland universities to explore new educational modes and become more flexible in helping help their students prepare to enter and participate in today's rapidly changing international society.