Government Backs Expansion of Dual-Degree Programmes to Deepen Talent Pipeline

Also on 27 May, legislators pressed officials on how Hong Kong can leverage cross-boundary education to shore up its shrinking workforce. In written Question 11, lawmakers asked whether the city would set timelines or incentives for universities to launch more multilateral joint degrees. The Education Bureau’s reply revealed that six publicly funded universities now run roughly 60 dual- or joint-degree programmes annually with partners in mainland China, the US, UK, France, Japan and Southeast Asia, enrolling up to 22,000 students. Graduates of these programmes already qualify for Hong Kong’s two-year post-study stay under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, but officials promised to “continue to encourage innovative models” such as 2+2 or 3+1 studies that rotate students across Greater Bay Area and overseas campuses. The Vocational Training Council is pursuing similar tie-ups, including a Shenzhen-based subsidiary to facilitate internships and e-Channel access for visiting lecturers. For multinationals, the expansion translates into a deeper pool of bilingual, cross-culturally trained talent available for regional headquarters or Greater Bay Area assignments. Mobility managers should monitor upcoming programme launches—and corresponding visa volumes—to forecast housing and onboarding needs. Universities welcomed the policy signal but warned that immigration efficiencies must keep pace. They continue to push for faster processing of dependent visas for accompanying spouses and children, an area not addressed in the latest reply.