Hong Kong Metropolitan University reports 23% jump in number of first-year students
School says university of applied sciences status only one reason behind increase in enrolment, pointing to its new name and programmes.
The first university in Hong Kong to qualify as an institution of applied sciences has said its number of first-year students jumped by 23 per cent to more than 3,100 after it became the first in the city to obtain the status.
But the management at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) said on Thursday its university of applied sciences (UAS) status was only one reason for the surge in enrolment, adding new related programmes, renaming the university and a student preference for practical disciplines had also contributed to the rise.
The schools also pledged to hire teachers who were experienced and reputable professionals in different industries to introduce students to the latest trends and developments in applied science.
According to the university, its number of first-year students stood at 3,102 for the 2024-25 academic year, up from 2,520 in the previous one.
“Is it [the surge] due to the title of UAS, I do not want to attribute the increase to a single reason, it is only one of them,” president Paul Lam Kwan-sing told the media.
“We have a new hostel, we have new programmes and students can now go to HKMU to learn to become pilots. All these make students become interested in our university.”
