Devin Lin

Opinion | How Hong Kong can prepare top talent arrivals for success

To bridge expectation gaps, Hong Kong must do more to help talented professionals adapt to the city’s labour market

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Visitors walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, on October 19. Photo: Nora Tam

Devin Lin

Published: 9:30am, 28 Nov 2024

Hong Kong has expanded the list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, adding 13 mainland universities and overseas institutions, including the University of the Arts London, Renmin University of China, Tongji University and Sichuan University.

This brings the total count of eligible universities to 198 worldwide. Those who hold a bachelor’s degree from any of these institutions and have the required work experience can apply to come to Hong Kong under the scheme.

Expanding the list creates opportunities for more graduates from renowned universities to consider pursuing a career in Hong Kong, where they can play a role in the city’s economic revival, technological advancement and population growth.

However, on closer examination, some economies with advanced higher education systems and an abundance of renowned universities are arguably under-represented. New Zealand, Russia and Taiwan each have only one university on the expanded list.

More institutions should be added, such as Russia’s National Research University Higher School of Economics, which is placed highly in the country’s overall rankings and is highly respected in Europe. Fu Jen Catholic University and Taipei Medical University in Taiwan are also as internationally acclaimed as many top universities in mainland China. Lastly, the increasing global reputation of the University of Macau and Macau University of Science and Technology suggests they should be included.

But beyond creating more opportunities for top talent, Hong Kong must adequately support talented professionals who choose to live in the city. For example, talented people from mainland China might struggle with the social and cultural differences between Hong Kong and their home cities.