- SCMP learned that a detailed proposal will be submitted to local authorities by the end of this month; Queen Elizabeth Hospital could act as a teaching facility
HKUST is “in talks” with Imperial College London to set up a third Hong Kong medical school. Photo: Xiaomei ChenThe SCMP has learned that Hong Kong could get a third medical school. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is in discussions with Imperial College London, and a detailed proposal will be submitted to local authorities by the end of this month.
A source familiar with the arrangement said on Monday that HKUST had discussed the option with educators from the top British institution, which also jointly operates a medical programme with a university in Singapore.
“People from Imperial were [in Hong Kong] for a week already. Both sides are serious, such as how the curriculum should be, what kind of students should be admitted, and what qualifications those students will have,” the source said.
HKUST president Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu earlier said the university would be collaborating with an institution in Europe to run the proposed medical school.
She had also said the university aimed to establish a medical school before mid-2027, and was considering recruiting first-degree students.
The source said on Monday that a detailed proposal, covering aspects such as the number of staff needed and the reasons for setting up a new medical school, would be submitted to health minister Lo Chung-mau by the end of July.
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The insider added that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had raised no objections to the plan but would seek Lo’s opinions before deciding whether to offer his full support.
The source also said Ip had also sought help from Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
The insider said Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a major facility in Jordan, had spoken with HKUST about acting as a teaching hospital for the proposed medical school, but further progress depended on getting approval from authorities.
HKUST has identified at least two possible sites for the medical school, with one option located next to its campus in Clear Water Bay and the second in Tseung Kwan O. A decision has yet to be made.
In a reply to inquiries from the Post, HKUST said on Monday that it was still in discussions about the proposed medical school.
“We are continuing our discussions with the relevant bureaus and hope to move as quickly as we can because we believe this is good for both Hong Kong and the mainland,” it said.
HKUST signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Beijing Tiantan Hospital in May to “jointly nurture innovative medical talent with expertise in both research and clinical practice”.
Former Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk said earlier on Monday that Hong Kong should set up its third medical school by 2027 and target first-degree holders to expand the candidate pool and help tackle a shortage of doctors.
Wu also said the city had public hospitals ready to serve as teaching sites for the new medical school, with a new institution currently under construction at Kai Tak one such option.
He argued that relying on non-local doctors to practise in Hong Kong was not a sustainable solution in the long run amid a global shortage, as he underscored the need to train more local practitioners as the city contended with an ageing population.
But he pointed out that the two existing medical schools at the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong had increased their annual intakes to nearly 300 each, beyond optimal levels of about 200.
“There is a need to establish a third one targeting students with a first degree to recruit the best people from the world,” Wu said.
He also called for the third medical school to admit its first batch of students in the 2027-28 academic year.
Wu said a graduate-entry approach would also prevent the new institution from competing with the other medical schools for students sitting the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the city’s university entrance assessment.
The new school could recruit 50 students in its first year, before gradually increasing its annual intake, he said, adding that he hoped it would not only train fresh doctors but also those interested in pursuing scientific research.
Alongside HKUST, Polytechnic University and Baptist University have both indicated their interest in establishing a medical school in the city, with HKUST widely regarded as a front runner thanks to its more concrete proposal.