Conference Theme: Transition to a Better and Higher LearningTopic II: The Transition from Secondary to Higher Education
: Case study presentationsⅠpublished_or_final_versio

Cheng, KM

Lee, V

Oleksiyenko, PA

Tang, S

HKU Scholars Hub

TitleUniversity and College Admission Policies and Practices inHong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges in Moving fromSecondary to Tertiary EducationAuthor(s) Oleksiyenko, PA; Cheng, KM; Lee, V; Tang, SCitation The Annual ERI-Net Meeting of UNESCO Bangkok, Bangkok,Thailand, 17-19 October 2013Issued Date 2013URL http://hdl.handle.net/10722/204532Rights Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong LicenseUniversity and College Admission  Policies and Practices in Hong Kong:  Opportunities and Challenges in  Moving from Secondary to Tertiary Education Anatoly Oleksiyenko Kai-ming Cheng Vivian Lee Shuangyuan Tang HK: Basic Facts  1997 - reintegrated into China, but retains jurisdictional autonomy as SAR (including independent education system)  Intensity of  global flows and networking (3rd in the GAWC)  7 million people and 13% of  youth in the age of  15-24 year old   Declining youth population and increasing immigration (mainland and Asia)  3M households (a world’s most expensive real estate)  GDP per capita = approx. $40,000USD HK: Basic Facts  c. 1,100 schools (governmental, direct subsidy, catholic, international)  12 universities (8 UGC funded) and 21 [community] colleges (12 university-affiliated)  Access: 19% - universities + 41% - sub-degree colleges (2000-2006)   HK: Changing Context  Highly competitive exam-oriented education system with a mega private tutoring sector  Cultural predispositions for higher learning (Confucian cultural heritage) and competition (Marginson 2013)  Global network of  cities - high income jobs and social status require multimodal competencies (e.g., multi-lingual, multi-cultural)  In a move from elite to mass higher education – making local educational industry (hub) more internationalized to increase quality and reduce the outflow of  local talent  33,000 young people leave HK annually to study abroad  HK: Changing Context Research: Questions   How does HK higher education system use admission policies and practices to mitigate tensions between elite and mass higher education?  What do universities and colleges gain and lose while trying to reconcile these tensions? Research: Data   Current literature  Institutional materials (admissions web-sites)  Participants’ (co-authors’) observations (teachers, students; local, international) Research: Sample UGC-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES  University of Hong Kong  Hong Kong University of Science and Tech  Chinese University of Hong Kong  Lingnan University   UNI-AFFILIATED COLLEGES   HKU SPACE      PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES   Open University of Hong Kong INDEPENDENT COLLEGES  Caritas Institute of  Higher Education  Hang Seng Management School      Findings: Current Pressures  Where do students come from?  EMI vs. CMI (Cantonese and Mandarin)  British & Chinese heritages, and US-ranking generated pressures   Uneven opportunities: school autonomy and differences in curricula, resources, governance, cultures  HKDSE as a unified graduating exam (away from HKCEE and HKALE): 4 core – English, Chinese, Mathematics and Liberal Studies, and 1 elective -  Economics, Geography, Biology Findings: Admissions Eligibility   UGC-FUNDED and PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES  Scores:   Level 3 – English and Chinese Level 2 – other subjects Differentiated elective scores (decided by schools and programs)  Qualities:  Leadership Communicative Skills Creativity Interactivity  UNI-AFFILIATED COLLEGES  Scores:  Level 2 – English and Chinese Level 2 – other subjects  Qualities:  Less important Second chance – mature students  INDEPENDENT COLLEGES  Scores: Level 3 – English and Chinese  (transition to Bachelor’s)     Findings: Application Process   UGC-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES   Online JUPAS and non-JUPAS (December)  Mainland China applicants (early June – gaokao)         UNI-AFFILIATED & INDEPENDENT COLLEGES   Online “E-App” Walk-In Admissions Recruitment events in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou  By mail  July –mid August  (after HKDSE results) and ongoing   PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES   “First come-First served” Findings: Screening Mechanisms   UGC-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES  Highest scores = scholarships  “First Choice”  Follow-up interviews  Focus group discussions            UNI-AFFILIATED & INDEPENDENT COLLEGES   Interviews (with second chance)  Immediate offers at the recruitment sites   PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES   More flexible  Findings: Admission Notifications  UGC-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES  Can be immediate  January – August (some in December)  JUPAS main round – early August and confirm - by end August  Mainland China - July  Appeal to HK Examinations and Assessment Authority       UNI-AFFILIATED & INDEPENDENT COLLEGES    No specific schedules  Self-financing/ongoing process     PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES  More flexible  Findings: Race or Balance?  UGC-FUNDED UNIVERSITIES  Both Rankings vs. Fairness Scores vs. Personal Qualities Increasingly, leadership predispositions  Balanced messaging of expectations Balancing scholarships and self-financing  Encouraging ambitious students with disabilities       UNI-AFFILIATED & INDEPENDENT COLLEGES    No rankings No competitiveness Emphasis on professional skills Social responsibility   Self-financing  Disability students are cautioned about facility capacities   PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES  No rankings  Emphasizing service to professional communities  Dilemmas and Further Resaerch  Scores vs. Qualities: institutional variability in admissions (across public/private research and teaching universities; sub-degree colleges; faculties, departments, programs)  Institutional capacities, missions and resources vs. students’ capacities, expectations and resources  Admission numbers vs. employability results  Student mobility vs. retention of  local talents at the time of  global competition for talent  The increasing need for more sophisticated student advising centers, career counseling services, and alumni networks at universities and colleges THANK YOU!   Corresponding author:  Anatoly Oleksiyenko (paoleks@hku.hk)  

University and College Admission Policies and Practices in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges in Moving from Secondary to Tertiary Education

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University and College Admission Policies and Practices in Hong Kong: Opportunities and Challenges in Moving from Secondary to Tertiary Education

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