Hong Kong: The education chief of Hong Kong and a leading university in the city on Friday wooed high-achieving students affected by the recent US government ban on Harvard Universi­ty’s enrolment of international students, vowing the city will provide support to ensure them a seamless wtransition.

Education Secretary Christine Choi Yuk-lin swiftly responded by extending opportunities to Harvard University students — including both current attendees and admitted candidates — inviting them to continue their studies in the city.

In a social media post on Friday, Choi said the education bureau has called on the city’s universities to proactively draw in international students affected by the ban.

Choi said that all Hong Kong universities have offered support, pledging they will closely follow the situation, and make full use of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s recent policies such as the relaxation of non-local student quotas to further enhance the campaign of making “study in Hong Kong” as a brand.

Choi also said that the bureau has reached out to Harvard’s Hong Kong Alumni Association in a bid to provide all-round necessary support to those who are about to study at Harvard.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology made an unprecedented move by issuing an open invitation titled “HKUST Opens Doors to Harvard students amid global academic shifts”, on its official website.

“The university will provide unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to ensure a seamless transition,” HKUST pledged.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2025