To Apply or to Not Apply: Hong Kong Universities

With two weeks remaining before the end of the first semester, deadlines of many universities have already passed, which include the majority of Hong Kong universities. Just like any other year in AISG, many seniors successfully applied to universities in Hong Kong,  such as The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Chinese University of Hong Kong, (CUHK), City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (PHKU). However, at the same time, there were also several seniors who initially thought of applying to Hong Kong but finally decided not to, due to one major factor that has hit the headlines of media outlets since March: the protests for democracy in Hong Kong. 

Senior Lisa M. is one of the students who didn’t apply to Hong Kong, despite originally thinking about applying to universities in Hong Kong. “I was originally planning to apply to HKU psychology major, but I didn’t apply because my dad wouldn’t let me go even if I got into HKU,” said Lisa M. When asked what the biggest factor was that ultimately made her not apply, she replied that there were two major factors: “[her] dad” and herself “feeling unsafe about going [to Hong Kong]”. She believes that the “destruction and social pressure [in Hong Kong] is way beyond fixing.”

Yet, there are seniors who still applied to Hong Kong universities, regardless of what the future holds in the southern China region. Senior Richard A., who is widely known amongst his peers for having HKU and HKUST as his dream schools, says that while he indeed “[understands] the danger of the protests”, he still wants to pursue “higher education in Hong Kong due to a variety of reasons”. He listed those reasons as having a strong desire “to return home to study” and “[pursuing] his passion for his dream major business & management at Hong Kong”. However, he pointed out that he applied to several US universities to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Specifically, he is applying to some safety schools in the US because if the protests continue until September 2020, he might have end up going to the US, despite the higher tuition fees.

As an AISG senior myself, I still applied to HKU and HKUST, because I have always wanted to study international business in Hong Kong, the international finance hub of Asia. However, I have to admit that the ongoing protests also made me worried about my potential prospect in Hong Kong––even if I earn the privilege to study there. Personally, I am very disheartened at the fact that the class of 2019 and the class of 2020 have to directly be impacted by this humanitarian crisis. I’ve heard from friends who were in the AISG class of 2019 that their schools have stopped their first semester and that PUHK and CUHK have even suffered vandalism and attacks on the campus itself. They are thinking of transferring to other universities in Korea, the USA, or Canada if the political and social turmoil does not quell by the start of the second semester.  

As for us, we need to recognize that we are witnessing history unfold before our eyes. I believe that whatever happens right now will certainly be taught in world history textbooks 10 or 20 years later. However, speaking from the perspective of an ordinary senior who wishes to find a new home in a university, I truly hope the protests become less severe and Hong Kong universities become safer like before.