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Opinion
Tap Harvard students? There are better ways to attract brains to Hong Kong
Beyond reaching out to those leaving Harvard, Hong Kong should lobby elite foreign universities to start campuses here – and vice versa
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Dr Devin Lin is a program director at HKU SPACE and a practicing lawyer in China and California, specialising in property and construction law.
Recent developments have escalated tensions in international education, following the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s eligibility to admit international students by disqualifying it from the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme. Although a federal judge has temporarily blocked the ban, legal proceedings between Harvard and the US government are ongoing.
In response, some Hong Kong universities swiftly announced unconditional admission schemes for affected Harvard students. They offered immediate admission letters, streamlined application procedures and dedicated teams providing comprehensive support – including accommodation arrangements and visa assistance – to ensure a seamless transition for students seeking to transfer.
These developments are an example of the adaptability and global vision of Hong Kong’s higher education sector. However, these plans might have limited appeal for current Harvard students whose loyalty to the university runs deep. Harvard’s academic prestige is one thing, the personal aspirations and emotional investment of its applicants are another.
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