Study abroad information

Hong Kong study

Recently, the "National Key Program" of the Ministry of Education has once again become the focus of the education circle - Hong Kong University and Hong Kong City University have been included in the list of pilot universities for the first time. This blockbuster news has sparked heated discussions in the study abroad circle, marking a new stage in the integration of education between the mainland and Hong Kong, and more importantly, it has opened up a brand new career development path for the vast number of students studying in Hong Kong. Below, Teacher Qiu will guide you to deeply interpret this policy and understand its far-reaching impact on Hong Kong study abroad.

Policy Interpretation:

The far-reaching significance of Hong Kong universities' first inclusion

As early as 2024, the Ministry of Education announced the second batch of pilot universities for the "National Excellent Plan", with two top universities in Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, included in the list. This was the first time that the "National Excellent Plan" had opened its doors to Hong Kong universities, and the signal conveyed behind it is worth deep reflection.

The first batch of "National Double First-Class University Plan" universities are mainly the top universities in the Mainland, such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Beijing Normal University, and this expansion has included Hong Kong's top universities, fully demonstrating that the integration of educational resources between the Mainland and Hong Kong is further deepening, and it also shows that the strength of Hong Kong universities in educational disciplines has received formal recognition at the national level.

The implementation of this policy means that students from Hong Kong and Macao universities who are selected for the "National Outstanding Plan" can directly obtain the qualification certificate for mainland teachers after completing the required courses of the plan, without the need to take the teacher qualification examination. More attractively, outstanding graduates also have the opportunity to stay in Hong Kong to teach, truly achieving a seamless connection between academic and employment goals.

In-depth analysis:

What is the "National Excellent Plan"?

The "National Outstanding Teachers Program" is fully referred to as the "National Outstanding Primary and Secondary School Teachers Training Program". As the name implies, this is a special talent program established by the state to select and train outstanding primary and secondary school teachers.

The program is mainly aimed at two groups of people:

Recent graduate in science and engineering

Students currently pursuing a master's degree in science and engineering

Students participating in the program will have the opportunity to study cutting-edge courses such as artificial intelligence, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), etc. Once selected, they will be directly enrolled in pilot universities for further study. Upon completing the prescribed course of study, graduates will be exempt from the teaching qualification examination and directly obtain the teaching qualification certificate, smoothly starting their teaching career.

The most eye-catching is that graduate students in science and engineering who meet the conditions can obtain a double degree when they graduate — the original master's degree in their major and a master's degree in education, which will become the first double-degree graduate program in China with a "science and engineering + education" major, truly cultivating composite talents with both technical and teaching capabilities.

In addition, mainland graduate students can go to Hong Kong for inter-school exchanges, broadening their international horizons; those who perform exceptionally well can also stay in Hong Kong to teach, achieving a seamless transition between learning and employment.

According to the Hong Kong Education Bureau, the first batch of students from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong under the "National Talent Program" will be admitted to the 2025/26 academic year. This means that from the fall semester admission application starting in 2025, students can apply to this epoch-making program.

Access routes: Two routes lead to the "National Excellent Program".

01

Direct admission "express train"

For the top students in the undergraduate stage, if they have already obtained the qualification for recommendation, they can directly apply for the "National Excellent" graduate students in the pilot universities, and they can join the program after passing the review. This path provides an expressway for outstanding undergraduates to directly access high-quality employment.

02

Graduate "Second Selection"

For graduate students who have already enrolled in non-education majors, there is also an opportunity to be selected into the program based on excellent academic performance, outstanding interview performance, and teaching potential. This means that even students currently studying at HKU or HKBU have the chance to switch majors halfway and join this fast track to becoming a teacher!

This flexible access mechanism ensures that talents in science and engineering from different stages and backgrounds have the opportunity to join this program, fully playing the inclusiveness and practicality of the policy.

Source: Government portal of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China

Parents must read: the three most concerned core issues

This is the most concerned issue for parents. The current policy does not promise that everyone will have a post, but students who are admitted to the "National Excellent Plan" have a clear advantage in employment: graduates of Hong Kong schools can directly join the cooperative primary and secondary schools (especially high-quality schools in Guangdong and Shenzhen areas); at the same time, the treatment of teachers is very good - Hong Kong teachers have a starting salary of more than 35,000 Hong Kong dollars (the same as civil servants), and the starting salary for master's degree holders in public primary and secondary schools in the Mainland is 280,000 yuan. This level of treatment is enough to make the teaching profession a desirable choice.

02

Career choices: Must become a teacher?

Not mandatory! The program is supportive rather than prescriptive, and students can choose to become teachers, join the workforce, or continue their education after graduation. The teaching certificate obtained is an additional asset, not a career obligation. This flexibility ensures that graduates can choose their career paths freely according to their own circumstances and interests, avoiding the limitations of traditional teacher training programs.

03

Development region: Stay in Hong Kong or return to the mainland?

Hong Kong Development: Upon completion of the program and internship, you can obtain the qualifications of a teacher in Hong Kong, enter local primary and secondary schools, and have broad development prospects;

Developing in the Mainland: The Guangdong and Shenzhen regions have a high recognition of Hong Kong university degrees, and master's graduates have a high probability of becoming teachers. Although the competition is fierce, the treatment is stable!

This space for mutual selection allows students to make flexible decisions based on their personal development plans, truly achieving "attack when advancing, defend when retreating".

Value assessment: "National Excellent Plan" gold content

The "National Outstanding Program" shows particular friendliness to students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines — students in majors such as civil engineering, biotechnology, and chemical materials can achieve career transformation through the program and have an additional high-quality employment path; the curriculum includes cutting-edge content such as artificial intelligence and STEM, cultivating not only knowledge but also the innovative teaching ability of "teaching students with technology."

Someone might question: "How can it be considered a high-quality opportunity if it does not directly lead to a formal position, nor guarantee a job placement, but only offers a waiver for the teaching qualification exam?" In reality, the true value lies in it opening up multiple high-quality employment paths.

The most attractive part is the opportunity to teach in Hong Kong. Students who successfully complete the National Excellent Program courses and internships can obtain teaching qualifications recognized in Hong Kong, entering local primary and secondary schools. Hong Kong teachers enjoy superior treatment, with an average starting salary of over 35,000 Hong Kong dollars, on par with civil servants, and the training direction is mostly for school management, with very promising development prospects.

At the same time, this plan effectively solves the problem of narrow employment prospects for graduates in science and engineering. Even students in basic disciplines that are considered more difficult to find employment in traditional terms, such as physics, chemistry, biology, etc., can achieve maximum value through this plan, transforming profound professional knowledge into an advantage for teaching and educating people.

Educational Insights

For students and parents who are considering the direction of studying abroad, the "National Key Program" offers a new perspective: studying abroad is no longer just for academic deepening or overseas experience, but can be closely integrated with a clear career planning to achieve a win-win situation between personal development and social demand.

With the approaching autumn semester of 2025, it is expected that more students will turn their attention to the science and engineering programs of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the competitiveness of these two prestigious schools will also be further enhanced. For students majoring in science and engineering who aspire to enter the teaching profession, this is undoubtedly a historic opportunity that is worth seizing.

In the context of globalization, educational talents with both international vision and local practice ability are increasingly scarce. The "National Excellent Plan" is precisely aimed at this demand, training a high-quality teaching staff capable of meeting future educational challenges. Choosing this path is not only choosing a career, but also choosing to participate in shaping the future of the country, an important mission.