Key facts
- Northern Metropolis university towns aim to attract top global scholars and talent.
- Three university towns will be established at San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu, and Ta Kwu Ling.
- San Tin will focus on medicine, life and health technology, and AI.
- Hung Shui Kiu will focus on smart manufacturing.
- Ta Kwu Ling will focus on arts and sustainability.
- Global institutions are invited to establish research institutes and shared research platforms.
Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis will feature three university towns designed to attract top global scholars and talent, Chief Executive John Lee said Tuesday at the Global University Presidents and Leaders Summit. The initiative aligns with the city's First Five-Year Plan. Lee highlighted that Hong Kong boasts five of the world's top 100 universities, with students from more than 100 countries and about 70 percent of academic staff from outside Hong Kong. He emphasized that under the "one country, two systems" principle, Hong Kong maintains its common law system, academic freedom, and the free flow of people, capital, ideas, and information. The three hubs will each have a distinct strategic focus: medicine, life and health technology, and AI at San Tin; smart manufacturing at Hung Shui Kiu; and arts alongside sustainability elements at Ta Kwu Ling. Lee invited global institutions to establish foundational research institutes and large-scale shared research platforms, and encouraged collaboration between university staff and enterprises.