In 2004, i.e. seven years after the retrocession of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China (PRC), the then Chief Executive aimed to promote the former British colony as 'Asia's world city'. The same year, the University Grants Committee echoed this ambition by envisaging the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as becoming an…

This paper highlights how a small group of minority students worked to take advantage of the privileges available once they were admitted to an elite school. The argument proposed is that, unlike their more privileged peers, minority students who have made it through the gateways of elite schools have to work out a salvation of privilege to level…

In order to increase the competitiveness of the workforce at low cost, the Hong Kong government brought in the idea of community colleges and the associate degree while keeping the same annual set quota of first-year, first-degree places at publicly-funded universities. At first glance, in doing so, the government could avoid expanding the sector…

Presents a study that focuses on the problem of underachievement in Hong Kong in which underachievers were compared to high and low achievers in terms of their motivational characteristics. Reports that motivational variables contributed to discrimination among underachievers and high achievers. Includes references. (CMK)

This article questions the stereotyped picture of the Asian university student as relying heavily on rote learning. A survey comparing Hong Kong students (n=2,143) with Australian norms found similar study processes in the two groups, suggesting that tendencies toward reproductive study approaches may be a function of teaching practices rather…