At least five Hong Kong universities have backed the government’s proposal to launch study tours aimed at attracting non-local secondary students to pursue higher education in the city, with programmes featuring topics such as AI.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU), the city’s oldest tertiary institution, said it would offer up to 35 programmes this summer, giving outstanding non-local students a chance to earn full scholarships.

In this year’s government budget, education authorities said they hoped tertiary institutions would organise more short-term study tours, especially during summer breaks when campus resources are underused, to encourage non-local students to pursue studies in the city.

A source said universities had already been running study tours, but the government now wanted them upgraded to a “high level” to attract more students from outside the city and encourage them to remain in Hong Kong for higher education.

The source said the tours could focus on themes ranging from technology and innovation to arts, culture and creativity.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, some universities have offered similar summer programmes for high school students as pathways to full undergraduate degrees, although admission is not guaranteed.