Hong Kong should increase funding for university research to position itself as a global education hub, a leading academic has said, citing a growing trend of students choosing Asian destinations for tertiary studies.

Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), which is hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Conference and Exhibition, told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday that he hoped the coming budget would boost research and development investment. The blueprint is set to be delivered on Wednesday.

Lo, a globally renowned scientist and molecular geneticist, said Asia had been gaining prominence in the global tertiary education landscape.

“The number of scientific publications and patents … shows an increased representation of such work in East Asia,” he said.

CUHK is the leading host of this year’s APAIE, now being held in Hong Kong for three days until Thursday. The other seven universities are co-hosts.

The event aims to boost the “Study in Hong Kong” brand and establish the city as a global hub for tertiary education.