Hong Kong will welcome students hit by ‘discriminatory’ US ban: John Lee

Students who faced “discriminatory and unfair treatment” under the United States’ attempted ban on Harvard University’s international student enrolment are welcome to Hong Kong, the city leader has said, adding he would consider further raising the quota for non-local applicants if the need arose.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday said Hong Kong would welcome any student who had been “discriminated by US policy” to continue their studies here.

“So I want this message to go out to any students who face discriminatory and unfair treatment in the US, so that they know that Hong Kong’s doors are wide open to them to come to study in the universities of Hong Kong,” Lee said ahead of his weekly meeting with the government’s top decision-making Executive Council.

Hong Kong’s quota for non-local student enrolment at the city’s eight publicly-funded universities was doubled to 40 per cent last September, with around 30,000 places available.

Lee did not disclose on Tuesday how much further he would potentially raise the intake quota.

Last Thursday, the US’ Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard’s ability to enrol foreign nationals, requiring current international students to transfer to another institution or leave the country.

The university obtained a temporary restraining order against the ban from the federal court on Friday.