Chinese University of Hong Kong plans to bid for one of the first three sites at the planned university town in Hung Shui Kiu, vice-chancellor Dennis Lo said.
Lo sees the university town as an opportunity for Hong Kong’s eight publicly funded universities to expand their reach. He said universities are limited in size, which constrains the number of researchers they can accommodate. That, in turn, affects research outputs such as patents and publications.
The government plans to tender sites in the university town’s three locations — Hung Shui Kiu, San Tin and Ta Kwu Ling — at different times. Lo said staggered tenders would make it harder for universities to plan and work together.
With land limited, CUHK might favour research institutes over full campuses in the university town, Lo said. He described CUHK’s existing campus as relatively small, “like a boutique hotel”.
The government has earmarked HK$10 billion in loans for campus development at the university town, subject to a borrowing cap. Lo said high construction costs meant that sum might cover only five buildings, and called on the government to increase the loan amount.