The number of Chinese mainland students applying to Hong Kong universities has dropped by more than 30 percent, according to several local universities, with observers claiming the decline was likely prompted by the region's unstable political environment.
The application deadline for undergraduate degree programs in Hong Kong universities has just passed. Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) told the Global Times that they have received 2,319 applications from mainland students this year, a 40 percent decrease compared with last year.
Hong Kong Polytechnic University told the Global Times that they have received about 2,300 applications from mainlanders this year, a 34 percent year on year drop.
Lingnan University said they received 556 applications this year, down from 928 in 2014.
A HKBU spokesperson said that most mainland applicants come from Guangdong Province, Shandong Province and Beijing, and the most popular majors are business administration, communications and science.
He said the university is not surprised by this drop as more and more mainland students are studying abroad. However, admission is still competitive due to limits placed on the number of mainland students HKBU can accept.
Tian Feilong, a law professor at Beihang University in Beijing, told the Global Times that the declining number of mainland applications is partially due to the Occupy protests and the unstable political atmosphere they created.
"Following the Occupy protests, conflicts between Hong Kong and mainland students have increased because of political reasons, many outstanding mainland students may not be willing to study in Hong Kong as they fear isolation or criticism," he said.
He pointed out that the mainland's education system and university culture and those found in Hong Kong are different. Hong Kong's are more westernized and lack a sense of patriotism, with which mainland students may not be familiar.
"In fact, the number of mainland students staying in Hong Kong after graduation has also been decreasing," he added.
Cheung Man-ping, chairman of the Hong Kong Education Policy Concern Organization, also said the recent protests in Hong Kong have provoked parents' concern over their children's safety and they worry that the protests may affect their offspring's studies.
