2019 – 2020
Globalization and Multilateral Interaction
Education Hong Kong Non-local Students Soft Power
Duration
June 2019 – May 2020
Background
Developed Western countries tend to welcome or even proactively recruit international students. It is in fact part of their strategy to project their ‘soft power’. The strength of soft power lies in unconscious ideological affinity, common values, and cultural attractions. Education, in that sense, may be an effective platform for nurturing such affinity. Hong Kong has historically functioned as a hub connecting China and other parts of the world via socio-economic networking. Its strong soft power allows Hong Kong to play the role more efficiently in the process.
Objective
• To examine whether the educational experience of Hong Kong-trained non-local university students—regardless of their ethnic backgrounds—could in fact strengthen Hong Kong’s soft power
Methodology
Qualitative and quantitative approaches are adopted in the investigation, which includes a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and a comprehensive secondary-data and literature analysis. The hope is that the research results will offer empirical support for the formulation and implementation of related policies.
Funded by
the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme of the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region