Hong Kong has warned students against faking documentation to gain admission to the island’s universities, as policymakers scale up plans to attract more international students.

It comes as a student from mainland China was sentenced to 17 weeks in jail for using fake credentials in her application to the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The 24-year-old, Wu Linhui, was one of about 30 students enrolled in the institution’s business school found to have used forged documents to get into a postgraduate course. The students involved had reportedly paid agents in China and overseas to produce the fake credentials.

In court, Wu, who is the first to be prosecuted, admitted that she had falsely claimed to have attended Cornell University when she applied to HKU in 2022. HKU began investigating concerns about fake qualifications in May 2024 and subsequently contacted the US university, which confirmed that Wu had never been a student there.

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Hong Kong’s leaders have now warned prospective international students that any suspicions of admissions fraud will be investigated and prosecuted.

Speaking to journalists, John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, said the government was working with mainland authorities to crack down on “unscrupulous” individuals producing fake documents.

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“I believe that the majority of students are law-abiding,” he said. “Hong Kong’s universities themselves need to enhance and strengthen their systems in verification of academic qualifications from applications. We are talking about a huge number of applications, but if there are contraventions, law enforcement agencies will take action.”

Mr Lee said some universities have already “strengthened their vetting processes” and have “identified some dodgy cases”.

It comes days after the government reaffirmed its commitment to attracting non-local students to Hong Kong.

In his annual policy address, Mr Lee said the government aimed to “expedite the development of Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education, bringing in more global high-calibre talents”.

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Policies to support this include expanding the “Study in Hong Kong brand”, including by participating in more international conferences, increasing the supply of student housing in the city and the continued development of the Northern Metropolis University Town.

Last year, the government eased restrictions on international student numbers at Hong Kong’s universities, doubling the limit on the number of non-local undergraduates allowed to enrol.

The island’s universities largely welcomed the move, which was expected to significantly increase the number of mainland Chinese students at Hong Kong’s institutions.

Now, the government has said it will focus on students from the Asean region, the Middle East and other Belt and Road countries, offering more scholarships to help overcome cost barriers.

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Speaking to reporters, Mr Lee emphasised that the government would work with universities to promote Hong Kong as an international student destination, while combating illegal activities.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com