Strategic planning needed for Northern Metropolis University Town

Secretary for Education Christine Choi says the government welcomes joint bids from institutions that wish to invest in the Northern Metropolis University Town.

The government will put up the tender for the three plots in Hung Shui Kiu in September. Spanning an area of about 22 hectares, Hung Shui Kiu will be developed into the Northern Metropolis University Town. Secretary for Education Christine Choi says institutions can bid individually or submit tenders jointly with other local or overseas schools.

Speaking on a radio programme, Choi says an important requirement for the government is to assess if bidders can closely follow the industrial development of Hung Shui Kiu. She explains authorities will examine the proposal of each bidder to see if they would establish new fields of study, including interdisciplinary frontier technologies, adding that they are not restricting the tender of a particular kind of univeristy.

Apart from Hung Shui Kiu, Ngau Tam Mei and Ta Kwu Ling will also be used to develop the Univeristy Town, and the planned sites of the two areas will be launched in 2028 and 2030, respectively. While Choi says the government has settled on the sites' development direction, she mentions they are planning strategically to leave flexibility for potential changes.