Talent drives our development. Hong Kong, a city with five of the world’s top 100 universities, is a cradle of talent. As a key functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attracts and cultivates exceptional individuals, contributing to a shared Belt and Road talent pool, thereby fostering people-to-people bonds between the Chinese mainland and the rest of the world and promoting meaningful progress in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. It is part of the HKSAR’s work in deepening international exchanges and cooperation, and helps enhance our global competitiveness.
The HKSAR government is committed to establishing Hong Kong as an international hub for high-caliber talent, adopting a multifaceted approach to create favorable room for development for individuals from around the world. The government actively promotes the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. Currently, its Belt and Road Scholarship offers 150 places annually, attracting outstanding students from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to pursue their studies in Hong Kong.
By the end of last year, around 700 students from 49 Belt and Road countries had benefited from this scholarship. With the support of the Belt and Road Scholarship and related initiatives, we have welcomed over 4,000 students from Belt and Road countries to University Grants Committee-funded programs in Hong Kong in the 2024/25 academic year.
With the flexibility to either remain in Hong Kong and contribute to the local economy or explore career opportunities in the mainland or Belt and Road regions, these professionals foster connections between the three areas through their diverse experiences and expertise. Businesses are encouraged to engage with local higher education institutions to make use of this pool of talent, leveraging their skills and potential to expand into Belt and Road and other international markets
Many young individuals from Belt and Road countries who studied in Hong Kong have leveraged their expertise to drive high-quality development across the HKSAR, the mainland and the broader Belt and Road regions. In the innovation and technology sector, a Pakistani graduate of the University of Hong Kong chose to remain in Hong Kong to establish a cutting-edge company specializing in transportation artificial intelligence. Drawing on his strengths, he expanded his business into Pakistan and recently joined an HKSAR government delegation to the Middle East to further tap into Belt and Road markets. On the finance front, a Malaysian Belt and Road Scholarship recipient capitalized on the city’s status as a leading global financial center to join a multinational bank in Hong Kong after graduation. In logistics, a Thai graduate joined a Hong Kong-based international logistics company with operations in Thailand. After several years of training, she has now been deployed to Thailand to assist in expanding the company’s business there.
Students from Belt and Road countries often maintain strong ties with the city after graduation, forming invaluable international networks that are crucial for Hong Kong businesses looking to expand overseas and attract global investment to the city. In November, the Belt and Road Office in Hong Kong hosted a talk on human capital, bringing together over 80 participants from the business, education, and youth sectors, as well as students and graduates from Belt and Road regions. During the talk, a Hong Kong executive whose company is expanding its operations in Vietnam noted that Hong Kong enterprises need more students from Belt and Road countries who have studied in the city. These individuals understand Hong Kong’s culture and are able to communicate effectively with local businesses, while bringing in experience and networks from their home countries, making them invaluable assets for Hong Kong companies seeking to go global. The HKSAR government has also introduced the Immigration Arrangement for Non-local Graduates, granting permits that allow such graduates to remain in Hong Kong for up to two years after completing their studies at local tertiary institutions. This initiative facilitates their career development in Hong Kong and contributes to building a diverse and sustainable talent pool.
Furthermore, the government is actively promoting international talent exchange and cooperation through a range of initiatives. In the 2024/25 academic year, about 1,400 young people participated in internship and exchange programs offered by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, encompassing multiple countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. As of the end of 2024, more than 5,600 young people from Belt and Road countries have been granted Working Holiday Visas to visit Hong Kong. Additionally, by hosting the youth festival — youthfest@HK, and establishing youth networks, Hong Kong provides platforms for Belt and Road talent to connect and integrate into the local community, thereby laying a solid foundation for deepening international exchange and cooperation.
As a superconnector and a super value-adder, Hong Kong contributes to building a Belt and Road talent pool that creates a shared platform which benefits not only our local development but also the mainland and Belt and Road countries and beyond. Belt and Road professionals nurtured in Hong Kong possess multicultural advantages, having embraced the city’s international strengths while being adept in multiple languages and cultures. With the flexibility to either remain in Hong Kong and contribute to the local economy or explore career opportunities in the mainland or Belt and Road regions, these professionals foster connections between the three areas through their diverse experiences and expertise. Businesses are encouraged to engage with local higher education institutions to make use of this pool of talent, leveraging their skills and potential to expand into Belt and Road and other international markets.
The author is the commissioner for Belt and Road of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
