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Better regulation on non-local education qualifications

The Government will soon introduce new legislation to protect the interest of local consumers by regulating the marketing of locally-conducted courses which will lead to the award of non-local higher academic or professional qualifications.

Under the Non-local Higher and Professional Education (Regulation) Bill to be gazetted on Friday (October 20), any course conducted in Hong Kong which will lead to the award of any non-local higher academic qualification, including sub-degree, degree, postgraduate or other post-secondary qualification, or professional qualification must apply for registration.

The registration of such regulated course will only be approved by the Registrar of Non-local Higher and Professional Education Courses, who will be the Director of Education, if it meets the required criteria.

In the case of a course leading to the award of a non-local higher academic qualification, the institution must be a recognised non-local institution of higher education. In addition, the standard of the course it offers must be maintained at a level comparable to a similar one conducted by the institution in its home country, and recognised by the institution, the academic communities and the relevant accreditation authorities of that country.

For a course that leads to the award of a non-local professional qualification, the professional body offering the course must be generally recognised in its home country as an authoritative and representative professional body in the relevant profession, and must itself recognise the course for the purpose of awarding the qualification.

A government spokesman today (Wednesday) explained that at present there are about 120 non-local institutions of higher education and professional bodies conducting more than 370 courses in Hong Kong. Seventy-four of these courses are conducted in collaboration with local tertiary institutions (LTIs) and approved post secondary colleges (APSC), while the rest are delivered independently.

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