University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Paul Wellings says the new college site in Hong Kong site, located next to an MTR station, has exceptional access. Photo: Andrew Quilty

Hong Kong gives office space worth $250 million to University of Wollongong

AFR|Apr 16, 2019

Tim Dodd

The University of Wollongong’s Hong Kong college has been gifted three floors of prime office space worth up to $250 million by the Hong Kong government for a brand new campus which will house more than 6000 students.

The college will get 15,000 square metres of floor space, at nominal rent, in a new development planned for the Tai Wai MTR station under a land grant program operated by the Hong Kong government to assist not-for-profit educational institutions offering tertiary courses.

The new campus will be part of a massive 250,000 square metre retail, commercial and residential development at Tai Wai MTR station which is due to be completed in 2020. A university spokesperson said the value of the space was between $160 million and $250 million. It will include 2900 apartments and 55,000 square metres of retail and commercial space.

View of Tai Wai and the Shing Mun River, looking south-west. Photo: WiNG, Wikimedia Commons

The University of Wollongong currently operates the 6000 student Community College of City University (CCCU) in Hong Kong, which it manages for the City University of Hong Kong. The college is scheduled to become independent in 2020 after a five-year transition.

University of Wollongong vice chancellor Paul Wellings said his university was “most grateful to the Hong Kong government for its support of the college through this grant”.

“The scale and location of this new flagship campus is ideal for CCCU with exceptional access via the MTR system for both students and staff,” he said.

After a $60 million fitout, the college will move to the new campus from its current location which is part of the Kowloon Tong campus of City University.

At the moment the community college does not offer full degrees, but enrols students in diploma, associate degree and top-up degree programs. However, working in partnership with the University of Wollongong, it intends to lift its status to become a degree granting university.

In 2014 the University of Wollongong was selected by City University, after an international tender, to take responsibility for stewardship and governance of the community college from 2015.

“Since assuming responsibility for the college last year we have been working hard at developing the outstanding university experience, for which the University of Wollongong is internationally renowned, to the students of Hong Kong’s leading non-profit college. This grant helps us pursue this vision more effectively into the future,” Professor Wellings said.