City’s top swots set to stay local

For the first time in the past eight years, both top gaokao scorers in Beijing plan to attend top Chinese mainland universities, rather than taking their talents to Hong Kong.　

The results of the recently held national college entrance examinations, or gaokao, were released Saturday, followed by a media frenzy to discover the identities of the student high fliers and their college of choice.　　

Li Ze, who scored 712 out of 750, the highest in the science-related exams in Beijing this year, said in a live video interview with Sina Weibo Sunday that he had visited schools in Hong Kong before deciding to attend Tsinghua University.

Han Mucen, who scored 670 out of 750 in the arts-related exams, said in the same live chat that she applied to Peking University, a childhood dream.　

However, in past years, many top scorers have chosen to attend prestigious universities in Hong Kong.　

"That's mainly because there has been fierce competition between Chinese mainland and Hong Kong colleges to enroll high-quality students, so more and more top students chose Hong Kong, provoking debate about whether Hong Kong schools provide a better quality of education," said Chu Zhaohui, a researcher with the China National Institute for Educational Research.

Eleven out of the top 19 scorers since 2004 enrolled at Hong Kong institutions, like Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Tony Chan, the president of HKUST told the Korean Times last December that applicants from the Chinese mainland have increased. Over 4,000 Chinese mainland students applied for 150 places last year, while the school plans to attract more.

"Many top science graduates from Beijing enrolled with us; I think it's because they can receive an English-based international education close to home," said Chan,

"Also, they say the educational system in Hong Kong is freer in terms of accessing information," he said.　

An investigation of gaokao champions for the last 12 years in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan by the China University Alumni Association, released last July, shows that for the last 12 years, Peking and Tsinghua universities accepted the most gaokao top scorers, but the number who chose prestigious colleges in Hong Kong and the US was growing.

"Students and their families are drawn to more opportunities in international exchanges and better access to the international job market, as well as the good scholarship opportunities in Hong Kong," said a teacher, surnamed Zhang, from Beijing Huiwen Middle School, Dongcheng district. The majority of students at her school achieved good results this year, Zhang said.