A Proud 30-year History
The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) is certainly a success story, not only as a provider of quality higher education, but also as a well-managed self-financing entity. From a small institution with humble beginnings, the OUHK has evolved from primarily a distance learning institution to become a full-fledged university providing full-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as part-time programmes in just three decades. Through nurturing talent to meet our society’s needs, we have made longstanding contributions to the advancement of Hong Kong’s economy. Today, we are the largest self-financing university in Hong Kong, grooming more than 120,000 graduates and ranks sixth among local universities in terms of full-time undergraduate number.
Established by the Government in 1989 as The Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI)
We launched the first full-time, face-to-face programmes – five Associate Degree programmes in 2001 and a Bachelor’s degree in 2003.
The OUHK’s participation in the Government’s Joint University Programmes Admissions System in 2007 is another significant milestone that puts us on par with other established UGC institutions across Hong Kong.
From Distance Learning Institution to Full-fledged University
The OUHK is a pioneer of open and distance education. Established by the Government in 1989 as The Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI), we have striven to achieve our mission of “Education for All”, making quality and flexible further education opportunities available to working adults. After years of steady development, the OUHK attained university title in May 1997, which is a testament to the wide recognition of our academic accomplishments and contributions to higher education.
In line with the Government’s education reform, we launched the first full-time, face-to-face programmes – five Associate Degree programmes in 2001 and a Bachelor’s degree in 2003. These programmes have attracted an increasing number of fresh secondary school leavers since then. The OUHK’s participation in the Government’s Joint University Programmes Admissions System in 2007 is another significant milestone that puts us on par with other established UGC institutions across Hong Kong.
Professional and Practical Programmes to Meet Society’s Needs
Parallel with this growth has been our programme development. From a relatively small number of part-time courses offered at the beginnings, we have undergone continuous and vigorous expansion in the range, scope and quality of our programme offerings. Today, we offer around 220 programmes made up of some 800 full-time and part-time courses. And this exponential growth has been a very focused one – we respond dynamically to market trends by tailoring our professional programmes to industry needs. Examples include our signature programmes in Creative Arts, Testing and Certification, Nursing, Energy and Environmental Studies, Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Corporate Governance and Hospitality Management.
Our efforts are also recognized by the Government. Since 2015, some of our full-time programmes have been included in the Government’s Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP), which subsidizes students on programmes offered by self-financing institutions that help meet Hong Kong’s manpower shortages in specific industries. In 2018–19, we had been allocated a third of the total quota of subsidized places, the largest share among our counterparts. This reflects not only the Government’s endorsement of our programme quality, but also our success in making available relevant professional programmes that meet the pressing needs of Hong Kong.
One of the most popular programmes is our nursing studies. Since the launch of the two undergraduate degree programmes in nursing in 2005, enrolment has been increasing and the OUHK now produces the largest number of nursing graduates of any institution in Hong Kong each year.
Wong Tsz-yin
“Move about the world and make as much of a difference and as much change as you can.”
Chan Siu-mei
“Move about the world and make as much of a difference and as much change as you can.”
Lee Ka-yan
“Move about the world and make as much of a difference and as much change as you can.”