Gaining or Losing Momentum? The Perceived Educational Role of University Student Hostels in Hong Kong from 1980 to 2020

Hong Kong (HK) has been frequently studied in higher education (HE) policy research, but almost none shed light on policies related to the university student hostels. This study is unique as it focuses on university residential education in HK, which has a history of adopting the Oxbridge residential model, but in an Asian context. By tracing the policy development of university student hostels from 1980 to 2020 (a 40-year period), several themes were observed according to the year, ranging from financing hostel construction, defining the purpose of student housing, balancing the ratio of local and non-local students, to promoting internationalization in a localized context in recent years. Compared with the student housing development trend in the UK, the author deduces that the government’s decision to either offer public student hostels or outsource to the private sector will have a considerable impact on the educational role of student hostels. This study emphasizes that residential education must be intentional and suggests that universities should emphasize it as an essential part of higher education.