Hong Kong Shue Yan University - History

History

Hong Kong Shue Yan College was founded in 1971 by Dr. Henry H.L. Hu, then Legislative Councillor, and Dr. Chung Chi-Yung, a prominent educationist. They were concerned that provision for tertiary education in Hong Kong was made for less than 2% of the relevant age group and also that the Cultural Revolution in mainland China would undermine traditional Chinese values.

The government of Hong Kong at the time was interested in the prospects of an independent, private liberal arts school, and granted a piece of land at Braemar Hill to construct a permanent campus in 1978. The construction was completed in September 1985, and various additions to the campus were constructed after that time.

Due to Shue Yan refusal to follow the government's model and plan for higher education in return for government funding in the late 1970s, Shue Yan development was often restricted. Shue Yan's unrelenting position to offer four-year programmes meant that it had to operate as a truly private institution, without any government funding. Because of this, Shue Yan cannot meet the three-year university degree requirement and has to refer itself as a college rather than a university. However it provided an opportunity to access higher education for students who were unable to secure a place at a local university.