Language requirement change from Cantonese to Chinese not targeting specific students – HKU med school

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)’s medical school has said that revising its admission prerequisites from Cantonese to Chinese proficiency was not meant to target students from any particular background.

The University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. Photo: Peter Lee/HKFP.

The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine’s statement, emailed to HKFP on Wednesday, said the changes do not constitute a “lowering” of admission standards, and are intended to ensure the admissions policy can “comprehensively assess the overall capabilities of applicants from diverse backgrounds.”

Earlier this week, local media reported that the medical school had updated its website to reflect revised language requirements for its six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programmes.

While enrolment in the programmes used to require “a good working knowledge” of Cantonese, that description has now been changed to Chinese.

In an FAQ page, the faculty states that candidates must be fluent in either Cantonese or Mandarin, but that students must develop “effective Cantonese skills” once enrolled.

Cantonese proficiency an ‘essential foundation’

In the email, the faculty said the updated requirements did not imply that students were allowed to use Mandarin instead of Cantonese at public hospitals while undertaking clinical work.

The University of Hong Kong’s Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. File photo: HKUMed.

“Because graduates will serve Hong Kong residents in the future, strong Cantonese proficiency forms an essential foundation for clinical training and medical services,” the statement read.

“All students are required to possess the necessary Cantonese skills to communicate effectively with local patients,” it said, adding that the faculty would provide language support for those whose Cantonese is not proficient when admitted.

The English language requirement remains unchanged. Classes in the faculty are mainly taught in English.

HKU is one of two universities in Hong Kong to house a medical school. The Chinese University of Hong Kong also offers a medical programme, and the government has approved the establishment of a third medical school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which is expected to begin taking students in 2028.