Tung Wah College (TWC) signed a Cooperation Agreement with Youth Dorm Service Center Limited (Youth Dorm) on 13 March to provide accommodation options for non-local students starting from the academic year 2025/2026.

The property situated in Tsim Sha Tsui comprises 51 double and triple suites, offering approximately 130 accommodations in total. Each suite is furnished with modern furniture and features private bathroom facilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and other amenities. Additionally, the Youth Dorm provides shared facilities including pantries, self-service laundry, gym equipment, and common areas. The dormitory will be leased at a competitive rate. Non-local TWC students will be given priority for rental opportunities.

Professor Sally Chan, President of TWC, stated, “The collaboration with Youth Dorm enables TWC to enhance our support to non-local students. This marks an important step in our progress towards becoming a private university. We understand that for non-local students, a hostel is more than just a convenient place to stay. In addition to academic activities, campus life plays a significant role. The opportunity to form friendships with classmates from various backgrounds and to engage with the local culture together will enhance their overall experience in Hong Kong. A dormitory serves as a central point for these interactions, allowing students to build good relationships while living together. Through this agreement, we aim to support the integration of non-local students into the TWC community and foster a stronger sense of belonging.”

Mr. Raymond Lam, Founder of Youth Dorm, remarked, “We are dedicated to supporting Mainland students in Hong Kong. We are pleased to partner with Tung Wah College to provide accommodation for its non-local students. The property, currently operating as a commercial hotel, features a layout that can easily be repurposed as a student dormitory. It is now undergoing refurbishment to fulfil TWC’s requirements and the needs of future occupants, and will hopefully become available for applications before the next academic year commences. Conveniently located in the heart of Kowloon and adjacent to the Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations, the premises offer good public transport links that connect students to TWC campuses. We are confident that the hostel will be an ideal residence for non-local students, and we look forward to more collaboration with TWC in the future.”

In recent years, TWC has experienced a notable increase in the enrolment of non-local students. For the 2024/2025 academic year, TWC welcomed 258 Mainland students, reflecting a fivefold growth from the previous year and comprising 17% of the total intake.

Last month, the Education Bureau announced an increase in the quota for Mainland, Macao, and Taiwan students in self-financing institutions from 10% to 40%, aligning it with publicly funded universities. This change also allows TWC to recruit students from all provinces of Mainland China. Accordingly, TWC plans to progressively extend its outreach to prospective Mainland students and attract international students from Belt and Road countries and beyond.

In response to the increasing number of non-local students, TWC has augmented its support and services. Professor Chan stated, "Our Student Affairs Office provides accommodation-related assistance for non-local students and organises a variety of social activities for non-local and local students to foster relationships." Additional initiatives, such as the “Buddy Up!” and Peer Mentorship Programmes, festive celebrations, and Cantonese classes, are also conducted to facilitate interaction between local and non-local students. Furthermore, TWC has conveyed its intention to the government to construct a new comprehensive campus with dormitory facilities at the Northern Metropolis University Town, thereby creating more space for students to learn and connect.