People walk in Harvard Yard at Harvard University on April 15, 2025, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo: AFP

The Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) told Global Times on Tuesday that it has encouraged local universities to actively recruit top-tier talent and has reached out to the Harvard Club of Hong Kong to provide support for those students, following the US government's announcement barring Harvard University from admitting international students.

Regarding the ban on Harvard University's enrolling international students, the HKSAR Education Bureau has promptly called on all universities in Hong Kong to introduce facilitation measures for those eligible with a view to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of students and scholars, and to attract top talent in accordance with each institution's diverse admissions and recruitment policies, a spokesperson for the bureau told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Moreover, the bureau said it has contacted the Harvard Club of Hong Kong to offer comprehensive support for students who have been admitted to Harvard for further studies.

The bureau is pleased to see that local universities are responding proactively and closely monitoring the situation, fully utilizing the government's initiatives that support the capacity expansion and quality enhancement of post-secondary institutions in Hong Kong.

We will continue to keep a close eye on the needs of students whose studies have been affected by the shifting global education landscape. We will accordingly consider support measures in a holistic manner so as to give full play to HKSAR's role as an international education hub, the spokesperson said.

HKSAR ranks among the top five globally in overall education competitiveness. Through a range of initiatives - including doubling the cap on non-local students in publicly funded post-secondary institutions to 40 percent, increasing scholarship quotas, and gradually expanding the number of places under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, Hong Kong continues to attract more top talent to pursue their studies in the city.

The EDB will continue to pursue various policies and initiatives, fostering networks and partnerships at the national, regional and international levels, and will continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders to promote and publicize the "Study in Hong Kong" brand. These efforts align with the national strategies to invigorate the country through science and education, cultivate high-calibre talent, and advance innovation and development, thereby contributing to the needs of our nation, according to the spokesperson.

Moreover, John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the HKSAR, expressed his support for affected students to continue their studies in HKSAR.

Lee said that we welcome them to come to HKSAR and continue their studies at our universities. The HKSAR government will collaborate with eight universities to do our utmost in assisting any students facing discrimination and unfair treatment. We will also remain in contact with the Harvard alumni association to jointly support to support the affected students, according to HKSAR media outlet Now News on Tuesday.

Apart from HKSAR's stance, other regions have also expressed interest in accepting Harvard's international students.

In another development, the University of Tokyo is considering temporarily accepting international students who can no longer study at Harvard University in response to the suspension of international student admissions by the Trump administration, according to The Asahi Shimbun on Monday.

They will be allowed to take some classes and will be issued certificates of completion to receive credits for classes taken at the university when they return to Harvard or enroll in another higher education institution in the future, The Asahi Shimbun said.

According to Bloomberg, the federal culture minister of Germany Wolfram Weimer said that Harvard could establish an "exile campus" in the country. "To students from Harvard and other American universities, I say: You are more than welcome in Germany," Weimer said.