Promoting internationalisation of Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination

It has been reported that the Government is exploring with the Mainland the development of an international version of the DSE curriculum. However, there are views that although DSE’s international accreditation network has expanded to over a thousand higher education institutions worldwide, its internationalisation process remains at the stage of passively admitting non-local candidates, and there is yet an active global branding strategy and a blueprint for the systematic export of the system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) what specific strategies are in place to promote the internationalisation of DSE in the long run, including the design framework and assessment standards for the international version of the DSE curriculum, as well as the division of roles between the Government and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in curriculum development and quality monitoring; whether the authorities will formulate a Blueprint for the Internationalisation of DSE covering areas such as target markets, development stages and performance indicators; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as some members of the sector have suggested that the authorities should consolidate the existing education and promotion resources, leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantage as an East-meets-West education hub, and establish a dedicated fund to support the HKEAA and frontline schools in conducting international curriculum benchmarking studies and training teachers for the international version of DSE, whether the authorities will consider the relevant suggestions and roll out measures, such as enhancing the existing Belt and Road Scholarship scheme to cover outstanding candidates of the international version of DSE, or promoting DSE accreditation through the overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) as the Secretary for Education indicated at the policy briefing for the Panel on Education of this Council on January 27 this year that, in order to attract non-local students to enrol in the international version of the DSE curriculum, the Government is collaborating with the country to study the establishment of an entrance examination similar to the National College Entrance Examination for non-local students wishing to study in Hong Kong or the Mainland, of the specific progress of the study, and whether the scope of the study covers areas such as the curriculum framework, target markets, collaboration mode with the Mainland, mode of setting up overseas examination venues, cross-border examination administration mechanisms, and strategies for promoting international student recruitment; whether the authorities will announce specific policy directions and an implementation timetable upon completion of the study?