Some employers in Hong Kong have stated that they prefer to employ Hong Kong people who have graduated from local universities rather than those who have graduated from overseas universities. What is your view?

2^nd March 2012

The Editor,

South China Morning Post,

PO Box323,

Tai Po, NT.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Some employers in Hong Kong have stated that they prefer to employ Hong Kong people who have graduated from local universities rather than those who have graduated from overseas universities. I wish to help analyze the problem and put forward my views.

First, let me talk about why employers in Hong Kong want to employ Hong Kong people who have graduated from local universities. In my opinion, the employers want to employ people that had already been familiar with the atmosphere in Hong Kong. If they employ someone that is familiar with Hong Kong, then the employee doesn’t have to adapt to a new environment again. Also, if the employer is a HongKonger then he might want to employ someone from Hong Kong as to help the growth of the Hong Kong society and so that they can communicate better. These all might increase the effectiveness in production.

However, are people from Hong Kong who have graduated from Hong Kong Universities really the best? Many people that had graduated from overseas universities might be better, because they experience more in their life. For example, if a Hong Kong student went abroad to America or some other places, they will experience more than students that stayed in Hong Kong for their whole life.  People who graduated from overseas universities might also come from better and more famous universities, however, Hong Kong universities may not hold a position as high as some universities overseas.

Therefore, I think that a degree from a university in Hong Kong is worse than a degree from a university overseas. First, because if a person that had been born in Hong Kong and stayed in Hong Kong for his whole life, that person only lives in a box. He hasn’t seen the big picture yet. If an employer employ a person that doesn’t know what is happening out of Hong Kong, then it will be the employer’s loss. However, if that employer employs a person that had graduated oversea, that person will have more exposures and is more independent. That person will help a company more than a person who graduated from local universities. Second, when a person is too adept with an environment, they might not perform their best. The reason is that they doesn’t have to uncover the environment and cannot uncover their potential.

After a long and through analyze, I conclude that a degree from a university in Hong Kong is worse than a degree from a university overseas.

Chris Wong

Flat 9C,

Hong Kong Building,

20Cannon Street,

Causeway Bay.