Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) received a total grant of HK$73.9 million from the Enhancement and Start-up Grant Scheme for Self-financing Post-secondary Education (ESGS) by the Education Bureau to launch two new programmes – a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in New Music and Interactive Entertainment, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Construction Management and Surveying – to nurture talent in the related industries.

With a grant of HK$33.3 million, the Bachelor of Arts with Honours in New Music and Interactive Entertainment will be the first programme in Hong Kong to emphasise hybrid interactive entertainment, comprising interactive and computational technology, visual arts and music. The University will set up a New Music and Mixed Reality Studio and enhance the existing Multipurpose Art Studio for new music and virtual production. The infrastructure enhancement can support the music education need of the new programme, and prepare future graduates for the future needs of Art-Tech in the creative industries.

In view of the upcoming major infrastructure projects, such as the Northern Metropolis and the Lantau Tomorrow Plan, a manpower shortage is expected in the construction industry in the next 15 years. Therefore, HKMU applied for the ESGS earlier and was granted HK$40.6 million to develop a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Construction Management and Surveying.

The programme is designed to provide students with comprehensive academic and professional training in construction management and surveying to meet the standard of practice set by Quantity Surveying Division of The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers. The University will provide quality, professional education by recruiting academics with qualifications in construction, along with the revamp of its construction laboratories, and the acquisition of specialised instruments.

The first cohort of students for the two programmes will be admitted in the 2024/25 academic year through JUPAS. Including both Year-1 and Senior-Year entry, a total of 60 places will be offered by each programme.