To UK institution partners,

You may have noted the unrest in Hong Kong in the media, which this week has included incidents around university campuses. The situation is changing daily and is unpredictable, therefore it can be difficult to give very specific advice. While unrest may be occurring in some areas, other areas can be peaceful as normal.

We are constantly monitoring events and, with some contingency planning, British Council activity has generally been going ahead as usual.

If any of your colleagues are planning to come to Hong Kong, or if you have students on exchange in Hong Kong, please advise them to exercise caution and check for information at the following links.  

1. Sign up for regular updates from the UK government Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice page, which you can find at FCO Travel Advice- Hong Kong Please especially note the safety and security section on this page.
2. Keep a close eye on local news and be aware of planned protests and potential transport disruptions. The South China Morning Post and RTHK news websites and their mobile apps are good sources of English language news
3. Check for local transport and service status updates from the MTR (underground train service) and Transport Department. The HKeMobility app provides alerts on all transport and travel disruptions across the city.
4. Check for flight information and flight news at Hong Kong International Airport.

At the time of writing The University of Hong Kong, Polytechnic University, Baptist University and University of Science of Technology have announced suspension of classes for the remainder of the current semester (normally until mid December), with teaching accessible online.

Please let us know if any of your staff are planning to visit Hong Kong or if you have any particularly vulnerable students on exchange here.