ABSTRACT
Universities in Hong Kong are undergoing a period of unprecedented change. They are growing their enterprise by one third as the standard period of study for a bachelor's degree is being extended from three years to four years, commencing in September 2012. Leading up to this change, secondary education is also being extensively restructured, meaning that students entering university will be one year younger and have a different skill set in comparison to those currently in attendance. As part of these changes, the universities are developing new general education programs, in some cases building on a strong tradition, but in others starting from a very minimal base. This chapter will summarize the programs that have been developed and compare them with each other and with those operating in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to the general education programs at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), which serve as a useful case study for general education reform.
