Education chief dismisses push for final-year university internships amid AI threat

Hong Kong's education minister, Christine Choi Yuk-lin, has rejected the idea of turning the final year of undergraduate degrees into internships to improve employability, amid rising concerns over job losses due to artificial intelligence. During a Legislative Council meeting, Choi emphasized that university education should not be altered solely to match job vacancies, stating that curriculum changes based on singular factors like labor market supply and demand could lead to homogenization and undermine the educational value of universities.

She also cautioned that making internship participation mandatory could compress students' learning time and disrupt the structure of disciplinary knowledge. Choi argued that curriculum reforms should consider professional judgments, including the disciplinary content, student development patterns, teaching resources, and academic standards.

She noted that many universities already include internships in their programs based on disciplinary needs and professional requirements, but warned that mandating a one-year full-time internship would reduce students' time for research and learning. Lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun expressed concern about a potential reduction in junior administrative jobs due to AI, specifically in the legal and accountancy sectors.

However, Choi emphasized that the main purpose of associate degree programs is to prepare students for further education, and authorities should develop more higher diplomas or vocational courses to enhance vocational education's status.