The ‘three S’ factors influencing Belt and Road Initiative countries’ undergraduate students pursuing higher education in Hong Kong

While the Hong Kong government aims to attract more overseas students from Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries – part of a strategy to reduce the city-region’s traditional reliance on Chinese Mainland as a primary source market – research into the choices and decision-making processes of BRI-country students admitted to Hong Kong’s universities remains scarce. Using the push-pull model as the theoretical framework, this study interviewed 29 students from BRI countries to explore why and how they chose Hong Kong for undergraduate study. The findings revealed that, while students viewed international education as a natural post-secondary step, three key ‘pull’ factors – the ‘Three Ss’: scholarship, standard, and safety – primarily influenced their decisions. These motivations both aligned with and diverged from the branding of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The insights gained could help refine the ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand, boosting its effectiveness in attracting inward international student mobility (ISM). Copyright © 2025 British Association for International and Comparative Education.