Programme Directors

PPA:Professor Hui LI
Law:Professor Peter CHAU, Professor Trevor WAN

The Bachelor of Social Sciences (Government and Laws) and Bachelor of Laws Dual Degree Programme (GLaws) is jointly offered by the Department of Politics and Public Administration and the Faculty of Law. The five-year world-class undergraduate programme cultivates transformative and virtuous leaders equipped to address humanity’s most critical challenges. Through rigorous interdisciplinary training, we empower visionaries in law and public affairs with profound wisdom, cutting-edge expertise, ethical clarity, and innovation to shape governance in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), planetary stewardship, geopolitical security, and international dispute resolution.

Ethical Governance for a Global Future

Our education transcends traditional legal studies and theories of public administration. Our students will master the art of crafting ethical, innovative governance strategies while harnessing law as a dynamic force to address the world’s most critical challenges—from the rise of AI to bringing harmony to geopolitical discord to becoming stewards of the planet. Drawing on HKU’s enduring motto, 明德格物 (illuminate virtue, rectify things), GLaws nurtures students’ enlightened conscience, empowering them to become a transformative force for the common good.

Our curriculum blends core courses with an extensive set of disciplinary electives tailored to students’ individual interests and professional aspirations. Our elective offerings expand every year, introducing new courses that engage with emerging issues in government and laws globally. Recent additions include courses on e-government, Web 3.0, and law and AI. Our curriculum is distinguished by its interdisciplinary focus, tying government and law into one cohesive academic experience and exposing students to specialised courses that address the intersection between these two fields.

Our education emphasises hands-on experiential learning, offering students abundant opportunities to engage in academic research. They can serve as research assistants to professors on projects exploring such topics as China’s growing global influence and the intersection of law and AI, or undertake their own research initiatives under faculty supervision. Additionally, students can participate in clinical legal education programmes to work on real-world legal cases and compete in international mooting competitions to sharpen their advocacy skills.

Graduate Prospects

GLaws graduates are among the most sought-after professionals across diverse sectors for their unparalleled expertise in law and public affairs. Since 1999, GLaws has brought forth cohort after cohort of outstanding lawyers, prosecutors, judicial clerks, administrative officers (AOs), monetary officials, and representatives in international organisations such as the United Nations (UN). They also thrive as entrepreneurs, journalists, and artists.  

Moreover, GLaws is renowned as a cradle for academic talent. Many graduates have pursued advanced degrees, including doctorates, at world-leading institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Oxford, and Cambridge, across diverse fields like the modern arts, Chinese history, international relations, public policy, socio-legal studies, diplomacy, and finance. Several have launched academic careers, with four GLaws alumni serving as full-time professors in HKU Faculty of Law currently. 

Career Development

GLaws offers robust support for students in their career development, facilitated through collaboration with our extensive alumni network, faculty members, industry partners, official student body, and career counsellors. Initiatives include visits to prestigious law firms and barristers’ chambers, alumni mentorship programmes, seminars on postgraduate degrees, interview workshops, and exclusive luncheons and sharing sessions with industry leaders. Additionally, students have regular access to internship and job postings, personalised CV support, and one-on-one career advisory sessions.

Doubled Exchange Opportunities

As dual enrolees in the Department of Politics and Public Administration and the Faculty of Law, our students enjoy access to an exceptional range of global exchange opportunities. These include prestigious institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Ivy League law schools, and Sciences Po, to name just a few.

Our Students

At the heart of GLaws lies a vibrant community of students who champion, pursue, and redefine excellence. Bold visionaries in their own right, they are intellectually fearless and relentlessly curious, yet remain humble and collegial. From representing Hong Kong at international conferences to authoring acclaimed books and advising governments, our students are unstoppable forces of impact. The Government and Laws Committee, the Programme’s official student body, hosts events with luminaries like former Heads of State and Chief Justices, and produces a prestigious journal cited by scholars worldwide.

Admissions 2026

JUPAS Admissions (HKDSE) | JS 6810

Local candidates applying with results from the HKDSE Examination are assessed based on the scores in their best six subjects. In other words, they must take three elective subjects, all of which must be in Category A.

Admissions Scores of JUPAS Applicants based on Best Six Subjects (2025)

There are no interviews for JUPAS applicants.

Non-JUPAS Admissions | NJ6810

Applications based on qualifications other than the HKDSE, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) and GCE A-level, will be assessed on individual merits, taking into account, among others, academic records, personal statements, and referees’ reports. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview.   

Expected Lower Boundaries for Selected Non-JUPAS Admissions Standards (2026)

Enquiries

For enquiries, please contact bssgl@hku.hk.

Follow our Instagram Page @hku_glaws.