Saint Francis University (SFU) has formally integrated Caritas Bianchi College of Careers (CBCC) as one of its academic schools after receiving approval from the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ).
Announced on August 25, the move marks what SFU described as a “landmark” in its growth, aimed at providing “more flexible articulation pathways, enhanced professional training, and improved career opportunities.”
Church-run Sunday Examiner reported that under the new arrangement, CBCC will share the same academic status as other schools within the university.
A dean position has been created for the school, currently held in an acting capacity by Professor Annie Bligh, provost of SFU.
CBCC’s Departments of Business and Hospitality Management will join the Rita Tong Liu School of Business and Hospitality Management, while the Department of Health Sciences will be integrated into the S.K. Yee School of Health Sciences.
The Department of Social Sciences will fall under the Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences. The Department of Design and Department of General Education will continue to operate independently within the school.
Graduates of CBCC will now receive diplomas and degrees issued directly by SFU, ensuring “continuity of qualifications while aligning with the broader academic framework of the university.”
Professor Lo Tit-wing, acting president of SFU, said CBCC plays an essential role in vocational and professional education and noted a 16 percent increase in enrollment this year.
He added that the university is expanding its academic offerings, with plans to launch a new program in Religion and Ethics in the 2026–2027 academic year. Work is also underway to establish a new undergraduate degree within the Department of Design.
Established in 1971 in Pokfulam as Bishop Bianchi College of Careers, CBCC began offering certificate and diploma programs in accounting, design, tourism, and hotel management under the Caritas motto, “Love in the Service of Hope.”
The college later introduced dual-award Associate Degree programs in Business and Hospitality Management in 2001. In 2006, it became the first non-University Grants Commission-funded institution to be granted a government site for a permanent campus in Tseung Kwan O.
Administratively merged with Caritas Francis Hsu College in 2008, the institution laid the foundation for the creation of a Catholic university in Hong Kong. A year later, it opened a 10-storey, 16,400-square-meter campus in Tseung Kwan O.
Now, in 2025, CBCC has “formally become an academic school of Saint Francis University,” which SFU said will enable students to meet the demands of “a rapidly changing society while remaining rooted in the values of Caritas.”
