The college can be traced back to Chu Hai University in Guangzhou, China in 1947. The private university was founded by a group of prominent educators, financiers, and legislators of the Republic of China including Chen Jitan, Huang Lunshu, Li Yangjin, Wen Fangpu, and Kong Mou Sum. After Guangzhou was taken over by the Communist Party of China during the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the college relocated to Hong Kong. The institution was forced to rename itself Chu Hai College as it was not recognised as a university under Hong Kong law. For years, it maintained very close ties with the Republic of China government, as many of the colleges' founders and subsequent senior staff were former officials or legislators in the pre-1949 Mainland Republic of China government. It was registered in the Republic of China's Ministry of Education as Chu Hai University and was authorised to award degrees on behalf of the Republic of China Ministry of Education. It enjoyed status and recognition similar to that of universities in Taiwan. The college also received annual grants from the Republic of China and acted as the agent for administrating Taiwanese university entrance examinations for Hong Kong students wishing to pursue tertiary education in the Republic of China. In the 1990s, the Taiwanese localisation movement and the subsequent change in policy led to its being increasingly distanced from the Republic of China in Taiwan. In response, the college began to re-establish itself, in part by associating actively with other overseas universities and in part by a series of self-strengthening actions, including seeking to award its own degrees. In May 2004, the Hong Kong SAR government officially recognised the college's programmes and in October, it was approved to award its own degrees by Hong Kong's Chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. With the approval of Hong Kong SAR government, it became an "Approved Post Secondary College" in July 2004 was renamed Chu Hai College of Higher Education. On the same day, the college was removed from the register of the Republic of China's Ministry of Education in accordance with Hong Kong ordinances and Republic of China laws. Its grants from the Republic of China were withdrawn by the Legislative Yuan in 2003. New students are no longer awarded degrees equivalent in rights to those of universities in Taiwan, while Taiwanese university entrance examinations for Hong Kong students have since then been organised directly by Taiwan's National Chi Nan University.
Campus
After moving to Hong Kong, the College utilised the building of the Dai Tong Secondary School in Mongkok as its campus. However, the secondary school was later closed and the college was forced to move to Tsuen Wan. In 2009, the college announced that it was planning to build its own purpose-built campus, for the first time in its history. Funding was provided partially by The College Land Grant and Start-up Loan, administered by the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong government. Among the other contributors to this project was the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which announced that it was donating towards the construction. The new campus located in east Castle Peak Bay, Tuen Mun, opened in August 2016.
Recognition
At present, Chu Hai College of Higher Education is one of the 17 institutions able to issue bachelor's degrees in Hong Kong.
