Six out of seven public universities in Hong Kong have ascended in a worldwide ranking, with the city's oldest institution reaching the 17th position, marking its highest achievement since the ranking was inception in 2004. Ben Sowter, the senior vice-president of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a Britain-based education information firm, remarked that Hong Kong universities have shown remarkable improvement this year, particularly in their reputation among employers and research performance, making them among the most improved institutions globally.
In the most recent release of QS's world university rankings, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) surged to the 17th position, a significant leap from its 26th place last year, marking its highest standing since the inception of the global ranking in 2004. HKU also secured the fourth spot in Asia, trailing behind the National University of Singapore, Peking University, and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) climbed 11 positions to reach 36th place, marking its best performance since 2010. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology saw a notable improvement, jumping from its 60th position last year, which was its lowest performance, to 47th, thus securing its position back within the top 50. Both Polytechnic University and City University (CityU) also experienced significant rises, with each advancing eight spots to claim the 57th and 62nd positions, respectively. Furthermore, Baptist University, which had fallen to 295th place last year, made strides this year, achieving a ranking of 252nd.
Lingnan University, the only institution in the city that dropped this year, fell from the 641st-650th range to 711st-720th. QS pointed out that Hong Kong was among the world’s best-performing locations for academic reputation, and it received the heaviest weighting 30 percent in its rankings. “The University of Hong Kong places 27th in this indicator and is Hong Kong’s only institution in the top 50”, it said.
QS added that Hong Kong was one of the world’s most successful research hubs. CityU and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology placed 6th and 16th for “citations per faculty,” one of the nine metrics in the ranking measuring the relative intensity and volume of research being done at an institute. “City University of Hong Kong’s research output is underpinned by a large and diverse faculty base and a highly international student cohort”, it said.
The National University of Singapore retained its top position in Asia and remained in eighth place. In mainland China, Peking University climbed three spots to 14th, while Tsinghua University rose from 25th to 20th. CUHK president Rocky Tuan Sung-chi attributed its best result yet to its staff and students. “This impressive result fully demonstrates CUHK’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence and our ability to compete with world-class universities”, he said.
Professor Freddy Boey, serving as the president of CityU, expressed his commitment to guiding the university's faculty and students in aligning with global developmental trajectories and making meaningful contributions to both Hong Kong and the global community. Lam Tai-fai, the chairman of PolyU's council, highlighted the institution's advancement towards securing a position in the top 50, having progressed from 106th place in 2019 to 57th this year. Teng Jin-Guang, the president of PolyU, affirmed the institution's dedication to maintaining excellence across education, scientific research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
