Six Hong Kong institutes named in Asia University Rankings' top 100 list
City's universities should recruit students and staff beyond the mainland, says expert as HKU takes third place in Asian institutions ranking
Hong Kong's universities must create a truly international student and faculty mix if they are to stand out among competitors in the region, a British education expert has said.
Phil Baty, editor of the World University Rankings, said the city's focus on developing partnerships with mainland scholars and institutions was beneficial to the universities, but such concentrated efforts could compromise Hong Kong's bid to internationalise its higher education sector.
His remarks came as announced the inaugural Asian version of its university rankings. Asia University Rankings 2013 was based on indicators used for Western universities. It placed the city's top institute, the University of Hong Kong, behind Japanese and Singapore institutions.
HKU came in third, behind the National University of Singapore and the top-ranked University of Tokyo.
"There is a potential risk that Hong Kong's universities are too focused on the mainland in their recruitment [of students and staff] and exchange," Baty said.
"We are, however, aware that it's important to have a strong relationship with the mainland as [the city] can become the bridge between the East and West."
