Top-flight Hong Kong universities have done their homework
- Local institutions have deservedly risen up the world rankings of the best places to study; the challenge now is to keep up the momentum
Universities in Hong Kong seem to have done their homework, finding ways to recover from the setbacks of the pandemic and civil unrest. Six public institutions in the city scored higher in a major global ranking, even earning a nod for being among the world’s most improved institutions.
UK-based education information firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) said the rises reflected the better reputation universities now had with employers, and progress in research performance.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) scored its best showing since QS launched the table in 2004. The city’s oldest tertiary institution climbed to 17th place from 26th last year, and was Asia’s fourth-highest after the National University of Singapore, Peking University and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) rose 11 spots to 36, its best performance since 2010. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recovered from its worst showing last year when it was ranked 60th, cracking back into world’s top 50 with a 47th ranking.
Polytechnic University and City University (CityU) were not far behind, each rising eight places to 57th and 62nd, respectively. After sliding to 295th last year, Baptist University improved to 252nd. Lingnan University was the only local institution to drop, falling to the 711st-720th range from the 641st-650th range.
The QS ratings for 1,503 tertiary institutions across 106 countries and regions were based on academic reputation, reputation among employers, academic staff-to-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio, international student ratio, sustainability, employment figures and international research network.
The rankings also supported the city’s goal to become a world research hub. CityU and HKUST placed sixth and 16th, respectively, for “citations per faculty” – a strong indicator of research intensity and volume. The city was also ranked among the world’s best-performing in terms of academic reputation.
Ben Sowter, QS senior vice-president, noted that despite the academic and research achievements, challenges remained to improve “employment outcomes for graduates”. Public universities and the growing ranks of private institutions in the city must build on success by finding ways to adapt to evolving economic and political realities. Universities have seen more student applications from the mainland and places accessing the China-centred “belt and road” network for trade and cultural exchange. Attracting students at home and abroad must remain a priority as the city nurtures its ambitions to become a knowledge-based society. The new global rankings are a welcome affirmation and catalyst to continue raising the bar.
