Hong Kong universities climb global employability rankings. Photo: Xiaomei ChenHong Kong universities are making a comeback in global employability rankings, with four institutions placing in the top 133. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) leads the pack at 24th, showcasing the strong competitiveness of its graduates.
The consultancy behind the survey said Hong Kong was regaining its pre-Covid momentum with two universities rising in the rankings, while a human resources expert said the high flexibility, adaptability and Western exposure of local graduates made them stand out in the job market.
The annual global employability ranking, designed by the human resources consultancy Emerging and published by Times Higher Education (THE), provides insights on universities that recruiters at top companies believe are best at preparing graduates for the workplace.
The ranking was based on an online survey conducted with international employers from June to September this year. It gathered responses from more than 13,000 operational managers and professionals involved in recruiting and working with graduates.
Employers rate the graduate employability performance of more than 1,000 universities worldwide, with each respondent having up to 10 votes. The top 250 universities with the highest overall number of votes will be listed in the rankings.
3 Hong Kong public universities in top 10 Asian rankings
Four of the city’s public universities placed in the top 250. HKUST rose five spots to 24th, while the city’s oldest institution, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), retained its 43rd place.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) jumped two places to 90th, and Polytechnic University (PolyU) slid two spots to 133rd.
A spokesman for the consultancy told the SCMP that Hong Kong’s results had “confirmed the region’s comeback”.
“Hong Kong is regaining its pre-Covid momentum, with institutions such as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Hong Kong standing out. The Chinese University of Hong Kong is also making progress,” he said.
During the pandemic in 2022, HKUST, HKU and CUHK placed 30th, 47th and 94th, respectively.
Mainland Chinese universities continued to climb and secure top positions in the ranking, with Peking University moving up three spots to 11th place and Tsinghua University climbing two to reach 19th place.
Six out of the top 10 universities overall were from the United States. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology surpassed the California Institute of Technology this year to top the rankings. The Californian institute ranked second and Stanford University third.
The University of Cambridge and Oxford were also listed in the top 10.
Two Asian universities, University of Tokyo and National University of Singapore, claimed eighth and ninth position.
A spokesman for HKUST said it had maintained its position among the top 30 globally and had been ranked first in Hong Kong for 12 consecutive years, reflecting the strong competitiveness of its graduates.
“While rankings offer valuable insights into university performance, HKUST will continue to advance teaching, research and industry collaboration to make meaningful contributions to society,” he said.
Alexa Chow Yee-ping, managing director of AMAC Human Resources Consultants, said the results for Hong Kong were excellent as four universities placed in the top 133 universities around the world.
“Hong Kong is really a small place and we have only around 7 million people but our graduates from our four universities can outperform other rivals,” she said. “It is not easy.”
She said top young graduates were flexible and highly adaptable, allowing them to cope with challenges in the job market.
“One of the strengths Hong Kong graduates possess is our Chinese background and a high exposure to Western culture and thinking,” she said. “It makes Hong Kong youth unique.”