Excellent performance of Hong Kong's higher education system showcases effectiveness of government measures
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According to the latest QS World University Rankings, the University of Hong Kong rose six places to 11th in the world, the Chinese University of Hong Kong climbed four spots to 32nd, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology advanced three positions to 44th. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) also achieved outstanding results, ranking 54th and 63rd respectively.
Hong Kong has achieved remarkable performance in multiple key indicators. Hong Kong's institutions have performed far better than the international average in the International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio. The International Faculty Ratio of six universities ranks among the top 50 in the world. In addition, Hong Kong's institutions have performed exceptionally well in Citations per Faculty, with CityU ranking second worldwide.
In fact, Hong Kong's education system has yielded excellent results in various international rankings, fully reflecting the attractiveness of Hong Kong as an international talent hub. In the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025 recently published by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong ranked second globally in Education. In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 published yesterday (June 18), which measures global universities' success in delivering the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a number of Hong Kong universities also performed outstandingly in different fields. Among them, Lingnan University ranked top globally for SDG 4: Quality Education for the first time, showcasing exemplary performance.
The spokesperson said, "These achievements fully affirm the effectiveness of the Government's unwavering support through the UGC for the institutions' continuous innovation and optimisation, giving full play to the strengths of Hong Kong's first-class universities, and a series of policies for attracting top global talent to tie in with the institutions' capacity expansion and quality enhancement. For overseas talent interested in studying or conducting research in Hong Kong's higher education institutions, we will do our utmost to provide assistance and convenience, including striving to further expand the non-local student quota based on actual needs. The Government will also continue to promote internationalisation and diversified development of the eight UGC-funded universities. These measures will not only strengthen Hong Kong's momentum of development but also make active contributions to national development."
He stressed that the Government attracts quality talent from around the world and nurtures local talent through various measures such as scholarship programmes to leverage Hong Kong's strengths to serve the country's needs. Starting from the 2024/25 academic year (AY), the non-local student quota for UGC-funded institutions has been doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, raising non-local undergraduate enrolment from 19.9 per cent (2023/24 AY) to 23.2 per cent. The Government will further foster collaboration among the eight UGC-funded universities, including supporting the jointly established Heads of Universities Committee's Standing Committee on Internationalisation to continue to promote the "Study in Hong Kong" brand worldwide.
The spokesman added that the Government will continue to promote the strengthening of global exchanges and connections of research personnel and teams of local universities and support them to broaden research networks and co-operation areas with their overseas counterparts.
The Government attaches great importance to the quality of teaching and learning at universities and invests substantial resources to step up support for the high-quality development of Hong Kong education. For the 2025–2028 triennium, approximately 78 per cent of the Block Grant will be allocated to support teaching and learning. Compared with the 2022-2025 triennium, the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant provided by the UGC will increase by $100 million to approximately $920 million. The key themes of the Grant - including the integration of generative artificial intelligence and innovative technologies in education, the sharing of exemplary practices in teaching and learning, and the enhancement of students' well-being and personal development - are aligned with current trends in education and societal needs. The most recent round of quality audits conducted by the Quality Assurance Council under the UGC also reaffirms the high quality of educational experiences offered by UGC-funded universities.
To dovetail with the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Government will leverage the vast opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, supporting cutting-edge research conducted by the eight UGC-funded universities through the Research Grants Council (RGC) under the UGC. Over 20 research funds and scholarship programmes operate under the RGC, with more than 1 500 new projects receiving funding annually. These measures will help foster a robust research environment and further consolidate Hong Kong's position as an international post-secondary education hub.
Ends/Thursday, June 19, 2025
Issued at HKT 17:06
Issued at HKT 17:06
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