Five years ago, I took up the position of President of HKU, full of enthusiasm and ambition for what the University could become – a world-leading institution where some of the best minds on the planet tackle the urgent matters of our time, including climate change, public health and ecological threats. What followed was a trial by a series of unexpected challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest in Hong Kong. These consumed enormous amounts of time and energy from me, my senior management team and all leaders across the University. But they did not throw us off course. It gives me great satisfaction to say that our collective perseverance has enabled us to make firm strides towards that original goal of being a global leader, despite the obstacles. And there is much more to come.

A telling example of our achievements is the soaring representation of HKU on Clarivate’s annual list of Highly Cited Researchers, which recognises scholars with significant influence who have published multiple highly cited papers over the last decade. In 2019, a year after my arrival, we had 13 scholars on the list. This year we have 50, placing us 13th globally. Added to that amazing achievement is our performance on the national scale. Research.com’s list of the best scientists in 2023 placed HKU scholars first in six of the 24 areas surveyed, the most of any university in China.

Our ability to leap up the tables is down to two things. One is our scholars’ tremendous efforts and success in pursuing excellence. The other is our determined effort to recruit the best scholars in the world to HKU. In 2023 alone, we welcomed 91 academics from some of the top universities in the world, including a Nobel Laureate. Our recruitment focusses not only on people at the pinnacle of their careers, but also young talent who have potential for great things. In the past two years, we have launched Presidential Professorships and Outstanding Young Professorships to incentivise talent to come here, to which we added Presidential Research Assistant Professorships this year.

Recruiting top scholars also helps us recruit top students. HKU traditionally does quite well in this regard and this year is no exception. We welcomed dozens of top achievers from all six inhabited continents to our undergraduate programmes, despite fierce competition. But to remain competitive in the fight for both staff and students, we also need to offer them an environment that is conducive to achieving excellence. We need to provide better hardware in terms of state-of-the-art facilities where they can apply their knowledge and capabilities in the most effective and impactful ways. We are, therefore, also rapidly upgrading and expanding our footprint.

We currently have nearly 20 buildings under construction or redevelopment that will provide top-grade facilities for our medical and business faculties, student and staff accommodation, and student amenities. This is just the beginning. We are actively planning for the Global Innovation Centre, a large-scale project on the piece of land earmarked for us by the Hong Kong Government. In the recent policy address, the Chief Executive has also announced plans for an education hub in the proposed Northern Metropolis, which we fully support. That is all in addition to our ongoing work in Mainland China to establish teaching and research facilities there. In the next five to 10 years, HKU will have a substantially bigger physical presence in the region.

In addition to people and buildings, there is a third element to realising our ambitions, in many ways the most complex one, which is reform. I think of reform as the software for developing a culture of excitement and opportunity around intellectual inquiry and innovation – of inspiring a sense of magic and wonder at what we can achieve. This cannot be pulled out of thin air. It requires systems to support and encourage achievers at all levels to feel appreciated and rewarded.

While HKU has done well over its first 111 years, some aspects of its operations are no longer fit for purpose. My team and I have been assessing where we can make improvements to sustain and advance our excellence, particularly in the face of stiff competition and rapid technological change. It is important to note that HKU is not alone in doing this. The best universities all over Asia, Europe and North America have gone through similar processes.

Our reforms to date have streamlined administration, hiring practices, salaries and merit awards such as Endowed Professorships, to ensure young as well as mature scholars can benefit. When combined with our success in recruitment and building, I am confident the changes will enable everyone in the University to perform at their best. And that brings me to my broader vision.

Expansion and growth are the means to an end. And that end is to contribute solutions to the existential threats facing the world, such as climate change. These cannot be solved by single entities. They require collaboration and an ability to cross borders and cultures to find common ground. HKU and Hong Kong are uniquely positioned to do this given our recognised position at the crossroads of East and West. There has never been more urgency for such a perspective than there is today, especially amid rising geopolitical tensions. I believe HKU can play a major role in addressing pressing global issues through our research and our leadership. We can be more than a great university of Asia. We must strive to be a great university of the world, a new Harvard or Cambridge.

Big ambitions like this are, of course, not easy. An important lesson for me over these five years has been the importance of patience and perseverance when pursuing change. People need time to adjust to new expectations, but I have no doubt that everyone will benefit as we push our ambitions forward. When the sea level rises, all the boats are lifted. This is a win-win situation for HKU, as well as Hong Kong and the wider world.