MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR
AHEAD OF
THE CURVE
The French scientist Louis Pasteur famously advised that “chance favours the prepared mind”. Since I arrived in 2018, my goal has been to prepare HKU for world-class excellence by recruiting the best scholars and elevating our facilities and programmes accordingly. As evidence of our progress, HKU had a record 53 researchers named in Clarivate’s prestigious 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list, our highest number ever, accounting for 40% of the total number of Highly Cited Researchers in Hong Kong and helping Hong Kong maintain its position among the top 10 regions and countries globally for the total number of Highly Cited Researchers. Our strength of talent has undoubtedly also contributed to HKU’s rise in global rankings of institutions and our ability to attract top students, which we have enhanced with robust value-added support across teaching, research and innovation.
All of this excellence has placed the University in a fantastic position to grasp the opportunities arising across society as technology shifts economic and future workforce needs, geopolitical developments create both uncertainties and openings, and the government prioritises investment in research and education to strengthen Hong Kong’s future prospects. HKU is now well-placed to contribute innovative solutions and discoveries that will advance Hong Kong and the nation.
These opportunities are not without challenges, of course. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has been highly disruptive across society and education is an area where the upheaval may turn out to be enormous. But here, too, the University has focussed on preparing for a future that is uncertain but full of promise.
A major focus of that preparation is our students. We are committed to ensuring all students are AI-ready and future-ready. Over the past couple of years, our teachers have worked very hard to create programmes that will equip all students, whatever their disciplines, with comprehensive AI knowledge and skills.
Starting from September 2025, a compulsory basic AI skills course will be introduced for all incoming undergraduate students. They will also be required to take at least one course under the Common Core that considers the implications of AI. Programmes focussed on data science and innovation are also being rolled out through two new interdisciplinary schools: the School of Computing and Data Science, which will offer new market-driven programmes in fields such as AI, statistics and data science, and the School of Innovation, or I-School, which will offer a new project-based Bachelor of Science in Innovation and Technology programme. Moreover, the Faculties of Arts and Engineering have unveiled eight new programmes for 2025 that prominently feature AI and data science.
Having said that, we also recognise that students need more than technology-focussed content to thrive in future. Our teachers have been innovating learning experiences to challenge and inspire students’ personal and intellectual development. Their efforts received external honours in 2023–24 in the international QS Reimagine Education Awards and the University Grants Committee’s Teaching Award. We also continue to enhance the campus experience for students by building more hostels to ensure both local and non-local students have at least one year of enriching hall experience.
HKU’s commitment to vibrant and dynamic learning experiences attracts outstanding performers. In 2024, our new intake had the highest average score in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination among all universities in Hong Kong. We also admitted more non-local students than ever – nearly 1,300 students from more than 60 countries and regions – after the government doubled the quota from 20% to 40% of undergraduate enrolment. This is a welcome measure to counter the trend of deglobalisation, and it is complemented by the government’s new ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand, announced in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address. We are very keen to contribute to the development of this brand. HKU has strong global recognition and is ready and able to support non-local students and scholars. Most importantly, we offer an exceptional education and the prospect of working with some of the best researchers in the world.
THE UNIVERSITY HAS FOCUSSED ON PREPARING FOR A FUTURE THAT IS UNCERTAIN BUT FULL OF PROMISE.
In addition to Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list, 12 of our distinguished scholars were named among the top 100 best scholars globally in their respective disciplines by Research.com in 2024, and five ranked first in Asia in their fields. These scholars are all at the pinnacle of their powers, and they are opening doors and inspiring other academic staff and students to reach new heights. And there is more to come as our recruitment campaign continues to bring in new talent. This year alone, up to November 1, we recruited 124 academics at the cutting edge of their fields. The high-quality productivity of all of our scholars has undoubtedly contributed to our strong standing on the international stage.
Let me showcase the highlights of that recognition. The 2025 QS World University Rankings named HKU the 17th best university in the world – our highest ranking ever. HKU ranked second in the QS Asia University Rankings for the second year in a row. The new Times Higher Education’s Interdisciplinary Science Rankings ranked us 13th best in the world. And the Shanghai Institute for Science of Science (SISS)’s new index of disruptive research named us first in China and sixth best in the world. In addition, we continue to receive the lion’s share of public research funding in Hong Kong, we are earning more funding support from national agencies, and we are leading major, impactful projects.
Having the right talent is a key ingredient in a success, but we are amplifying it by providing new facilities and state-of-the-art equipment that create a rich and conducive environment for research and discovery. The first phase of the Tech Landmark is nearly completed and is specifically designed to promote interdisciplinary research. Once all phases are completed, it will host 10 cross-faculty institutes. The medical campus is also continuing to implement its expansion plans along Sassoon Road. HKU has also proposed a groundbreaking initiative, the Global Innovation Centre, to accommodate upstream interdisciplinary research focussed on tackling global challenges and igniting transformative discoveries.
The University has also prioritised collaboration, which underpins some of the most successful research today. The headline event was the selection of HKUMed to be the operator of the new Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute, a one-stop platform for clinical trials that officially opened in November in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. This is of importance not only for medical and health development, but also the National 14th Five-Year Plan’s aim to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub. My hope is that this will be a harbinger of great things to come as HKU seeks to make meaningful contributions to the development of Hong Kong and the region. Another wonderful milestone in that regard was the opening in 2024 of the HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Academy in Qianhai, Shenzhen to promote regional innovation and technological advancement by providing training, facilities and access to new funding.
The achievements of the past year are particularly encouraging for the University because they demonstrate that despite challenges of all sorts, we do not lose sight of our purpose and aims. We continue to pursue excellence and anticipate and prepare for new challenges. I would like to thank all HKU colleagues, students, alumni and stakeholders for their care and support over the past year. The Senior Management Team and I look forward to listening to your views and taking our reforms forward to the highest planes, so that HKU can play a key role in helping Hong Kong realise its vision of becoming a global innovation, technology and talent hub.
