City University of Hong Kong (CityU) continues to cement its place amongst the top global universities by upholding the international standard of “the integration of teaching and research” and “the separation of politics and education”. CityU is well known for promoting forward-looking higher education and is committed to injecting energy into society and higher education.
According to the 2023 World University Rankings released by Times Higher Education (THE), CityU has become one of the top 100 universities in the world. This is another international recognition after being ranked in the top 100 by the QS World University Rankings.
CityU ranks among the top three in Asia in terms of the proportion of the top 2% of the world’s most highly cited scientists, and is also widely recognised as one of the world’s most rapidly rising universities. However, most ranking mechanisms give a high weighting to subjective opinion and therefore CityU's academic strength is often underrated in current rankings.
Over the years, the proportion of investment in scientific research from the Hong Kong SAR government has been lower than that in neighbouring regions, and CityU has continued to receive insufficient funding from the UGC (University Grants Committee), which is not commensurate with its global academic status. Consequently, CityU has to raise funds from other sources to recruit talented students to pursue PhD degrees in Hong Kong.
Under the leadership of President Way Kuo, the University has overcome many difficulties, raised additional funds, and taken the lead in introducing and practicing the advanced concept of One Health in Hong Kong. This far-sighted concept promotes the harmonious coexistence of nature, humans and animals for the benefit of society. CityU also set aside HK$500 million for its flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme HK Tech 300, which is the largest university-based entrepreneurship programme in Asia. HK Tech 300 has received overwhelming support from society, with nearly HK$200 million in matching funds from the business sector. In addition, some relevant units from the mainland have demonstrated interest in angel fund investment, bringing the HK Tech 300 fund to almost HK$900 million in a short period of time. It is surprising that whilst this programme has received an enthusiastic response from around the world, the Hong Kong SAR government has so far failed to invest in the project.
