City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) was ranked 25th globally among 749 universities, eighth in Asia and second in Hong Kong in the inaugural “Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2025 in association with Schmidt Science Fellows”. This ranking highlights CityUHK’s outstanding achievements in promoting research and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

The ranking, released by Times Higher Education (THE) in collaboration with Schmidt Science Fellows, evaluates universities’ contributions to interdisciplinary research to enhance scientific excellence, promote collaboration among universities, and provide benchmark data to encourage the creation of an interdisciplinary teaching and research environment.

The ranking methodology emphasises universities’ support and funding for interdisciplinary science research and their commitment to research quality. These comprehensive criteria reflect CityUHK’s strengths and contributions in funding, supporting and promoting high-quality interdisciplinary research.

Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK, stated that the convergence of interdisciplinary fields has become increasingly important to the future of education. Universities must break down barriers between disciplines to cultivate interdisciplinary talent. He mentioned that CityUHK recently established the Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science (HKAI-Sci), bringing together interdisciplinary experts in computer science, data science, statistics, bioinformatics, materials science, and more. The Institute collaborates with industry to nurture deep-tech startups, creating an excellent platform for interdisciplinary collaboration.

CityUHK has actively promoted interdisciplinary scientific research by adopting an open and collaborative approach, encouraging scholars from different colleges/schools to share research results for a positive impact on the world. CityUHK has identified five overarching research themes to pursue – One Health, Digital Society, Smart City, Matter and the Brain – that specifically respond to the academic and societal challenges we all face in our highly interconnected world, providing innovative solutions.

As it marks its 30th anniversary since achieving university status this year, CityUHK successively established the Academy of Innovation, the Institute of Digital Medicine, the College of Computing and the HKAI-Sci, which are dedicated to cultivating talent, creating new knowledge and driving innovation. By fostering an open and inclusive research environment, CityUHK encourages innovative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration to support cutting-edge research.

CityUHK scholars have achieved significant academic success, gaining international recognition. Nearly 210 scholars were recently listed among the “Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide”, and CityUHK had the highest proportion of top scientists compared to faculty size among universities in Hong Kong. Additionally, 31 scholars were named Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 by Clarivate, marking the ninth consecutive year that CityUHK has the highest proportion of selected scholars in Hong Kong. And CityUHK was again listed as one of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents, topping local institutions for the eighth consecutive year. These achievements underscore CityUHK’s unwavering support for scholars in driving innovative research.