A perfect score and continued top position in ‘Industry’ indicator for CityUHK in THE World University Rankings spotlights academia-industry collaboration and international cooperation

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) excelled in multiple evaluation indicators in the latest 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings with a perfect score in the “Industry” indicator and a continued top position globally. Additionally, CityUHK performed exceptionally well in “International Outlook” and “Research Quality”, ranking second globally in the former category for six consecutive years, highlighting its achievements in promoting academia-industry collaboration and international cooperation.

The 2025 THE World University Rankings cover 2,092 universities from 115 regions worldwide, with competition becoming increasingly fierce. CityUHK was ranked 80th, up two places from last year. Since entering the top 100 of the THE World University Rankings in 2023, CityUHK has steadily improved its ranking, particularly in internationalisation, earning the title “Most International University” earlier this year.

“As a young university, CityUHK has seen robust development in recent years, gaining recognition both locally and internationally,” said Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK. “Being named the ‘Most International University’ earlier this year and rising to fourth place in the THE Young University Rankings are historic achievements. These accolades affirm CityUHK's commitment to innovative, inspirational and interactive education, and its pursuit of excellence and innovation in research,” he said.

CityUHK will continue to adhere to the principle of “Innovating into the Future,” leading our faculty and students to meet global development trends, providing more opportunities for them to become true global citizens and top-notch researchers, and contributing to Hong Kong society and the world, he added.

In our 30th Anniversary, CityUHK established the Academy of Innovation and Institute of Digital Medicine earlier this year. The aim is to cultivate talent, create new knowledge and drive innovation. Additionally, through its flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme, HK Tech 300, CityUHK promotes academia-industry collaboration to nurture tech talent and deep-tech startups and translate research outcomes into practical applications.

CityUHK scholars have achieved significant academic success, too, gaining international recognition. Nearly 210 scholars are listed among the “World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists”, making CityUHK first in Hong Kong regarding the proportion of top scientists relative to the total number of faculty. Additionally, 28 scholars were named Highly Cited Researchers for 2023 by Clarivate. Again, CityUHK was ranked first in Hong Kong based on the ratio of Highly Cited Researchers to faculty size. Furthermore, 32 outstanding scholars received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China for 2024, and CityUHK topped local institutions for the 8th consecutive year in the prestigious Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted US Utility Patents.

CityUHK is also actively expanding its global footprint, promoting academic and research collaboration. Recently, the University formed partnerships with several world-class universities, including the University of Cambridge, further strengthening CityUHK's academic and research cooperation at the international level.

These partnerships were highlighted during CityUHK’s participation in the THE World Academic Summit in Manchester from 7 to 9 October. Professor Yue Chee Yoon, Dean of CityUHK’s Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies and Chair Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, led a panel discussion on how enhanced global mobility for PhD students through expanded international networks tended to result in more enriched research and stronger graduates.

“We are working to transform the PhD experience into a more global and culturally varied endeavour through a roster of recent international partnerships,” said Professor Yue, who was joined in the panel by CityUHK alumna Professor Helen Bao, Professor of Urban Economics and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and Vice-Rector Samgat Yermekbayev, Satbayev University, Kazakhstan.