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South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Study in Hong Kong' brand boosted by rise in world rankings
University rankings are increasingly important for students, institutions and communities. Hong Kong's aspirations to become an international education hub just got a huge boost from the rise of six of the city's public universities in one global ranking. It is also encouraging that UK-based education information firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) credited a new 'Study in Hong Kong' brand for putting the city on track to draw more global talent and cement its academic reputation. The latest QS world rankings released last Thursday saw the University of Hong Kong (HKU) climb to 11th place, up from 17th last year and 26th in 2023. It was the best showing for the city's oldest institution since the league table launched in 2004. HKU was just one spot behind the California Institute of Technology in the US. It was also second in Asia, after the National University of Singapore. University president Xiang Zhang said the achievement affirmed HKU's 'emergence as a global elite institution' that 'actively promotes Hong Kong as a premier hub for global talent'. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) rose four spots to 32nd for its best placing since 2010. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) jumped three places to 44th, while Polytechnic University (PolyU) bettered its score from 57th to 54th. Institutions further down the list also fared better, with Baptist University jumping from 252nd to 244th. Lingnan University improved from the 711th to 720th range to the 701st to 710th range.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Six public universities in Hong Kong rise in global rankings
Six public universities in Hong Kong have risen in a global ranking, with the city's oldest jumping to 11th place and beating two prestigious mainland Chinese institutions. Britain-based education information firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) said the city's new 'Study in Hong Kong' brand should help it attract global talent and cement its reputation as a premier academic destination amid the government's funding cuts. The latest edition of QS' world rankings, released on Thursday, saw the University of Hong Kong (HKU) climb to 11th place, up from 17th last year and 26th in 2023. The result is the institution's best since the league table was launched in 2004. It was just one spot behind the California Institute of Technology in the United States. The mainland's Peking University maintained its 14th place, while Tsinghua University rose three spots to 17th. HKU also ranked second in Asia, after the National University of Singapore, which maintained its eighth position globally. QS said HKU was the local leader across four indicators, performing particularly well in academic reputation and graduate employability. Other universities in Hong Kong also climbed in the rankings, with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) rising four spots to 32nd for its best placing since 2010. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) jumped three places from 47th to 44th, a performance mirrored by Polytechnic University (PolyU), which went from 57th to 54th. City University (CityU) was the only Hong Kong institution to fall in the rankings, slipping from 62nd to 63rd. The latest results mean Hong Kong still boasts five universities in the top 70 globally. Baptist University also jumped from 252nd to 244th, the biggest rise among its local peers. Lingnan University improved from the 711th to 720th range to the 701st to 710th range. The Education University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Metropolitan University joined the rankings for the first time, placing 530th and in the 781st to 790th range, respectively. QS said the ranking exercise was its largest to date, featuring more than 1,500 universities across 106 jurisdictions. The United States had the most universities in the league table, with 192, followed by the UK with 90 and the mainland with 72. QS senior vice-president Ben Sowter said Hong Kong had reinforced its position as a stand-out force in global higher education, making some of the most significant gains in the latest rankings and having more than half of its institutions in Asia's top 100. 'Its rise is driven by growing academic influence, world-class research and international engagement,' he said. 'Yet, financial pressures loom, prompting institutions to draw on reserves as public funding tightens.' But he added initiatives such as the 'Study in Hong Kong' brand should help lure global talent and ensure the city kept its reputation for 'academic and research excellence'. HKU president and vice-chancellor Xiang Zhang said: 'This historic achievement affirms HKU's emergence as a global elite institution and exemplifies the relentless pursuit of excellence by the entire University community. 'As a leader in higher education, HKU actively promotes Hong Kong as a premier hub for global talent to study, innovate and conduct research.' CUHK president Dennis Lo Yuk-ming said this year's results fully demonstrated the university's solid academic achievements and fruitful research results, as well as its leading position among world-class universities. A spokesman for HKUST said the rise of three places to 44th demonstrated its commitment to academic excellence and groundbreaking research. A spokesman for the PolyU said its result was the best so far and reflected that the university's academic and research excellence was internationally recognised, attesting to its influence and achievements in global higher education CityU's spokesman noted the university ranked first in Asia in the 'citations per faculty' indicator. A spokesman for Baptist University said it was delighted to be recognised as one of the top 250 universities in the world and viewed the ranking as an important demonstration of its ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, learning and research standards. A spokesman for Hong Kong Metropolitan University said its debut in the rankings further cemented its status as the city's first self-financing tertiary institution. It was also the first local university of applied sciences to achieve such a recognition, he added. A spokesman for the Education Bureau on Wednesday said the achievement was encouraging. 'It is a recognition of the unremitting efforts and continuous pursuit of excellence by the team of tertiary institutions, and also confirms the government's long-term commitment to investing in education and enhancing the competitiveness of higher education institutions,' he said. In February, the government decided to slash the funding for public universities by HK$2.8 billion (US$356,690) in the coming three academic years, resulting in a 4 per cent average reduction rate. In an unprecedented move, the government also said it would claw back HK$4 billion from the reserves of the city's eight public universities. This year's world rankings were based on nine indicators: academic reputation; reputation among employers; academic staff to student ratio; citations per faculty; international faculty ratio; international student ratio; sustainability; employment figures; and international research network. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology retained the crown with first place globally for the 14th consecutive year. It was followed by Imperial College London, which held onto second place. In third was Stanford University, which climbed three positions. The University of Oxford and Harvard University both dropped one place to rank fourth and fifth. respectively. The University of Cambridge fell from fifth to sixth. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
The Ohio legislation that could force Chinese scientists to sell their US homes
Xiang Zhang, a professor of genomics at the University of Cincinnati, drove more than 1,000 miles over two days to oppose a proposed law that would force him to sell his home, even though he is a US permanent resident. 'I never thought that one day, I would have to stand here in front of you to defend myself solely because of my nationality,' he told a packed hearing room in the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday morning, after cutting short a trip to make it back and give his testimony. 'I never thought that one day, I would lose my house in Ohio solely because of my nationality.' Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Zhang – who arrived in the US in 1998 with just a suitcase and a US$100 bill, and now leads a major research facility that supports hundreds of life scientists across the country – told Public Safety Committee lawmakers that he had been living his American dream. The midwestern state is following in the footsteps of Florida and Texas by proposing legislation to ban non-citizens from 'foreign adversary' countries – such as China, Iran, and Russia – from owning land within 25 miles (40km) of critical infrastructure. House Bill 1, which is supposed to address national security concerns like espionage and cyberattacks, would apply even to green card holders like Zhang. Under SB 88, a related Senate bill, he would be required to sell his house within two years. Ohio Realtors, the state's largest professional trade association, said House Bill 1 would be likely to become 'the most restrictive law of its kind in the entire nation'. Unlike similar laws, Ohio's bill covers nearly all real estate in the state and makes no exceptions for legal residents. In testimony, the association warned that the bill's broad definition of critical infrastructure – which includes electric generation plants, water treatment facilities, and telecommunication systems – would make nearly all property in Ohio off-limits to affected immigrants. The association also noted that the bill could face legal challenges for potentially violating federal laws, including the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. It would also hinder Ohio's universities from 'attracting the best talent from across the globe'. About 100 people attended the hearing, making it one of the most well-attended in recent years, a Statehouse employee said. The crowd was so large that some had to move to an overflow room to watch a live stream of the event. Many in the room were US citizens who would not be directly affected by the bill. They said they came to speak out against what they viewed as a discriminatory law. Among those who testified was Anquan Wang, a senior aerospace engineer at GE Aerospace in Cincinnati. With decades of experience in the aviation industry, Wang said that he had had first-hand encounters with overseas attempts to steal US technologies. 'We need to counter real foreign adversaries. We need to be laser-focused, because the threat is real,' he said. 'But targeting ordinary people who came here legally to study and work is out of focus. Depriving them of constitutional rights to acquire properties is completely wrong and has nothing to do with national security.' Wang said the bill made him feel discriminated against, as it targeted individuals based on national origin – something no one could choose. By casting all citizens from certain countries as potential threats, the law promoted fear and prejudice, he added. 'House Bill 1 is about racial profiling and fear mongering. If this isn't racial profiling, I don't know what racial profiling is. If this isn't fear mongering, I don't know what fear mongering is.' Wang added that his colleague and neighbour Dr Li, a China-born US citizen and senior military aircraft engineer, was already considering leaving Ohio because of the bill. 'Dr Li has worked on military aircraft engine programmes for more than 20 years,' he said. 'When experienced people like him start to leave, it's a great loss to our company. Twenty years of experience in our industry is worth tens of millions of dollars. It also hurts our defence programmes.' I've always believed in passing on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of scientists here in the US, because science, at its heart, is about building something greater than ourselves Wing Keung Chan, a biomedical researcher at The Ohio State University in Columbus, said he had noticed a steady decline in the number of China-born scientists around him over the past couple of years. The bill would only accelerate that trend, he said. Chan, who came to the US in 2008 after completing his PhD at the University of Hong Kong, said he came to pursue his American dream and now worked alongside both Americans and immigrant colleagues on diseases that affected everybody. His efforts included supporting clinical trials, mentoring students, and collaborating across institutions. 'I've always believed in passing on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of scientists here in the US, because science, at its heart, is about building something greater than ourselves,' he said. Citing data from Science and other leading journals, Chan noted that China-born researchers made up a significant portion of the US medical and STEM workforce, contributing heavily to research, healthcare, and higher education. But growing suspicion towards scientists of Chinese descent had already taken a toll, he said. Nearly 20,000 left the US between 2010 and 2021, including more than 1,000 life scientists who departed in 2021 alone. 'Legislation like House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 does not protect our future – it jeopardises it,' Chan said. 'It risks turning away the very people who help make Ohio a leader in research, innovation, and healthcare.' Following the hearing, committee chairwoman Cindy Abrams reportedly announced the bill would be amended before advancing further. One possible change would exempt green card holders, but many attendees said that would not go far enough. Xin Yuan, a green card holder and vice-president at JPMorgan Chase & Co in Columbus, warned that if the bill passed, it would send a message to the rest of the country and encourage other states to adopt similar legislation. Yuan testified that her greatest concern was for her young son, who was born in Ohio and considered it home. 'My biggest fear when I had him was how to protect him,' she said. 'If we don't even have the basic right to have a home, what am I supposed to tell him – and how can I protect him?' More from South China Morning Post: For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
The Ohio legislation that could force Chinese scientists to sell their US homes
Xiang Zhang, a professor of genomics at the University of Cincinnati, drove more than 1,000 miles over two days to oppose a proposed law that would force him to sell his home, even though he is a US permanent resident. 'I never thought that one day, I would have to stand here in front of you to defend myself solely because of my nationality,' he told a packed hearing room in the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday morning, after cutting short a trip to make it back and give his testimony. 'I never thought that one day, I would lose my house in Ohio solely because of my nationality.' Zhang – who arrived in the US in 1998 with just a suitcase and a US$100 bill, and now leads a major research facility that supports hundreds of life scientists across the country – told Public Safety Committee lawmakers that he had been living his American dream. The midwestern state is following in the footsteps of Florida and Texas by proposing legislation to ban non-citizens from 'foreign adversary' countries – such as China, Iran, and Russia – from owning land within 25 miles (40km) of critical infrastructure. House Bill 1, which is supposed to address national security concerns like espionage and cyberattacks, would apply even to green card holders like Zhang. Under SB 88, a related Senate bill, he would be required to sell his house within two years.
South China Morning Post
21-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
University of Hong Kong head hopes any budget funding cuts will be ‘moderate'
Published: 9:25pm, 21 Feb 2025 The head of Hong Kong's oldest university has said he hopes any funding cut by the government in the coming budget will be 'moderate', stressing the institution's reserves of HK$41.5 billion (US$5.3 billion) had designated purposes. University of Hong Kong president Xiang Zhang also said on Friday all new undergraduates would be required to take an artificial intelligence (AI) course as part of their curriculum. 'We hope that the government's financial cuts to higher education will be moderate so we can survive,' he said. Billion of dollars of the reserves had also been earmarked for constructing more than 10 buildings on campus, while funds were also lined up for professorships, he added. The university has the largest stockpile of funds among the city's eight public universities, but Zhang noted they took a century to accumulate. 'If you take the base out … we're falling apart,' he said. 12:40 How can Hong Kong save itself from its nearly HK$100 billion deficit? How can Hong Kong save itself from its nearly HK$100 billion deficit?
