Times university rankings: HK records greatest number in Asia, mainland and Singapore ends up higher

Hong Kong has the greatest number of universities in Asia to make it to the top 200 in a prominent global ranking system, but top mainland Chinese and Singapore institutions ended up higher.

Times Higher Education released the 2016-2017 World University Rankings on September 21, 2016. University of Oxford snatched the top spot from Caltech as China’s rise continues.

Two universities of the Chinese mainland made their way into the Top 50 this year, with Peking University at 29th and Tsinghua University 35th.

Tsinghua University. Photo: File photo

The University of Hong Kong rose one place to 43rd out of 980 universities from 79 countries on the Rankings, while the National University of Singapore, which ranked 24th, and Peking University were ranked higher than Hong Kong’s top contender for the third year in a row.

Five Hong Kong universities made it into the top 200 – the most for any Asian country or territory, according to the survey.

“Given the size of Hong Kong [compared to Asian nations], it’s an extraordinary achievement,” survey editor Phil Baty told the Post. “[Hong Kong universities] will always be magnets for talent.”

The Times Higher Education list, in its 13th year, uses 13 indicators to assess universities in their research, teaching, links with business and industry and international outlook.

The rankings of all five – HKU, the University of Science and Technology, Chinese University, City University and the Polytechnic University – improved in the past year.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong rose to rank 76th after placing 138 last year. Photo: AFP

Baty said that the improvement may be because local institutions were able to capitalise on closer integration with and funding opportunities from mainland businesses and universities.

Chinese University, which shot up 62 places to rank 76th this year, said it would “continue to strive for excellence in teaching and research, with a commitment to education for the benefit of Hong Kong, mainland China and the region.”

An HKU spokesman said: “We firmly believe that the work we are undertaking to achieve the aims outlined in our new vision document with the commitment to being Asia’s global university will enhance our international reputation.”

The university, which was once ranked the best in Asia, plummeted 22 places in 2014 compared to its inaugural ranking of 21st in 2011.

Cambridge University maintained its fourth place from last year. Photo: File photo

Baty said that Hong Kong universities were able to overcome several challenging years when local institutions switched from a three-year undergraduate degree to a four-year system and as other Asian universities began to show a more competitive edge.

“The bumpy years were a bit of a warning shot. Now Hong Kong is looking to a more positive future,” Baty said.

“If [the city] can manage to both retain very important, strategic links to outstanding universities in the West, while taking advantage of the levels of funding through partnerships with mainland China, it’s a win-win scenario,” he said.

Hong Kong spent HK$79 billion, or 18.5 per cent of its government expenditure, on education in the last financial year ending in March.

Almost a third of that spending went on post-secondary education.

Top 200 universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016-2017

1. University of Oxford, UK (2)*

2. California Institute of Technology, US (1)

3. Stanford University, US (3)

4. University of Cambridge, UK (4)

5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US (5)

6. National University of Singapore, Singapore (26)

7. Peking University, China (42)

8. Tsinghua University, China (47)

9. University of Hong Kong, HK (44)

10. University of Science and Technology, HK (59)

11. Chinese University, HK (138)

12. City University, HK (201-250)

13. Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (201-250)

*Numbers in brackets refer to the university’s previous ranking in the 2015-2016 survey

(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE)