Dear Colleagues,
At the Townhall Meeting on 2 April, we reflected on the highly competitive higher-education environment in Hong Kong, where at least 12 universities are competing for students and related resources. In this context, I would like to reaffirm the priorities that will guide our work as we continue to advance the University's mission.
To sustain and strengthen our competitiveness, we must focus on the following priorities:
I am grateful for the considerable efforts already made across the University to strengthen these areas. We must now sustain this momentum and continue to build on our achievements together.
We are making steady progress in advancing excellence in application-oriented research. The opening ceremony of the HKMU Shenzhen Research Institute on 16 March marked an important milestone. On 1 April, a delegation from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) visited HKMU to assess our readiness for NSFC funding; we are currently awaiting the results.
External rankings have also become an increasingly influential reference point for stakeholders. In June 2025, HKMU made its debut in the QS World University Rankings 2026 (ranked 781–790), becoming Hong Kong's first self-financing university and university of applied sciences to be listed. The University subsequently rose to 393rd place in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, as announced in November 2025.
I am also pleased to share that HKMU, as announced in March 2026, debuted in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, with encouraging results: six subjects were ranked, including three in the world's top 150. The six ranked subjects are Art & Design (101–150), Performing Arts (101–150), Hospitality & Leisure Management (101–150), Education (301–350), Business & Management Studies (551–600), and Computer Science & Information Systems (751–850). In addition, HKMU is ranked 451–500 in the broad subject area of Arts and Humanities.
While we will not divert substantial resources solely to pursue ranking outcomes, strong performance locally and internationally helps position HKMU within a favourable “university grouping” and strengthens our ability to attract more—and higher-quality—students. This, in turn, supports our financial sustainability and facilitates the University's continued development.
Now is the time to seize every opportunity—some may not come again.
Paul LAM Kwan-sing
President
