22nd March 2023 – (Hong Kong) More than 60% of the subjects offered by Hong Kong universities have experienced a fall in their global league rankings, with research performance being blamed for the largest drop in the world this year. The rankings were compiled by education information firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and include 15,700 subjects offered at 1,594 universities worldwide.
Hong Kong institutions have scored poorly in establishing partnerships with overseas universities compared to Singapore and mainland China. In the QS rankings, nine Hong Kong universities had a total of 178 courses in the top 100 globally, accounting for 56% of the overall ranking. This places Hong Kong in joint-second place with the Netherlands and behind Singapore.
Despite having three courses in the top 10 globally, including dentistry at the University of Hong Kong, education at the University of Hong Kong, and social policy and administration at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s overall ranking has dropped by 60%. Of the 178 courses listed, 14 have moved up in the rankings, while 120 have dropped, and 41 have remained the same. Six courses have made their first appearance on the list. The rankings include a new “International Research Network Index,” which has affected the ranking changes.
A spokesperson for Hong Kong University responded to the media, saying that the university has always been committed to providing quality education to its students and striving for excellence in teaching, research, and knowledge exchange. The university is confident that, through the implementation of its future vision blueprint, it will become a world-class university in Asia and further enhance its international reputation.
In terms of courses ranked on top globally, there are eight universities that made it onto the list, with Harvard University in the U.S. having the most, including courses in arts and humanities, life sciences and medicine, natural sciences, social sciences and management, accounting, and finance. Other universities on the list include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. for engineering and technology, the Royal College of Art in the U.K. for arts and design, and Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands for agriculture and forestry.