University of Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong’s original mission was to be the English-speaking university for China. As we stride forward into our second century, this mission is still relevant but the context has radically changed, is still changing and will remain dynamic and unpredictable for the foreseeable future. We will need to be more global in our outlook in all our activities, more nimble and adaptable than before, more ambitious and “can-do” than risk-averse and conservative, more solution-orientated than problem-orientated, and more proactive in our communications and branding. We will adopt the characteristics of the world’s top universities, which include excellence in all aspects of teaching, research and knowledge exchange; a global, not merely local or regional, perspective; and meaningful collaborations with premier global universities, and industrial and charitable partners. We will also secure resources with robust risk-management protocols so that risks, perceived or real, do not stifle development; and all will be underpinned by modern, innovative and flexible enabling platforms to ensure optimal delivery.

The University of Hong Kong is a great university. It has much to be proud of in its history, its strong and supportive alumni base, its current students and staff and its spectacular facilities, but it can be greater. Greater in terms of international reputation and the quality of its graduates, greater in terms of impact on society, greater in terms of scope of excellence and range of influence. The University of Hong Kong can join the world’s greatest universities and this document sets out a manifesto for taking us there.

The University of Hong Kong (or HKU, as it is familiarly known to students, staff and alumni) is the oldest tertiary education institution in Hong Kong. On March 16, 1910, Sir Frederick Lugard, the then Governor of Hong Kong, laid the foundation stone for the University. The University was first incorporated in Hong Kong as a self-governing body of scholars by the University Ordinance on March 30, 1911.

On March 11, 1912, the University was officially opened, and Arts, Engineering and Medicine would become its first Faculties. The Faculty of Medicine evolved from the Hong Kong College of Medicine, founded in 1887. Of the College's early alumni, the most renowned was Dr Sun Yat-sen, often regarded as the founder of modern China. In December 1916, the University held its first congregation, with just 23 graduates. It was ten years after the founding of HKU that women students were admitted for the first time.

In 1937, Queen Mary Hospital opened and has served as the University's teaching hospital since then. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, which would bring academic activities to a halt, there were four Faculties - Arts, Engineering, Medicine, and Science. After 1945, the University underwent structural developments as post-war reconstruction efforts began in earnest.

The University of Hong Kong, Asia’s Global University, delivers impact through internationalisation, innovation and interdisciplinarity. It attracts and nurtures global scholars through excellence in research, teaching and learning, and knowledge exchange. It makes a positive social contribution through global presence, regional significance and engagement with the rest of China.

The University of Hong Kong will endeavour: To advance constantly the bounds of scholarship, building upon its proud traditions and strengths, To provide a comprehensive education, benchmarked against the highest international standards, designed to develop fully the intellectual and personal strengths of its students, while extending lifelong learning opportunities for the community, To produce graduates of distinction committed to academic/professional excellence, critical intellectual inquiry and lifelong learning, who are communicative and innovative, ethically and culturally aware, and capable of tackling the unfamiliar with confidence, To develop a collegial, flexible, pluralistic and supportive intellectual environment that inspires and attracts, retains and nurtures scholars, students and staff of the highest calibre in a culture that fosters creativity, learning and freedom of thought, enquiry and expression, To provide a safe, healthy and sustainable workplace to support and advance teaching, learning and research at the University, To engage in innovative, high-impact and leading-edge research within and across disciplines, To be fully accountable for the effective management of public and private resources bestowed upon the institution and act in partnership with the community over the generation, dissemination and application of knowledge, To serve as a focal point of intellectual and academic endeavour in Hong Kong, China and Asia and act as a gateway and forum for scholarship with the rest of the world.

The University of Hong Kong’s highest priorities are to create opportunities for the very best academic talents to excel and to advance human knowledge to the benefit of society. To enable these, the University will provide a world-class, intellectual environment in which all its members are recognised and rewarded for what they contribute and achieve. In this way, the University will seek to serve the needs of Hong Kong, the wider region and the rest of the world.

The University will be defined by our commitment to excellence, the high-quality opportunities we create and our global outlook from our distinctive position in Asia. Through our teaching, research and service, creating social, cultural and economic impact will be the goals driving everything we do. Respect for academic success will guide and shape the work of our professional services. Optimism, willingness to try new things and risk-taking will prevail over caution, cut-backs and academic conservatism.

We share the characteristics of our international peers in our commitment to the core values of academic freedom and our respect for academic success. As an institution of higher learning and compass for morality and integrity in the community, we will embrace equality, ethics, inclusivity, diversity and transparency in all that we do, and will aspire to the highest standards of corporate and academic governance.

The principles of sustainability will guide our planning and development at every level. We will respond purposefully to the challenges identified by the United Nations through the Sustainable Development Goals, and play our part in addressing the issues of inequality, health, education, disaster prevention, poverty, environment and well-being identified therein. We are superbly placed to lead a cross-cultural and civilisational dialogue.