By Lau Chi-pang
The publication of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2027, one of the most closely watched assessments in global higher education, has attracted widespread attention. Hong Kong SAR, home to five of the world's top 100 universities, once again delivered an impressive performance, becoming Asia’s most improved higher education system for the second consecutive year. This year's results saw notable progress across a number of institutions, further reinforcing the city’s position as an international higher education hub, with two universities placing in the global top 20 for the first time. The University of Hong Kong maintained its position at 11th globally, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong rose significantly from 32nd to 18th.
In addition, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology climbed from 44th to 33rd; City University of Hong Kong advanced from 63rd to 52nd; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University moved from 54th to 50th; and Hong Kong Baptist University improved from 244th to 216th. The most remarkable gains, however, were recorded by The Education University of Hong Kong and Lingnan University. The Education University of Hong Kong surged from 530th to 406th globally, while Lingnan University, where I teach, rose by an impressive 120 places to 581st in the world.
The release of the QS rankings each year invariably brings both celebration and disappointment. Public discussion focuses heavily on numerical shifts, leading many to equate ranking fluctuations directly with institutional quality. Recently, QS published an article entitled "Why universities rise and fall in the QS World University Rankings", encouraging readers to look beyond headline positions and to understand the factors underpinning ranking changes through the lens of the assessment methodology itself. Drawing on the QS analytical framework as well as the experiences of Hong Kong's universities, this article seeks to examine broader shifts in the global higher education landscape and the opportunities and challenges facing Hong Kong institutions.
As a global city, Hong Kong benefits from a mature legal system, an open platform for academic exchange, a highly internationalised teaching and research environment, and the unique advantage of being firmly connected to the Chinese Mainland while remaining linked to the wider world. These strengths help attract talented students from across the globe and enhance the appeal of the "Study in Hong Kong" brand. This year's results demonstrate that, despite intensifying international competition, Hong Kong universities continue to perform strongly within the global higher education landscape.
Lingnan University provides a compelling example. In the latest QS rankings, it achieved a perfect score for International Faculty Ratio, ranking 34th globally. Its International Student Ratio scored 99.4 points, placing 76th worldwide. Its Academic Reputation ranking rose by 64 places, while its Sustainability ranking jumped by an impressive 211 places. Focusing solely on overall ranking positions may overlook these important indicators, which often provide a more meaningful reflection of long-term institutional development.
According to QS, university rankings are fundamentally a relative assessment tool. In other words, even if a university improves across multiple indicators, its overall ranking may not necessarily rise accordingly. Conversely, a higher ranking does not automatically mean that every aspect of an institution’s performance has improved. This is because rankings reflect a university's position relative to other institutions worldwide, rather than its performance against a fixed benchmark.
Within the QS ranking system, Academic and Employer Reputation and various internationalisation indicators have long carried significant weight. In recent years, however, QS has continued to refine its methodology by introducing new indicators such as Sustainability, Employment Outcomes, and International Research Network, while also adjusting the weighting of several traditional measures. These changes reflect an evolving global approach to evaluating higher education. Assessment frameworks are increasingly moving beyond a sole emphasis on research output towards a more balanced consideration of social impact, graduate employability, and global engagement and collaboration.
Lingnan University's recent performance illustrates this trend. Rooted in a liberal arts tradition while actively advancing its "Liberal Arts + Technology" and "AI+" transformation strategies, the University achieved its 120-place rise not because of a single indicator, but through comprehensive progress in internationalisation, sustainability, academic reputation building, and cross-sector collaboration. This demonstrates that even smaller liberal arts institutions can excel on the global stage, provided they establish a clear strategic identity and continue to build upon their distinctive strengths.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that many of the most valuable aspects of higher education cannot be fully captured by rankings. Students' personal growth and transformation during their university years, the development of critical thinking, the cultivation of character and values, and a university's contribution to society are all difficult to measure through numerical indicators alone. Many of the world's most influential institutions achieved their success not by chasing rankings, but by remaining committed to their educational philosophies and social missions over the long term. This, ultimately, is where the true value of a university lies.
Indeed, QS has recently introduced the concept of "Emerging Excellence", which highlights institutions that may not yet belong to the world's highest-ranked tier but are demonstrating sustained momentum across multiple indicators. What distinguishes these universities is not a single year of exceptional performance, but rather their ability to build competitive advantages gradually through strategic transformation and distinctive development pathways.
In my view, the significant progress made by several Hong Kong institutions in recent years reflects a higher education ecosystem that is becoming increasingly diverse and multi-layered. As the world enters the digital era, we must continue to consolidate its traditional academic strengths while actively developing new drivers of growth. Universities should seek greater complementarity through collaborative academic networks that leverage their respective strengths. This would enable the sector to seize emerging opportunities arising from the nation's broader development agenda. Looking ahead, one of the most important challenges facing Hong Kong's higher education sector is not to have all institutions competing on the same track, but rather to cultivate a more diverse and distinctive educational ecosystem.
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, expectations of future talent are also evolving. Universities must do more than impart professional knowledge; they must nurture graduates who possess innovative thinking, humanistic values, global perspectives, and the ability to tackle complex challenges. Achieving this objective requires different types of institutions to contribute according to their respective strengths and missions.
Ultimately, what deserves the public's attention is not simply whether a university rises or falls in a ranking table, but whether it can continue to enhance teaching quality, drive knowledge creation, respond to societal needs, and cultivate talented individuals capable of meeting the challenges of the future. If Hong Kong is to strengthen its position as an international education hub, it will require not only world-class research universities, but also a diverse range of high-quality institutions with clear strategic direction, distinctive characteristics, and a commitment to serving society. Together, they will ensure the continued advancement of Hong Kong's higher education sector and its contribution to the city's long-term development.
The author is the Special Advisor to President on Publicity cum Director of Communications and Public Affairs of Lingnan University, and Chairman of the Legislative Council Panel on Education.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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