Founded in 1911, the University of Hong Kong has spent over 100 years building up an outstanding reputation for international education. Commonly referred to as “Asia’s Global University”, it’s an institution that entices students from across the world to experience this wonderfully vibrant city, and also helps prepare them for the contemporary world.
The university is ranked 1st in Hong Kong and 22nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings, with many of its subjects also being placed in the top 25 globally. Students who choose to attend the University of Hong Kong can expect one of the finest educations in the world, at the heart of one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities.
That diversity helps to encourage international student admissions - over 10,000 students from around the world have studied at the university from over 100 countries. The result is a student environment that mirrors that of the city - international, cooperative and very exciting.
The university’s world-class reputation is derived from the exceptionally high standards of teaching offered. There’s a real emphasis on innovation - students shouldn’t expect to simply be taught from books and lectures. Instead, they will be highly engaged in ground-breaking study programmes, making use of the latest discoveries (and making their own discoveries too).
Indeed, in recent years the university has made major breakthroughs in a number of fields, with researchers helping to further global medicine, architecture, innovation and more.
With globally-recognised quality and a focus on producing skilled graduates prepared to be future leaders, the university is a fantastic choice.
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The University of Hong Kong offers programmes in various areas of study. The courses provide students with a broad overview of varied disciplines in line with a global perspective, to widen their horizons and develop their intellect.
HKU’s ten faculties offer 100+ major areas of study:
The university has also established dual degree and collaborative programmes with reputed universities around the globe to enable students to have the option of pursuing two degrees in parallel, while also getting to experience two different learning and living environments. These include the following dual degree and collaborative programmes:
The University of Hong Kong has established strategic international alliances with universities worldwide, following up on its commitment to cultivating internationalism on campus and to supporting international programmes. The university is also a founding member of Universitas 21, which is a network of comprehensive research-intensive universities from all over the world.
The numerical and geographical spread of the university’s partnerships are immense, with numerous institutions from around the world having chosen to partner the University of Hong Kong and offer its students the experience of studying abroad as part of annual semester-long and year-long exchanges.
Exchange programmes aside, students enjoy other perks of partnership such as summer study abroad, service learning, summer research projects and other such short-term student mobility initiatives. Other types of collaborations include research projects, visiting professorships, and joint doctorate programmes. Partner universities include those ranked among the highest in the world or at least in their respective countries.
As part of the China Vision Programme, students can explore mainland China and choose from a wide selection of academic programmes and research projects organised by renowned universities in metropolises in mainland China, while also taking advantage of opportunities to conduct cultural visits and social service practices in rural areas and remote villages.
The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) of the University of Hong Kong made a recent announcement that 25 HKU start-up companies have received funding under the 2019/2020 Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU@HKU).
TSSSU@HKU is a scheme that provides financial support, of up to HKD 8 million, to subsidise technology start-ups formed by members of the university. Each of the 25 start-up companies, formed by a combination of professors, students, and alumni, receive annual funding of up to HKD 1.5 million for a maximum of three years to cover basic expenses. This includes establishment and operations costs, and funds for research and development, publicity, and sale of finished products and services. Further, the companies are also equipped with market intelligence, given support and guidance by industry specialists and investors, and can access resources from the university and its network.
Around 48 start-ups have been supported since the launch of the TSSSU@HKU scheme in 2014 with strong support from the HK Government. That number, which is a remarkable figure to reach in just five years, is a strong testimony to the core value of TSSSU@HKU and its unwavering commitment as a stepping stone for start-up industries to connect with other such ventures and thrive in the economic and financial ecosystem of Hong Kong.
HK$171,000 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
HK$161,000 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details
HK$50,000 Living costs
HK$28,500 To live on campus
The University of Hong Kong offers a range of scholarships to ease international students’ financial burden.
These merit-based entrance scholarships are for students who perform very well in academics and have gained admission to undergraduate programmes. These may award a full tuition fee waiver and cover general annual living expenses and accommodation costs. These require no separate application and can be renewed every year for the entire duration of undergraduate study.
Entrance and other kinds of scholarships on offer include:
Visit the HKU website for more on scholarships for international students.
Central to the University of Hong Kong’s mission of providing a comprehensive education are high quality teaching and learning methodologies. Increasingly, experiential learning is becoming the standard practice in professional and non-professional programmes at the university.
HKU’s 4-year undergraduate curriculum offers students flexibility to choose a combination of disciplinary majors, minors and electives. Students can also take advantage of opportunities such as internships, overseas exchange programmes, and regional projects.
This is a series of courses across four areas of inquiry that are a requirement for all HKU undergraduate students. These help students build friendships across faculties and develop their social, intellectual, and innovative skills.
This entails using authentic problems or situations as a way of stimulating students to explore key concepts and skills of the discipline, with teachers acting as facilitators and guides. Problem-based learning encourages students to apply reason to solving problems, to think critically, and become self-directed learners for life.
The Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) and the General Education Unit (GEU) are the primary providers of co-curricular learning activities at the university. Students engage in community service or advocacy projects which involve training, service and reflection. Quality assessment and enhancement are carried out at the university’s undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels.
Other forms of experiential learning can also be seen on campus. The Worldwide Student Exchange Programme oversees student exchanges with numerous partner institutions around the world. While incoming exchange students serve to internationalise the campus, outgoing undergraduates grow into mature individuals on the back of a rich learning experience at the university.
HKU has over 100 buildings for teaching, research, residential, administrative, and recreational purposes. HKU’s main campus covers about 14 hectares of land in Hong Kong Island and houses faculties, as well as its main library. HKU Libraries have overall three million volumes, 555,000 e-Journal subscriptions, and six million e-books for students to make use of.
The Centennial Campus houses faculties and enjoys a state-of-the-art, modern learning commons, a hall with learning and teaching spaces. The university also has campuses in other areas in Hong Kong.
Students also have access to sports facilities at Flora Ho and Lindsay Ride Sports Centres, which are mainly indoors. Its major sports fields can be used for athletics, soccer, softball, hockey, and more.
Visit the HKU website for more information on facilities.
