At a forum attended by University Presidents, the Secretary for Education, Dr Christine Choi, emphasized the highly internationalized and diverse nature of Hong Kong’s higher education sector. Among the eight publicly funded universities, five are ranked in the top 100 globally, positioning Hong Kong as one of the world’s cities with the highest concentration of elite universities. Many of these institutions, programs, and disciplines are recognized as world-class, garnering widespread acclaim domestically and internationally. These achievements significantly enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness and influence in higher education.
The rankings referenced by Dr. Choi pertain to the newly released 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. In this edition, five Hong Kong universities are within the global top 100: The University of Hong Kong (HKU) ranks 35th, while The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has risen nine places to 44th—its best-ever ranking and a return to the top 50 since 2022. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) saw a slight decline to 66th. City University of Hong Kong (CityU) climbed to 80th, its highest ranking to date, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) moved up three places to 84th.
Additionally, over 1,000 scholars from Hong Kong universities were listed among the "Top 2% of the World's Top Scientists," according to the 2024 Standardized Citation Indicators Database compiled by Stanford University. This marks an increase of 80 scholars from the previous year, with a total of 1,534 Hong Kong scholars recognized for their annual scientific impact. Thirteen of these scholars are ranked in the global top 10 within their fields, including Professor Jim Chi Yung from the Education University of Hong Kong, known as "Dr. Tree," who retained his top ranking. Dr. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, the "father of non-invasive prenatal test" and the upcoming President of CUHK, ranks fourth globally in general clinical medicine. In terms of lifetime scientific impact, 1,270 Hong Kong scientists are among the world’s top 2%, an increase of 95 from the previous year.
Moreover, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), four subjects at Hong Kong universities are ranked among the global top ten: HKU’s Dentistry ranks 3rd, HKU’s Education is 7th, CUHK’s Nursing is 8th, and HKUST’s Data Science and Artificial Intelligence ranks 10th globally.
PolyU and HKU also have multiple disciplines ranked within the global top 20, such as PolyU’s Civil and Structural Engineering at 14th, and HKU’s Education and Law programs, each ranking 20th.
Dr. Choi highlighted that the next decade offers a golden opportunity for the development of higher education in Hong Kong, and the government will vigorously promote the "Study in Hong Kong" initiative.
Ariel recalled that last year’s Policy Address proposed an additional injection of HKD 1 billion into the Government Scholarship Fund and an increase in Belt and Road Scholarship placements to 150 annually, aiming to attract more students from Belt and Road Initiative countries and ASEAN nations to pursue their studies in Hong Kong.
According to the Education Bureau’s statistics, only 32% of non-local students in the eight major publicly funded undergraduate and postgraduate programs last academic year were from regions outside Hong Kong. To enhance the city's appeal, the government can expand its scholarship offerings.
Hong Kong clearly possesses a strategic advantage in becoming an "international hub for post-secondary education." Beyond increasing scholarship opportunities and attracting distinguished international scholars, the government also seeks to draw students from Europe, the Americas, and Australia. By expanding the "Study in Hong Kong" brand, the government aims to attract international students to study and ideally remain in Hong Kong after graduation, thereby diversifying the local talent pool and contributing to Hong Kong’s long-term economic growth.
Ariel
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Trump is a master of staging a "television reality show," and his nationwide address this morning was filled with theatrical flair. His chief aim was to impress the American public with a sense that the US military wields overwhelming power—decimating a longtime foe threatening the nation—and that he alone leads this victorious force.
Yet the specifics—actual battlefield gains, ceasefire timing, negotiation progress, next steps, or reopening the Strait of Hormuz—were all vague or glossed over. Trump carefully crafted narrative designed to build a grand finale for his imminent exit.
Trump’s war speech sold a big win. US media saw big gaps.
The New York Times, ever sharp, reviewed the string of dazzling claims he made and found several numbers heavily exaggerated. Reuters also noted that on several unresolved issues, Trump skimmed past or ignored them altogether, apparently trying to avoid the impression of unfinished or failed efforts.
Trump’s message selection was clearly intentional. He emphasized the war lasted about 30 days and culminated in a massive victory, contrasting this with the long, grueling Vietnam and Iraq Wars—to showcase strength and efficiency. Yet whether the US actually won remains mostly rhetoric. The New York Times compared his cited achievements with reality and found stark contradictions.
Negotiation Claims vs. Reality
First, Trump claimed negotiations with Iran were ongoing and had earlier said Iran was "begging" for a ceasefire. The New York Times reported that Iran’s government clearly stated it had no intention of substantive talks and denied requesting a ceasefire. Trump’s claim that "progress has been made in talks" was false. The paper cited US intelligence officials who assessed that Iran is not currently ready to reach an agreement.
Iran’s tough negotiating stance reflects its belief that it holds the upper hand in the conflict and is in no hurry for peace. It also deeply distrusts the United States, viewing Trump as unpredictable and lacking sincerity in negotiations.
Military Impact on Iran Questioned
Second, Trump asserted that the US military has severely weakened Iran's missile and drone launch capabilities, destroying large missile stockpiles and production facilities, thereby dismantling the military threat.
However, The New York Times reported that Iran still maintains a substantial arsenal of missiles and a significant number of drones. This enables Iran to continue recent attacks against Israel and Gulf countries. Earlier, Reuters cited US internal assessments showing that the US-Israel coalition has destroyed only about 30% of Iran's missiles. Another 30% have unknown status, while the remaining missiles remain intact—indicating Iran retains a considerable missile inventory.
Trump said Iran was crippled. Its missile stocks say otherwise.
Third, Trump claims that US military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities have achieved "great success," eliminating the nuclear threat to the United States.
The New York Times however, cites sources revealing that a stock of enriched uranium remains stored in tunnels and was not destroyed. The effectiveness of the June airstrike on the nuclear site last year remains unclear. As a result, the claim of " Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated" cannot be verified.
False Regime Change Claims
Fourth, Trump claimed that Iran's original leaders have all been eliminated and replaced by a new group of moderates, signaling that a "regime change" has taken place. Although he no longer names regime overthrow as a goal, by emphasizing this point he clearly implies "that objective has also been accomplished."
The New York Times strongly contradicted this, noting that the current government still wields significant authority and maintains full control over the country. Its "anti-American" stance remains unshaken as it continues to lead the "resistance against America." Trump also boasted that "the command structure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being weakened", another exaggerated claim of a major victory.
Ignored Issues and Vagueness
Beyond boasting about major achievements, Trump glosses over unresolved issues and brushes them aside with vague assurances.
Reuters noted that while he had previously pressured Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—threatening warship escorts and even deployment of ground forces—this time he omits that from stated objectives, merely saying that once the conflict ends, Iran will naturally reopen the strait.
Moreover, Trump offers no concrete plan for handling Iran's enriched uranium. The so-called elimination of the nuclear threat remains empty rhetoric—talk that sounds like action but delivers nothing.
US media also highlight that Trump fails to clarify what comes next, including whether ground troops will be sent, leaving these questions unanswered. His bluster about "bombing Iran back to the Stone Age" reads as mere bravado aimed at strengthening his negotiation position. Having dealt with him repeatedly, Iran sees through these tactics and remains calm and unfazed.
In his nationwide address today, Trump listed a series of "brilliant achievements" against Iran to showcase the "great victories" the United States has won under his leadership—victories unseen in years. However, as several media outlets have pointed out, many of these claims are blown out of proportion. It’s like a struggling CEO who inflates the company’s results to reassure shareholders—here, the audience being the public.
What he’s doing is easy to understand: this war is teetering on the edge of collapse, and he has to set up a way to exit with some grace.
Lai Ting-yiu
