Lingnan University Hosts Chinese New Year Media Reception and Announces Campus Development Plans

Lingnan University held its 2026 Chinese New Year media reception on the Tuen Mun campus today, 17 March, hosted by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing; Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning; Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration); Prof Sam Kwong Tak-Wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, and Prof Lau Chi-pang, Special Advisor to President on Publicity cum Director of Communications and Public Affairs. They announced the University’s most recent news and its strategic development blueprint for the coming years, which includes a series of campus development initiatives which will continue to improve teaching, research, and innovation.

Lingnan University hosts its Chinese New Year media reception. From the left: Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration); Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing; Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning; and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-Wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence. Photo source: Lingnan University

President S. Joe Qin said that to meet Lingnan’s growing need for more space, the University recently acquired a new 3,600-square-metre facility, Lingnan T-Plus, which will support the main campus by providing additional teaching venues and classrooms. Conveniently located and about 15 minutes’ walk from the main campus, Lingnan T-Plus is expected to be operational in the 2026/2027 academic year. Students and staff will be able to commute to the main campus easily and stay involved with campus life.

President S. Joe Qin announces campus development initiatives to further improve teaching, research and innovation. Photo source: Lingnan University

The expansion of Lingnan’s main campus in Tuen Mun has begun with the construction of the seven-storey Lingnan Education Organization Building, the University’s first dedicated science building, which will have a floor area of approximately 8,000 square metres and house the School of Data Science (SDS) and the interdisciplinary research hub. It is scheduled to be completed in 2028, and will upgrade University teaching and research facilities.

The Tuen Mun Main Campus will have a new 200-square-metre lecture theatre in the Lau Chung Him Building with seating for about 200 people, which will provide another venue for teaching, academic lectures, and large conferences. It is intended to come into use in the 2026/2027 academic year, improving the educational environment and strengthening support for academic events and the exchange of ideas.

In addition, a new 150-square-metre, 110-seat, multi-purpose venue with a large-scale LED display will be built on the Main Campus near the landmark Wing On Plaza for campus activities, academic seminars, press conferences, providing a high-quality space for teaching and discussions. It is scheduled for completion in 2027.

The University has recently acquired a new facility, Lingnan T-Plus. Photo source: Lingnan University

Looking back at 2025, President S. Joe Qin said that Lingnan University achieved several “No. 1 in the Hong Kong SAR” and “Only one in the Hong Kong SAR” distinctions across key indicators, demonstrating that the University’s strengths in teaching and research, as well as its commitment to whole-person education, have received international recognition. These accolades include coming first globally in “SDG 4: Quality Education” in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, and becoming the first university in Asia to partner with the United Nations University (UNU) to establish the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University. The UNU Hub plans to commence operations in the middle of this year, and will promote interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering, data science, and design innovation, encouraging faculty members and students from different disciplines to co-design humanitarian technologies to address real-world challenges in a practical and sustainable way.

President Qin also noted that in recent years, the University has implemented the “Liberal Arts + Technology” innovative education model, solidifying its position as a leading research-oriented liberal arts university, comprehensive in arts and sciences, in the digital era. More than 20 per cent of its faculty members were on the 2025 Stanford University “World’s Top 2% Scientists” list. As its 60th anniversary approaches in 2027, the University has launched the “Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment” campaign to attract 60 leading scholars. As of February 2026, 33 top scholars have joined the University, strengthening Lingnan’s engineering and research capabilities in interdisciplinary fields such as industrial data science, smart infrastructure, carbon neutrality technologies, and sustainable energy and materials. This will enable the University to take a leading role in major cross-disciplinary, high-impact engineering projects related to the Hong Kong SAR’s re-industrialisation and carbon neutrality.

President Qin also announced that the University will officially launch the Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class (CCT Class) in the 2026/27 academic year. Named in honour of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Prof Samuel C.C. Ting, the class will select a group of top talents from its outstanding undergraduate students, who receive full University Entrance Scholarships, and will offer them comprehensive learning opportunities and support. The CCT Class symbolises the University’s commitment to an educational philosophy grounded in Creative and Critical Thinking. Through this initiative, the University aims to nurture a new generation of globally minded academic leaders, carrying forward Prof Ting’s legacy of bold innovation and rigorous research integrity, while further strengthening the University’s leading position as a research-oriented liberal arts university comprehensive in arts and sciences.

The Lingnan Education Organization Building is scheduled for completion in 2028. Photo source: Lingnan University

Hong Kong’s universities have once again demonstrated academic strength on the international stage. The latest 2026 ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects shows that at least 90 subjects across Hong Kong’s universities have entered the global top 50, with 21 subjects ranking among the world’s top 10. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) claimed the top spot globally in two subjects: Transportation Science & Technology and Hospitality & Tourism Management. The University of Hong Kong (HKU), The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) all made it into the global top 10 for Education, underscoring the city’s overall strength in the field.

The University of Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image

HKU’s Education subject ranked second globally in this year’s ranking, its highest-ever position, while retaining its place as the top in Asia. Professor Yang Rui, Dean of the Faculty of Education at HKU, expressed his delight at the achievement. He noted that it fully reflects the collective efforts of faculty members in conducting high-level research and publishing in leading international academic journals, as well as the Faculty’s close partnerships with research collaborators worldwide, which continue to expand the reach and impact of its work. “I am deeply grateful to our Faculty members for their commitment to advancing educational knowledge and promoting the exchange and application of these outcomes worldwide,” he said.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Photo source: reference image

PolyU delivered the most outstanding performance in this ranking, with 23 subjects entering the global top 50, the highest number among all Hong Kong institutions. Six of its subjects ranked in the global top 10. In addition to the two subjects that topped the world, these include Management (global 2nd), Civil Engineering (global 3rd), Energy Science & Engineering (global 4th), and Mechanical Engineering (global 10th), spanning multiple traditional strengths in engineering and management.

The City University of Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) had 44 subjects ranked this year, two more than last year. Twenty-two subjects entered the global top 50, with four subjects- Library & Information Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Energy Science & Engineering, and Public Administration- making it into the global top 10. Furthermore, CityU ranked first in Hong Kong in 10 subjects, including Library & Information Science, Business Administration, and Veterinary Sciences, leading other local institutions in multiple areas.

The Lingnan University, Photo source: reference image

Lingnan University had eight subjects ranked this year, a nearly twofold increase from three last year. Five subjects, including Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical & Electronic Engineering, appeared on the list for the first time. Its Artificial Intelligence subject, newly listed last year, jumped dramatically in the rankings and entered the global top 100 for the first time, placing in the 76–100 band. Professor Qin Si Zhao, President of Lingnan University, said the results reflect growing international recognition of the University’s academic and research work. “Lingnan will review the ranking results and their assessment indicators, using them as a reference to further consolidate our ‘Liberal Arts + Technology’ development direction,” he said.

Photo source: shanghairanking.com

The ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects is released by ShanghaiRanking, a higher education evaluation agency. It covers 57 subjects across five major fields: Natural Sciences, Engineering, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences. The ranking uses international academic indicators to assess the performance of higher education institutions worldwide in each subject, evaluating five categories: World-Class Faculty, World-Class Research Output, High-Quality Research, Research Impact, and International Collaboration. This year’s ranking assessed over 3,000 universities globally, with more than 2,000 institutions from about 96 countries and regions appearing on the lists.