HONG KONG, Aug. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A spokesperson for Lingnan University welcomed the results of the 2026 ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Lingnan rose significantly from the 901st to 1,000th band globally last year to the 601st to 700th band this year, representing an advancement of 300 places and the biggest rise among Hong Kong SAR's eight UGC-funded universities. The university has also risen to joint 6th place within this group. The encouraging improvement is consistent with Lingnan's upward trend in other international university rankings in recent months, reflecting the phased results of the University's continued strategic transformation in recent years and recognition from the international academic community.
Lingnan's rise in the ARWU is driven by improvements across a range of indicators, including the number of Highly Cited Researchers, papers published in Nature and Science, papers indexed in major citation databases, and per-capita academic performance. A key factor behind this progress is the University's growing number of Highly Cited Researchers, a metric that accounts for 20 per cent of the ranking and reflects Lingnan's strategy of building a critical mass of high-impact researchers. Lingnan has also launched the Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment scheme, which aims to bring in over 60 outstanding scholars from around the globe, strengthening the University's research capacity across disciplines.
In recent years, Lingnan University has been committed to developing into a leading research-oriented liberal arts university comprehensive in arts and sciences in the digital era, while contributing to the development of Hong Kong SAR as an international education hub. In response to the transformation of higher education brought about by the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, the University has actively pursued its strategic transformation through "Liberal Arts + Technology" and "AI+", recruited talent from around the world, promoted campus internationalisation, and strengthened industry-academia-research collaboration, gradually establishing a distinctive and competitive development positioning.
Recently, Lingnan participated in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings for the first time, ranking 84th in Asia and placing among the top 100 universities in Asia. In the newly released QS World University Rankings 2027, Lingnan rose by more than 120 places from last year to 581st globally, marking its biggest rise in recent years.
In addition, in the latest THE Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, Lingnan University rose from the 101st to 200th band globally last year to 63rd this year, entering the global top 100 for the first time. In the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education category, Lingnan retained its position as the world's number one. The University also ranked first in Hong Kong for six SDGs and placed seven SDGs among the global top 100.
Looking ahead, Lingnan will continue to recruit top talent from around the world, promote campus internationalisation, and strengthen interdisciplinary industry-academia-research collaboration. The University will draw on the strengths of a liberal arts education in developing students' critical thinking, interdisciplinary thinking and ability to address complex social issues, while combining the humanities with cutting-edge technologies in science, technology and artificial intelligence to equip students to respond to new challenges in the digital era and develop innovative solutions.
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Lingnan University rises 300 places in the 2026 ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities Achieves biggest improvement and ranks 6th among Hong Kong SAR's eight UGC-funded universities
- Over 2,000 attendees from Singapore and across Southeast Asia gather for the 15th edition of Tech in Asia Conference 2026
- 15 companies showcase emerging AI technologies and solutions at the two-day conference
SINGAPORE, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech in Asia Conference 2026 today marked its 15th edition in Singapore, bringing together more than 2,000 attendees from across Southeast Asia to explore how businesses can move beyond experimentation and turn AI adoption into meaningful business impact.
Held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre today and tomorrow, 16 September, this year's conference, themed "Lead the Enterprise AI Era", takes an enterprise-first approach to AI, bringing together business and technology leaders, startups and investors around the practical challenges of deploying and scaling AI - from infrastructure and implementation to talent, workflows and return on investment.
The conference will feature perspectives from leaders across industries on how AI is being put into practice. Hans Patuwo of GoTo Group will discuss GoTo's next chapter across AI, inclusion and ecosystem growth, while Ng Tian Beng of Certis will share lessons from deploying AI across a 25,000-person workforce. Philipp Kandal of Grab will explore the infrastructure powering Southeast Asia's super-app, while Li Hongyi of Open Government Products and Paul Copplestone of Supabase will examine how technology and infrastructure can enable AI to work at scale.
This focus comes as recent data reflects that Southeast Asia continues to outpace the global average in AI adoption, with businesses increasingly moving beyond experimentation. Yet challenges remain in translating AI experimentation into scaled, enterprise-wide deployment, highlighting the need for organisations to strengthen how they integrate AI into their operations and turn AI investments into meaningful business impact.
"As AI moves rapidly from experimentation into the way businesses operate, the conversation is shifting from what AI can do to how organisations can deploy it effectively and create lasting business value," said Terence Lee, Overall lead and Editor-in-Chief, Tech in Asia.
"This year's theme, 'Lead the Enterprise AI Era', reflects that shift. For our 15th edition, we wanted to bring together the people making these decisions - from enterprise leaders and technology practitioners to founders building the next generation of AI solutions. Hosting the conference in Singapore gives us the opportunity to connect this community at a time when businesses across the region are looking to turn AI's potential into practical outcomes," added Terence.
Bringing AI closer to businesses
This year, the two-day event will also feature several key segments designed to create direct opportunities for enterprises to discover and engage with emerging solutions. The Lightning Pitch sessions, which are unique to this year's conference, will give founders from mid- to late-stage startups 15 minutes to present their solutions in an open setting, creating opportunities for enterprise decision-makers and potential buyers to continue conversations beyond the stage. The Strategy War Room will take a more discussion-led approach, with a 20-minute moderated panel followed by 25 minutes of direct exchange and networking with the audience, allowing enterprise leaders to share challenges and perspectives and continue conversations beyond the formal discussions. Within the Showcase Zone, a select 15 companies will showcase their solutions, including Menlo Research, an applied R&D lab developing an open platform for the next billion robots. Attendees at the conference will get an opportunity to experience Menlo's humanoid robot, Asimov 1, first-hand.
Returning to Singapore at a pivotal moment for AI
The 15th edition marks Tech in Asia Conference's return to Singapore, bringing together their technology, business and innovation communities from across the region. The regional presence at the conference reflects Tech in Asia's wider community across Southeast Asia, connecting founders, businesses, investors and technology leaders across the region.
For businesses, the opportunity is increasingly shifting from experimenting with AI tools to determining where the technology can create meaningful and sustainable value. This is reflected in the conference's emphasis on practical deployment, implementation and the organisational changes required to make AI work at scale.
"Enterprise AI is moving rapidly from experimentation into real-world adoption, creating new opportunities for businesses while reshaping how they operate, grow and compete. At HSBC Innovation Banking, we support ambitious, innovative companies as they scale through this shift, with financing and banking solutions tailored to the business and its founders. We are pleased to partner with the Tech in Asia Conference as Principal Banking Partner and to contribute to the conversations shaping the future of enterprise AI and business across Asia," said Mr Neil Falconer, Head of Innovation Banking, HSBC Singapore.
For more information on Tech in Asia Conference 2026, visit https://conference.techinasia.com/
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About Tech in Asia
Tech in Asia is an English-language digital media platform focused on Asia's technology and startup scene. Its mission is to build and serve Asia's startup ecosystem through journalism, community and events. In addition to its editorial platform, Tech in Asia operates Tech in Asia Studios, a jobs marketplace and a range of conferences and community programmes across the region.
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Tech in Asia Conference returns to Singapore for 15th edition as enterprise AI takes centre stage
