Hong Kong Universities Shine in 2027 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Reflecting Strong Educational Development

Five Hong Kong universities continue to rank among global top 100, helping to consolidate status as international education hub

An Education Bureau (EDB) spokesperson said today (September 30) that the rankings of Hong Kong's universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027 continue to be highly commended, fully demonstrating the robust strength of Hong Kong's higher education system and its world-class levels in teaching, research, and international outlook, and also reflecting the Government's continuous resource investment and policy support over the years, which have successfully laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong's higher education institutions.

Photo source: FB@Tamar Talk

According to the latest THE World University Rankings, the University of Hong Kong ranks globally at 33rd, the Chinese University of Hong Kong at 42nd, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology at 58th, and the City University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have risen to 70th and 79th respectively, continuing to rank among the global top 100.

The spokesperson said, "The long-standing high rankings of Hong Kong's universities at the forefront of international rankings not only reflect the achievements of the local higher education sector in striving for excellence and scaling new heights, but also bear witness to the Government's proactive leadership in guiding the post-secondary education sector to achieve outstanding results through policy measures such as seeking innovation and change, and expanding capacity while enhancing quality. The Government will continue to spare no effort in promoting the comprehensive integration of the higher education sector into the overall national development, contributing to the country's endeavour to build a leading country in education."

The University of Hong Kong, Photo source: reference image

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

The recently promulgated First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address further strengthen Hong Kong's development momentum and build the city into an international hub for high-calibre talent. Measures include driving the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) under "One Town, Five Elements" to promote capacity expansion and quality enhancement of post-secondary education. The Government will consolidate Hong Kong's internationalised and diversified educational advantages under "one country, two systems", align with the strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, strengthen basic, emerging, and cross-disciplinary development and the nurturing of top-notch talent, deepen international co-operation, and promote the integrated development of education, technology, and talent to better serve the country's endeavour to develop into a leading country in education.

The Northern Metropolis University Town, Photo source: reference image

To dovetail with the development of the NMUT, the Government will implement a series of measures, including increasing the number of the University Grants Committee-funded research postgraduate places to 9 600 by the 2030/31 academic year; gradually increasing the annual quota of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme to 550 places by the 2029/30 academic year; providing additional funding of $20 million per academic year to support knowledge transfer; and allocating $40 million annually to the Fund for Innovative Technology-in-Education. With the continuous relaxation of the ceiling for non-local students enrolled in self-financing local post-secondary programmes, and the intensified promotional efforts through the cross-departmental Task Force on Study in Hong Kong, local institutions will continue to attract exceptional students from over 100 countries and regions across the globe, consolidating Hong Kong's leading position as an international post-secondary education hub.

The spokesperson concluded, "Even in the face of intense global competition, the performance of Hong Kong's universities continues to remain stable and excellent. Looking ahead, with the comprehensive implementation of Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, the promotion of the integrated development of education, technology, and talent, and the development of the NMUT, Hong Kong's higher education is ushering in a golden period of development full of promising potential. We will continue to promote the all-round connectivity in areas such as talent training, frontier scientific research, and industry-academia-research collaboration, optimise resource allocation, support various institutions in consolidating their existing advantages while pioneering innovation, and nurture more outstanding talent equipped with both international perspective and exceptional capabilities, thereby making greater contributions to the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the country."

The Education Bureau, Photo source: reference image

First award ceremony for Packaging Reduction Charter held

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 30) held the first award ceremony for the Packaging Reduction Charter to commend businesses for their outstanding contributions to reducing packaging waste in 2025-26. A total of 75 signatory companies to the Charter were being honoured. Participating companies reduced approximately 13 000 tonnes of packaging materials in total, which is equivalent to the weight of about 900 double-decker buses.

Speaking at the award ceremony, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, said that this year marks the opening year of the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The plan clearly sets out to accelerate the comprehensive green transition of economic and social development, leveraging carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as drivers to enhance the momentum for green development. To proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) also mentions that the EPD will deepen the reform of the municipal solid waste management system, striving to move away from reliance on landfill disposal for municipal solid waste directly by 2035, with a view to achieving "Zero Landfill".

She stated that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has long adopted a practical and feasible approach, actively collaborating with the trades to explore and promote packaging waste reduction in Hong Kong. She commended the awardees for their persistent efforts and contributions, emphasising that the commercial and industrial sectors' active efforts in waste reduction at source are crucial for Hong Kong's progress towards "Zero Landfill" and carbon neutrality. She thanked various sectors for their efforts in environmental protection, and appealed for more companies to join in the future to jointly promote a green business culture.

The five assessment criteria for the Charter are "Packaging Reduction", "Packaging Recyclability", "Packaging Reuse/Recycling", "Sustainable Packaging", and "Promotion of Packaging Reduction". Awardees were presented with Platinum, Gold, and Merit awards respectively. The list of awardees is available on the thematic website of the Charter (www.lesspackaging.hk).

The EPD launched the Charter in March last year to encourage businesses to reassess and reduce their packaging usage, foster a waste reduction culture in commercial activities, and support Hong Kong's long-term goals of "Zero Landfill" and carbon neutrality. So far, a total of 148 local and multinational companies have signed the Charter, covering about 3 000 service and retail outlets across the territory in various retail and catering categories. This reflects that the Charter has been well received by the trades and has delivered remarkable results.

To assist businesses in packaging reduction and management, the EPD has published the Practical Guides on Packaging Reduction and Management (Practical Guides) for eight specific sectors (Note) on its website for the trades' reference. In addition, to address the substantial increase in parcels, cartons, and filling materials arising from the rapid development of online shopping, the EPD has, starting from 2026, collaborated with major logistics companies to progressively implement the Self-pickup Store On-site Recycling Project. This facilitates the on-site return of packaging materials by members of the public for reuse and recycling immediately after collecting their parcels at the self-pickup stores. For the latest information on the Charter, please refer to the thematic website.

Note: The eight specific sectors are supermarkets and grocery stores, logistics, e-commerce, hotel and hospitality, electronics and electrical appliances, beverage manufacturing, food manufacturing, and importers.

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 30) held the first award ceremony for the Packaging Reduction Charter to commend businesses for their outstanding contributions to reducing packaging waste in 2025-26. Photo shows the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong (seventh right); the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui (sixth right); the Deputy Director of Environmental Protection (Waste Reduction), Mr Kenneth Cheng (fifth right); the Assistant Director of Environmental Protection (Waste Management), Mr Steve Wong (fourth right); and other attending guests and representatives of awardees pictured at the award ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Environmental Protection Department today (September 30) held the first award ceremony for the Packaging Reduction Charter to commend businesses for their outstanding contributions to reducing packaging waste in 2025-26. Photo shows the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong (centre); the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui (fourth left); the Deputy Director of Environmental Protection (Waste Reduction), Mr Kenneth Cheng (fourth right); and representatives from the supporting organisations of the Charter pictured at the launching ceremony of the award ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Environmental Protection Department today (September 30) held the first award ceremony for the Packaging Reduction Charter to commend businesses for their outstanding contributions to reducing packaging waste in 2025-26. Photo shows the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, giving a speech at the award ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases