It’s our ‘internal strength’: University of Hong Kong head on top rankings

The president of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has expressed hopes the institution will rank among the world’s top 10 before his term ends in 2028 after it rose to 11th place in a global league table, saying it was vital for the varsity to contribute to the country’s talent development.

In an exclusive interview with the Post, president Xiang Zhang said he was “very happy” about HKU’s latest advancement in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings.

He said the achievement was a reflection of the “internal strengths” of the institution, akin to developing internal discipline and dedication in martial arts, as he noted a good ranking was a “by-product” of the university’s efforts to build up its academic excellence over the years.

“When your internal strengths build up, your appearance, muscles and everything show up, so ranking is appearance, but your internal strength is what HKU and I myself really focus on, the academic strengths and the quality, all of these matters,” he said.

Zhang said he liked to read martial arts novels like those by the late Hong Kong wuxia novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, also known as Jin Yong, which reminded him that internal strengths were critical to building one’s reputation and standing.

Asked whether he was confident HKU could make it to the top 10 during his term, Zhang was optimistic, saying “I hope so” three times.