Introduction


The University of Hong Kong (or HKU, as it is familiarly known to students, staff and alumni) is the oldest tertiary education institution in Hong Kong. On March 16, 1910, Sir Frederick Lugard, the then Governor of Hong Kong, laid the foundation stone for the University, signifying the birth of Hong Kong's first tertiary institution.

Outstanding academic staff of the University are recruited through rigorous selection procedures, comprising internal peer-reviews and external assessments conducted by international and prominent experts in the relevant fields. About 50% of academic staff are drawn from overseas. The University has recruited distinguished academics from all over the world. University teachers are top researchers in many major areas of research including Human Health and Development, Biotechnology and Drug Development, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Build and Natural Environments, Theoretical and Computational Sciences, Public Law and Public Policy, China Studies, and Communications.

The University attracts the best students in Hong Kong. In the 2009-2010 academic year, there were 22,139 students (11,589 undergraduates, 10,550 postgraduates), of which around 6,388 were Mainland Chinese and international students. Local students admitted to HKU are consistently among the most proficient in English among UGC-funded institutions. From 2003-04, the great majority of the highest achievers at the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (i.e. candidates with 8-10 Grade-As in the Examination) joined HKU under the Early Admissions Scheme for Secondary Six Students.

All ten faculties and their departments provide teaching and supervision for research (MPhil and PhD) students with administration undertaken by the Graduate School. There are currently 37 curriculums offered to undergraduates and over 117 Master's degree programmes offered to Master candidates.

HKU undergraduate curricula encourage students to construct their own understanding of issues and devise solutions to real-world problem scenarios through means such as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). They enable students to work in teams and exercise and develop their research and communication skills, critical thinking and ability to integrate information across different domains.

(Source: University of Hong Kong)