University of Hong Kong Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This page answers frequently asked questions about HKU in a Q&A format. All figures, dates, and names are anchored to official sources; data across all sections is time-sensitive — always consult the latest official releases before citing. For in-depth explorations, see the cross-referenced topic modules.

# 1. What kind of university is it?

Q: What kind of institution is the University of Hong Kong? A: HKU is a public research university. It was established under the University Ordinance in 1911 and commenced classes in 1912^※, making it the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong^※. Its medical lineage can be traced back further, to the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese founded in 1887^※.

Q: What is HKU's motto? A: The Chinese motto is 明德格物, and the Latin motto is Sapientia et Virtus^※ (English translation: Wisdom and Virtue). The two phrases ‘明德’ and ‘格物’ are drawn from the Confucian classic The Great Learning (大學)^※; according to the University's official explanation, Sapientia corresponds to ‘格物’ (investigation of things) and Virtus to ‘明德’ (manifestation of virtue)^※. See symbols.md for more detail.

Q: What is the language of instruction at HKU? A: HKU's primary medium of instruction is English, with some courses also delivered in Chinese. This stands in contrast to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where a bilingual English-Chinese policy is a defining feature.

# 2. Where is it?

Q: Where is HKU's main campus? A: The main campus is located in the Pok Fu Lam area of Hong Kong Island, along Pokfulam Road and Bonham Road^※. The campus also stretches westward to form the Centennial Campus. The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine is situated on Sassoon Road, adjacent to Queen Mary Hospital, and the Faculty of Dentistry is located at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital in Sai Ying Pun^※.

Q: Which teaching hospital is affiliated with HKU? A: The principal teaching hospital is Queen Mary Hospital, which opened in 1937^※. Dental instruction is based at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital. For more, see ../11-medical-hospital/.

# 3. When was it founded?

Q: Which year was HKU actually founded — 1911 or 1912? A: The two years refer to different milestones: the University was legally established when the University Ordinance came into effect on 30 March 1911^※, and formal instruction began on 11 March 1912^※. HKU officially takes 1911 as its founding year (hence the ‘Centenary’ celebrations in 2011). The foundation stone was laid even earlier, by Governor Sir Frederick Lugard, on 16 March 1910^※.

Q: When was HKU's first graduation ceremony? A: The first Congregation was held in December 1916, with a graduating class of 23 students^※.

Q: When did HKU first admit female students? A: HKU was an all-male institution at its founding. According to published academic research, the first female students were admitted in 1921^※ (the official university history puts this at ‘about ten years after its founding’). See history.md for more.

# 4. Who leads it?

Q: Who leads HKU now? A: As of the compilation date of June 2026 —

• Chancellor: The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region serves ex officio^※ (currently John Lee Ka-chiu).
• President & Vice-Chancellor: Prof. Xiang Zhang, who assumed office in July 2018^※; he is an internationally renowned scientist in the fields of nanophotonics and metamaterials.
• Chairman of the Council: Peter Wong Tung-shun, effective 1 January 2025^※.

HKU has experienced governance-related controversies in recent years (2023–24), involving the relationship between the Council and senior management. This module provides only a neutral statement of facts; the in-depth analysis and the stated positions of the disputing parties are routed to ../13-governance-and-reform/.

Q: What is the difference between HKU's ‘Chancellor’ and its ‘President & Vice-Chancellor’? A: The Chancellor is the titular head of the University (the Chief Executive serves ex officio and is not involved in daily operations); the President & Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the University. For the full governance structure (Chancellor / Council / Senate / Court), see governance.md.

# 5. What size is it?

Q: How many students does HKU have? A: According to HKU's Quick Stats (2025/26 academic year figures, with a stated cut-off of April 2026), the total student headcount is 45,303^※, comprising 20,103 undergraduates^※, 20,366 taught postgraduates^※, and 4,834 research postgraduates^※. Note: The population of taught postgraduates is exceptionally large, so the ‘total student’ figure is significantly higher than the undergraduate count alone would suggest.

Q: How many non-local students does HKU have? A: Non-local students account for approximately 55.3%^※ of the student body, and the vast majority of them (roughly 86.8%^※) are from mainland China.

Q: How many staff are there? How many alumni? A: The staff count (excluding honorary/visiting appointments) is 10,076^※ (including honorary and visiting staff: 15,685^※). The cumulative number of alumni is approximately 311,300^※ (as of August 2025).

# 6. Which faculties does it have?

Q: How many faculties does HKU have? A: There are 10 faculties: Architecture, Arts, Business (HKU Business School), Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Law, the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Science, and Social Sciences^※. The School of Business, which became the tenth faculty, was established in 2001^※.

Q: What is special about HKU's Faculty of Dentistry? A: HKU's Faculty of Dentistry is the only institution in Hong Kong providing undergraduate and postgraduate dental degrees^※. It was founded in 1982^※ and is ranked 2nd globally for Dentistry in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject^※.

# 7. Does it have a college system?

Q: Is HKU a collegiate university? A: No. HKU operates a hall system (residential halls), which is distinct from the collegiate system of CUHK. According to publicly compiled information, HKU currently has around thirteen residential halls^※, including the historic University Hall, the independently operated St. John's College, and Ricci Hall, among others. See ../10-colleges/ for more.

# 8. Rankings and Honours

Q: How is HKU ranked globally? A: It is ranked 11th in the 2026 QS World University Rankings^※ and 33rd in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings^※. By subject, Dentistry ranks 2nd globally and Education 5th, with a total of 29 subjects featuring in the global top 50^※.

Q: Who is HKU's most famous early alumnus? A: Sun Yat-sen^※ studied at HKU's predecessor, the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, from 1887 to 1892^※. In a 1923 speech he gave upon returning to the University, Sun declared, ‘Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong are the birthplace of my knowledge’^※. See history.md for more.

# 9. What major events have happened recently?

Q: What significant events have occurred at HKU in recent years? A: From a neutral factual standpoint: these include multiple Nobel laureates appointed as chair professors^※, a marked increase in both the scale of self-financed taught postgraduate programmes and the proportion of non-local students (see facts-and-figures.md), and the change of Council Chairman in 2025^※. For a timeline of recent developments, see history-2.md; in-depth content relating to university governance controversies is routed to ../13-governance-and-reform/.