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HKU Teaching and Research Units by Faculty

Academics ~9,738 characters · 20 min read Updated

Module: 01 Academics · Sub-file: unit listing
Last updated: 15 June 2026
This file lists, faculty by faculty, HKU’s departments, schools, divisions and major research centres, based on each faculty’s official pages. HKU has recently undergone several reorganisations—most significantly the establishment of the School of Computing and Data Science in 2024 (see below). Known changes are noted here; subsequent updates will follow official announcements.


0. Recent reorganisation (2024) at a glance

New unit Established Origin / restructuring
School of Computing and Data Science (CDS) 1 July 2024 Merger of the Department of Computer Science (Engineering) and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science (Science)

According to a HKU press release, the School of Computing and Data Science was founded on 1 July 2024, combining the former departments of Computer Science and Statistics & Actuarial Science. From the 2025–26 academic year it admits students independently. This restructuring directly alters the department lists for both the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science (see below).


1. Faculty of Arts

Based on the Faculty’s official pages, it comprises four schools and several centres:

Unit Type
School of Chinese School
School of English School
School of Humanities (encompassing History, Philosophy, Art History, Comparative Literature, Music, Linguistics, and others) School
School of Modern Languages and Cultures School
Centre for Applied English Studies Centre
Centre for the Humanities and Medicine Centre
Centre of Buddhist Studies Centre

Per Wikipedia – HKU Faculty of Arts, the four schools are Chinese, English, Humanities, and Modern Languages & Cultures. For details, see deepdive-arts-socsci.md.


2. Faculty of Engineering

Per the Faculty of Engineering history page, after the Department of Computer Science moved to CDS in 2024, four departments remain:

Department English name
Department of Civil Engineering Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

The Faculty also co-runs Biomedical Engineering with the Faculty of Medicine. Computer Science (formerly in Engineering) is now part of CDS. For details, see deepdive-engineering.md.


3. Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

According to the HKUMed teaching units page, the Faculty is organised as “six schools and one department”:

Unit English name
School of Biomedical Sciences School of Biomedical Sciences
School of Clinical Medicine School of Clinical Medicine (under which fall the clinical departments of Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Family Medicine & Primary Care, Anaesthesiology, Diagnostic Radiology, Clinical Oncology, Pathology, Microbiology, etc.)
School of Public Health School of Public Health
School of Nursing School of Nursing (established 1995)
School of Chinese Medicine School of Chinese Medicine
School of Biomedical Engineering School of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy

Clinical department and teaching-hospital detail (Queen Mary Hospital, etc.) is in Module 11; only the school layer appears here.


4. Faculty of Science

Based on the Faculty of Science departments page, after the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science joined CDS in 2024, the core units are:

Unit English name
School of Biological Sciences School of Biological Sciences
Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Department of Mathematics Department of Mathematics
Department of Physics Department of Physics

The Faculty page also lists affiliated cross-faculty or newly established units such as the School of Computing and Data Science, the School of Biomedical Engineering, and the School of Innovation. The former Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science now sits within CDS. For details, see deepdive-science-architecture.md.


5. Faculty of Social Sciences

Per the Faculty of Social Sciences departments and centres page:

Unit Type
Department of Geography Department
Department of Politics and Public Administration Department
Department of Psychology Department
Department of Social Work and Social Administration Department
Department of Sociology Department
School of Governance and Policy School
School of Future Media (incorporating the former Journalism and Media Studies Centre, JMSC) School

Key research centres (selection): Centre on Behavioral Health, Centre for Civil Society and Governance, Centre for Criminology, Centre for Water Technology and Policy, Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, Centre for Population Research, International Centre for China Development Studies, Stone Centre on Socio-Economic Inequality in Asia, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, Social Sciences Research Centre.

For details, see deepdive-arts-socsci.md.


6. Faculty of Law

Based on the Faculty of Law history page, the Faculty comprises:

Unit English name
Department of Law Department of Law
Department of Professional Legal Education Department of Professional Legal Education

Several research centres also exist (e.g., Centre for Comparative and Public Law). For details, see deepdive-law.md.


7. Faculty of Dentistry

According to Wikipedia – HKU Faculty of Dentistry, this is Hong Kong’s sole dental faculty, housed at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital. Internally it is organised by dental specialties (Periodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Oral Biosciences, etc.).

Specialty and hospital detail for Dentistry is in Module 11; only its uniqueness and broad structure are noted here.


8. Faculty of Architecture

Per the Faculty of Architecture departments and divisions page:

Unit English name
Department of Architecture Department of Architecture
Department of Real Estate and Construction Department of Real Estate and Construction
Department of Urban Planning and Design Department of Urban Planning and Design
Division of Landscape Architecture Division of Landscape Architecture

For details, see deepdive-science-architecture.md.


9. Faculty of Education

According to the Faculty of Education history page, after a 2024 reorganisation the Faculty has four academic units:

Unit English name
Academic Unit of Language and Literacy Education Academic Unit of Language and Literacy Education
Academic Unit of Human Communication, Learning, and Development Academic Unit of Human Communication, Learning, and Development
Academic Unit of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Academic Unit of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Academic Unit of Social Contexts and Policies of Education Academic Unit of Social Contexts and Policies of Education

The Faculty also runs programmes in Information Management and Speech and Hearing Sciences. For details, see deepdive-science-architecture.md.


10. Faculty of Business and Economics (HKU Business School)

Following the 2017 merger into a single faculty, the HKU Business School academic areas page lists six academic areas:

Academic area English name
Accounting and Law Accounting and Law
Economics Economics
Finance Finance
Innovation and Information Management Innovation and Information Management
Management and Strategy Management and Strategy
Marketing Marketing

For details, see deepdive-business-economics.md.


11. Cross-faculty / newly established schools

Unit Affiliation / nature Notes
School of Computing and Data Science (CDS) Established 2024; cross-faculty Merger of the former Department of Computer Science and Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
School of Biomedical Engineering Cross-faculty (Engineering / Medicine)
School of Innovation Newly established Listed on the Science Faculty page
Graduate School University-wide Administers MPhil/PhD research postgraduate programmes

12. Gaps / to be supplemented

  • Detailed clinical and dental specialty listings: by division of work these belong in Module 11 (Medicine and hospitals); only the school level appears here to avoid duplication.
  • Complete inventory of faculty research centres: HKU has hundreds of centres that change frequently. Only those featured prominently on official faculty pages are listed here and the list is explicitly non-exhaustive.
  • CDS internal department/division breakdown: as a newly formed cross-faculty unit in 2024, its internal structure is still evolving. Refer to the official CDS page for the latest information.

Sources · verify independently