President and Vice-Chancellor’s message

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China is dedicated to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education and establishing the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. Local universities, including HKBU, have spared no efforts in promoting internationalisation and strengthening ties with the higher education sector of the Chinese Mainland, especially in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

HKBU is navigating through this changing landscape with vision and dedication. We are actively reinforcing our international networks in academic exchange, education and research collaboration, as well as industry engagement. Our growing international reputation is evident through our solid performance in international university rankings. In particular, we were ranked 2nd globally in “Quality Education”, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals advocated by the United Nations, in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings two years in a row in 2024 and 2025.

Equally important is the establishment of in-depth, extensive connections with our motherland. Back in 2005, HKBU and Beijing Normal University pioneered cross-border higher education collaboration and integration by founding the Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU, formerly known as Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College) in Zhuhai. Leveraging the “One University, Two Campuses” concept, HKBU and BNBU are spearheading collaborations on academic programme enrichment, research innovation and talent development, focusing on emerging fields such as digital economy, medical healthcare, and cultural and creative industries, to offer the best learning experience for students, promote the translation of research outcomes and support high-quality development.

In May 2024, HKBU submitted the Planning Exercise Proposal for the 2025-28 triennium to the University Grants Committee (UGC). The Proposal emphasised further development and implementation of transdisciplinary education, building upon the foundation started in the 2022-25 triennium. The University has received positive feedback on the Proposal and the highest percentage of increase in the first-year-first-degree student places among all the UGC-funded universities in the 2025-28 triennium. This reflects UGC’s support of HKBU’s promotion of transdisciplinary education and nurturing future-shaping leaders.

Our dedication to quality learning and teaching has also been recognised at the highest levels, with the Transdisciplinary Innovation Team of five HKBU educators honoured with the 2025 UGC Teaching Award in the collaborative teams category. The award also underscores the University’s continuous dedication to excellence in transdisciplinary education.

To support its ongoing pursuit of excellence, the University has invested enormous efforts in its capacity building. The Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, a visionary initiative under the Institutional Strategic Plan 2018-2028, was formally inaugurated in March 2025. It will serve as a catalyst for transdisciplinary collaboration across academia, industry and the community.

A landmark development in the University’s capacity in Chinese medicine education, research, knowledge transfer and service is the commencement of the phased operation of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong on 11 December 2025. Selected by the Government of the HKSAR as the contractor for the service deed of the hospital, HKBU is set to further contribute to the broader healthcare system as well as to promote the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine.

With respect to advancing medical education and technology translation, the University submitted a proposal to the Government of the HKSAR to set up a new medical school. Despite HKBU’s proposal not being selected, HKBU remains committed to the Frontier Translational Medical Research Institute established to advance research and development in medical science and healthcare.

Promoting transdisciplinarity and technology literacy enhances our ability to meet future education and social needs. We will soon welcome the first batch of graduates of the three transdisciplinary and one individualised undergraduate programmes introduced in the 2022-2023 academic year. We have introduced further curriculum reform featuring new transdisciplinary programmes, transdisciplinary second majors, and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy education in the 2025-2026 academic year. These novel initiatives will enable HKBU to nurture agile, future-shaping talent capable of navigating rapid technological and social change, and creating a better world.

Recognising the need to enhance HKBU’s governance to meet future challenges, we are delighted to see the passage of the Hong Kong Baptist University (Amendment) Bill 2025 by the Legislative Council in September 2025 which updates the University’s objectives and enhances good governance, empowering us to reach new heights. In addition, with the Post Secondary Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2025 passed by the Legislative Council in June 2025, the School of Continuing Education endeavours to be registered as a post-secondary college within the next three years, with HKBU guiding its transition and facilitating the efficient operation of the new college.

As we usher in the new year, leveraging our distinctive strengths in creativity, transdisciplinarity, AI innovation, sustainable development, humanities and more, we are well positioned to contribute meaningfully to Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. Together, we look to the future with confidence — ready to take bold strides in advancing our shared mission for the decades ahead.