Strategic Plan 2021—2025

Founded in 1963, with fewer than 1,400 students and 300 staff, CUHK is home to over 30,000 students and 8,000 staff members today. Recognized globally as a leading comprehensive research university, and one of the finest in Asia, CUHK has come a long way. CUHK cherishes the vision of achieving excellence with purpose and responsibility, seeking to forge a better future for all and, in particular, contribute to the development of Hong Kong and mainland China, through education, research, innovation and service. With the largest campus among all the universities in Hong Kong, and by far the most lush and green, CUHK is also the only university in Hong Kong that offers a collegiate experience, with unique college-based learning programmes forming an integral part of the undergraduate curriculum. Over 9,000 students now reside on campus, across nine Colleges and six Postgraduate Halls of Residence. This number will grow to more than 10,000 in the near future, when the construction of three new hostels is completed. By 2027, another three hostels will open their doors, which will further enhance the campus environment, as well as learning experience, making CUHK a destination of choice for both local and international students. The University launched a five-year plan in 2016, which set out its key strategies for expansion. Progress over the past five years has been encouraging. Although the validity of university rankings may be open to doubt, the fact that CUHK has risen from 138th place in 2016 to 56th in 2021 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, and from 51st in 2016 to 39th in 2022 (published in 2021) in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings should be taken in a positive light. Among the universities in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, CUHKwas ranked third in the 2020 Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China, behind Tsinghua University and Peking University. This ranking, which grew out of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, relies on bibliometrics and institutional statistics, unlike some of the other rankings that make use of academic reputation. In 2016, CUHK garnered HK$644.5 million in research funding. In 2020, the figure has grown to HK$1,178.4 million, and the number of PhD students has grown about 23% to nearly 2,500 during the past five years. Reflecting the University’s effort in promoting internationalization, over 40% of our students enjoy some form of global learning exposure, supported by a network of nearly 300 partners. This effort did not go unnoticed, as CUHK is ranked the third most international university in the world based on the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. These improvements are not trivial given the highly competitive environment and bode well for the University’s future. The time has come for a new strategic plan, charting the direction of the University in its next phase of development. Introducing ‘CUHK 2025’ A new strategic plan, charting the direction of CUHK in its next phase of development CUHK 2025 7