Mon, May 23, 2011
HONG KONG, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) rose from second last year to the top university in Asia in 2011, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings released on Monday.
It's the first time for HKUST to top the ranking as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Among top five universities in Asia, three were from Hong Kong, with University of Hong Kong being second, the Chinese University of Hong Kong rating fifth.
An announcement from QS, an international information specialist in the higher education sector, stated that "the dynamism of the (Asian) region is confirmed by the fact that 20 percent of the top 50 universities are less than 50 years old."
Ben Sowter, head of QS Intelligence Unit, said that HKUST was strong across most of the indicators, with its international character setting it apart.
HKUST President Tony Chan said, to ensure continued success, they will put in greater effort in recruiting excellent faculty and students and encourage entrepreneurship. HKUST will leverage on China's rapid economic growth and investment in science and technology, he said.
Published for the first time in 2009, the QS Asian University Rankings is published annually and ranks Asia's top 200 universities based on relevant criteria including academic peer review, recruiter review, student/faculty ratio and so on.
