Lingnan University has made significant gains in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, rising nearly 100 places to rank 257th globally. Among 2,297 institutions spanning 118 countries and regions, the university demonstrated the highest improvement among Hong Kong’s eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC).

Previously positioned within the 301-350 band, Lingnan’s advancement reflects growing international recognition of its strengths in quality education, collaboration between industry and academia, international engagement, and the development of research-oriented liberal arts talent within a digital context.

Professor S. Joe Qin, president of Lingnan University and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, highlighted the university’s progress in several key areas. He noted a sixfold increase in the number of patents granted to Lingnan scholars during the 2025/26 academic year, alongside a doubling of the success rate for securing grants from the Young Scientists Fund under the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which rose from 20 percent to 46 percent over the past year.

“These indicators demonstrate Lingnan’s strengthening research capabilities and innovation commercialization,” Qin said, emphasizing the university’s ongoing efforts to integrate liberal arts with technology and artificial intelligence to enhance its global academic influence.

THE World University Rankings evaluate institutions using five core pillars: teaching quality, research environment, research output, international outlook, and industry engagement. Lingnan’s ascent in the rankings underscores its progress across these dimensions, contributing to its enhanced reputation on the world stage.