Highlights of Lingnan University’s Hong Kong SAR “Firsts” and “Onlys” in 2025

Reflecting on 2025, Lingnan University reached new heights with a series of “No. 1 in Hong Kong SAR” and “Only in Hong Kong SAR” distinctions across major benchmarks, reaffirming its leadership in teaching and research excellence and the transformative power of its whole-person education. The following highlights showcase Lingnan’s defining achievements in 2025 that secured its “Hong Kong SAR First” and “Hong Kong SAR Only” status.
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Lingnan University

Lingnan University achieved multiple “Hong Kong SAR First” and “Hong Kong SAR Only” distinctions in 2025.

Lingnan University

1. Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, Lingnan was ranked No. 1 in the world for UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): Quality Education.

2. Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, Lingnan was ranked No. 1 for SDG 1: No Poverty, among universities in Hong Kong SAR.

3. Lingnan University was placed first among the eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SARfor “Undergraduate satisfaction with the quality and value gained from their teaching and learning experience” as assessed in the University Accountability Agreement for the 2022–2025 Triennium by the University Grants Committee (UGC).

4. Lingnan University was placed first among the eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SARfor “Student engagement in start-ups and entrepreneurship” as assessed in the University Accountability Agreement for the 2022–2025 Triennium by the UGC.

5. In the first round of JUPAS 2025, Lingnan saw a36.34% increase in total applications—the highest growth rate among all universities in Hong Kong SAR.

6. In the first round of JUPAS 2025, Lingnan saw a38.37% increase in Band A applications—the highest growth rate among all universities in Hong Kong SAR.

7. According to the 2025 JUPAS application data, the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) - Health and Social Services Management recorded a 51:1 ratio, making it the most competitive programme in Hong Kong SAR.

8. Lingnan University established the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University), making it the first higher education institution in Asia to set up a UNU Hub.

9. Lingnan University made an impressive debut at the 11th Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival held from August 8 to 10, winning a record-breaking 14 medals and emerging as Hong KongSAR’s top winner at the event.

10. The mini air purifier PureAura, specifically designed for subdivided units, won 14 international design awards, becoming the first in Hong Kong SAR to achieve this distinction and the only innovative entry to win the highest honours from all four design awards — including the Good Design Award Best 100, iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and IDEA Design Award — at the same time.

11. In the latest 2025/26 funding exercise carried out by the Research Grants Council (RGC), Lingnan secured funding for 49 research projects, representing a 26% increase over the previous year, the largest increase among all publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SAR.

12. Following its success in securing 49 research projects, Lingnan achieved a 22% increase in total research funding in the 2025/26 funding exercise, the highest among all publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SAR.

13. In the 2025 edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University, Lingnan professor ranked No. 1 in overall China and Hong Kong SAR in Political Science and Public Administration.

14. In the 2025 edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University, Lingnan professor ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong SAR in Industrial Engineering and Automation.

15. In the 2025 edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University, Lingnan professor ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong SAR in AI and Image Processing.

16. In the 2025 edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University, Lingnan professor ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong SAR in Numerical and Computational Mathematics.

17. According to UGC data for 2023–24, Lingnan’s undergraduate employment rate reached 99.3%, ranking No. 1 among all UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong SAR.

18. Three Lingnan students stood out in the 2025 “Study in Hong Kong” 10 Outstanding International Students Awards, earning the honour of being named among the 10 Outstanding International Students and ranking first among all publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SAR.

19. In the 2024/25 academic year, Lingnan recorded the lowest number of undergraduate student withdrawals among all publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SAR, with a total of 65 students withdrawing.

20. Lingnan’s academic staff turnover rate was 4.8% in the 2024/25 academic year, the lowest among all publicly funded universities in Hong Kong SAR.

21. Lingnan professor awarded the 2025 H. George Frederickson Award for Career Contributions to Public Management Research from the Public Management Research Association (PMRA), the only scholar in Hong Kong higher education institutions.

22. Lingnan professor elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2025, the only scholar in Hong Kong higher education institutions.