HKUMed has wrapped up another year of continued growth and achievement. We are recruiting more people, expanding in new directions, and boosting our capacity for innovation and discovery – all at a breathless pace. Amid all that activity, I have been reflecting on our future directions and how to elevate our position as a leading medical school going forward.
On the one hand, we are held in high regard in the world – 21st globally in the subject of Medical and Health in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and 24th globally in Medicine in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject in 2025. Apart from the excellent academic work we do, we also provide a welcoming environment that helps us to attract good people. I recently completed two fruitful overseas trips, to the UK and North America, where we hosted recruitment and networking events. I was touched by the warm reception we received from our partner institutions and our alumni, some who travelled hours to join us. HKUMed has a wealth of social capital, and it is so encouraging to see the impact our scholars and alumni are having in the world.
On the other hand, there is much more we could be achieving. While HKUMed has consistently ranked in the top 20 to 30 of medical schools over the past decade, it seems that our trajectory has plateaued. How do we crack that ceiling? I have been giving this much thought. If you look at universities near the top of the ranks, such as University of Cambridge, Harvard University and Yale University, one thing they all have in common is great diversity – diversity in what they do, in the students they attract, and in their staff. They are also very innovative in how they run their schools and academic activities.
I believe diversity and innovation work hand in hand. The greater the variety of perspectives and insights, the greater the chance of producing new ideas and solutions for patients. Fortunately, this past year we had some wonderful opportunities to further diversify and position ourselves to move closer to the heights that we aspire to.
Recruiting Talent
I mentioned our overseas trips. In May my team and I went to London, Cambridge, Oxford, and England's greater southeast; and in August to Toronto, Hamilton (Ontario), and New York City. One of the key aims was to put out feelers for talented scholars as part of our '140 for 140' global recruitment campaign, especially in the areas of medical research, AI, and data science. Trips like these have been fruitful in the past. This time, we were delighted to find the response was even more enthusiastic.
I was happily surprised by the dozens of enquiries we received and the very welcoming reception at each stop. Many people wanted to explore the possibility of coming to HKUMed and we spoke with a large number of them one-on-one. Perhaps they were motivated by the geopolitical situation and uncertainty in America. But at the same time, our reputation speaks for itself. We have a lot to offer in terms of research opportunities, funding, collaborations, bright students and so forth. And Hong Kong, China is a pretty good place to move your career to, as validated by a recent survey.
Our city ranked first in Asia and fourth globally in the World Talent Ranking 2025 that was released in September by the International Institute for Management Development. This external recognition affirms to me that we have the whole package – a great medical faculty and a great place to live – which can help us to strengthen and diversify our talent pool. Especially because we are also diversifying our offerings.
Engaging with Partners
Before I talk about the increasing diversity within HKUMed, let me also tell you about the other fruits we harvested from our visits overseas. Apart from meeting with potential recruits, we had productive discussions on the current and future directions of our interactions with top universities, including new partnerships, research collaborations, and opportunities for our students to spend time at these universities through the Enrichment Year (EY) and other exchanges.
In the UK, we visited nine institutions, including places such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and the Francis Crick Institute. A couple of examples of our outcomes included renewing our MoU with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in October to strengthen engagement on public health and expand EY opportunities; and, earlier this month, signing an MoU with King's College London, for more frequent exchanges and collaboration.
In North America, we touched base with numerous institutions we have existing working agreements with, such as University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, New York University and Columbia University. We also attended the U21 Health Sciences Group 2025 Annual Meeting at McMaster University in Canada, where we met with representatives from member institutions worldwide.
We are also in ongoing discussions with other strategic partners to roll out new cross-border models of academic activity, such as joint taught master's and doctoral pathways, joint postdoctoral fellowships, joint research projects, undergraduate intercalation options, clinical electives and more. I look forward to sharing concrete developments as they take shape.
These trips were, of course, not only about institutional engagement. As I mentioned, we reunited with alumni and heard about their enthusiasm for HKUMed and how proud they are to be alumni. It was also a delight to meet with EY and exchange students during both trips. For a number of them, this was their first time living on their own, away from home, and they are learning valuable life lessons, such as how to cook! And how to stay on top of the small daily demands of living independently. The best part is that alongside these adjustments, they continue to thrive academically and take a proactive approach to planning their studies. A number of host institutions spoke very highly to me about the diligence of our students and how they shine in class.
Diversity in Practice
I will circle back now to my theme of diversity and innovation. While our first priority is to produce professionals to serve both local and regional healthcare needs – through the Schools of Chinese Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy – we have also embraced opportunities to take the Faculty in new directions. The School of Biomedical Sciences, which is now 10 years old, has opened more avenues for basic research that go beyond traditional medical health training and research. And this year we became involved in a new springboard for discovery, the School of Biomedical Engineering.
This new School is a joint effort of the Faculties of Dentistry, Engineering, Medicine, and Science, with HKUMed as the administrative faculty. I must credit the University for giving us this rich opportunity. Scholars from all four disciplines – representing a diversity of expertise in clinical and basic research – will be working together to find innovative solutions for patients, improve quality of life, and train new experts. The translation of research will be a critical element here and enable us to contribute to local and national aspirations of making our city and the Greater Bay Area a global hub for biotechnology, medicine, and health.
The School may also help bring students into our clinical sciences education programmes. I expect some of the graduates of the Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (BEng [BME]) degree – whose total intake has more than doubled this year to 108 – will want to articulate to the new Graduate Entry Track of the MBBS. It is worth noting that this cohort is wonderfully diverse, and the admission scores are markedly higher than before. The connections across faculties will only get deeper. We are now in the process of identifying a founding director for the School.
Building on this momentum, we will continue to diversify who we teach. In the coming years, the Faculty will proactively admit more students from outside the city into our health sciences education programmes, widening the range of perspectives and experiences in our classrooms and labs. This aligns with the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address to solidify our city's position as a sought-after destination for study and research. I am confident this move will not only deepen our talent resources, but also enrich the overall academic environment.
Diversifying our programmes and attracting new talent will help to elevate the Faculty, but we will not stop there. When we look at other top universities – many of them much bigger than HKUMed – one clear advantage stands out: they reach beyond their home city or town. They build a real presence across their countries and around the world. A big part of that is sending their people – staff and students – out into the world.
HKUMed has been doing this for years. But this year, we took a bold step forward. We brought together many generous donations to create a new overarching fund for external engagement. What will this fund do? It will help our staff work side by side with leading international partners in areas like cancer, AI, inflammation and immunology, neuroscience, regenerative medicine and more. It will also open doors for our students, with scholarships for postgraduate study at partner institutions such as University of Cambridge, King's College London, as well as Tsinghua University – where we strengthened ties this year through new MoUs with the Vanke School of Public Health and Tsinghua Medicine.
Further down the horizon, we hope we can create a bigger physical footprint outside Pokfulam. This will take time. But meanwhile, our people can continue to bring the excellence of the Faculty’s work to the wider world.
Closing in Context
Let me finish by placing all that I have said in context. We live in a world of great uncertainty and rising tensions, where there are louder voices seeking to roll back diversity and inclusion. Think of what that means for science. More and more, it is being recognised that the world’s toughest problems we face require interdisciplinary solutions – which means people with different skills, backgrounds, and perspectives working together towards a shared goal. Diversity in this case is a source of fresh ideas and a guard rail against blind spots; it is not something to be restricted. Think also of what it means to us as individuals. Our lives are enriched when we meet the world in all its shapes and colours, and when we listen to how others live and what they hope for. This also deepens our compassion – something that is especially important for anyone working in health and medicine.
So, even as the world feels somewhat loud and unrelenting, I hope you will not be discouraged by the noise of the moment. Instead, remain focused on what truly matters: the quiet, steady, and caring work that aims for the betterment of humanity. Just like water – be patient, clear, and persistent. Water finds a way around obstacles. It wears down stone without shouting. It sustains life without demanding credit. Real progress often comes that way: through many small, smart advances that gather strength over time.
Each of you is a drop with your own path. As you flow forward – to hospitals, clinics, labs, communities, and beyond – your efforts will meet, join, and grow. Streams become rivers; rivers become an ocean. That is how lasting change is made.
As you move onto the next stage of your professional journeys, I hope you will carry the lessons of diversity with you: keep an open mind, think positively, and be willing to navigate the unexpected. These are the values we try to instil in you at HKUMed. Take them into the world and help to make it a better place. You will make us proud, and your own life will be richer for it. My warmest congratulations to each of you.
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