University history

THE University of Hong Kong (or HKU, as it is commonly known to students, staff and alumni) is the oldest tertiary education institution in Hong Kong.

On March 16, 1910, Sir Frederick Lugard, the then governor of Hong Kong, laid the foundation stone of the university.

The university was first incorporated in Hong Kong as a self-governing body of scholars by the University Ordinance on March 30, 1911.

On March 11, 1912, the university was officially opened, with Arts, Engineering and Medicine as its first Faculties. The Faculty of Medicine evolved from the Hong Kong College of Medicine, founded in 1887. Of the college’s early alumni, the most renowned was Dr. Sun Yat-sen, often regarded as the founder of modern China.

It was 10 years after the founding of HKU that female students were admitted for the first time.

In 1937, Queen Mary Hospital opened and has served as the university’s teaching hospital since then. Before the outbreak of World War II, which would bring academic activities to a halt, there were four Faculties — Arts, Engineering, Medicine, and Science.

After 1945, the university underwent structural developments as post-war reconstruction efforts began in earnest.

University today

Today, HKU has gained international recognition for its accomplishments as a research-led comprehensive university.

In 2003, during the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), HKU medical researchers became the first in the world to identify the coronavirus that caused SARS.

In 2012 — along with all the other institutions of higher learning in Hong Kong and in accordance with the government’s education policy – the university officially launched its 4-year undergraduate curriculum.

HKU continues to attract the best local students, along with many mainland and international students. The university’s academics have made outstanding achievements in teaching and research, and about half of HKU’s faculty are from overseas.