Our President
Professor S. Joe Qin
President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science
1 Sep 2026
Dear Lingnanians,
I hope you had a pleasant and restful summer. As we begin the 2026–27 academic year, I would like to warmly welcome all students and colleagues, especially those who are joining Lingnan for the first time. It is always heartening to see the campus regain its energy and sense of purpose at the start of a new year. I also wish to thank our alumni and friends for your ongoing support and engagement, which are instrumental in shaping Lingnan’s future.
In this letter, I would like to offer a few updates since April, covering innovation, education, research, and campus life.
Recognitions that reflect our mission
Since my April letter, Lingnan’s work in education and its societal contributions have again been recognised internationally. We retained the World No. 1 position for Quality Education (United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (or SDG 4)) in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026 (formerly THE Impact Rankings), and our overall position rose into the global top 100, at 63rd.
Among all Hong Kong universities, we ranked first in six of the 17 SDGs. In addition to the aforementioned SDG4, these include: SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
We also made a strong debut, ranking 84th in the THE Asia University Rankings 2026. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, we rose by over 120 places. Further, we improved by over 220 positions in the US News World University Rankings (2026/27), and in the ShanghaiRanking’s 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities, we advanced by over 300 places.
Student demand, diversity, and outcomes
These achievements are meaningful not only as benchmarks, but also because they are reflected in students’ choices and outcomes. This year’s incoming class brings rich diversity: alongside students from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, we welcome freshmen from 11 countries. At the same time, we are seeing clear and sustained growth in student demand for Lingnan.
For three consecutive years from 2024 to 2026, Lingnan recorded the highest growth in JUPAS Band A applications among Hong Kong’s eight UGC-funded universities, with a cumulative increase of 88%. In the 2026-27 admission cycle, the average JUPAS enrolment score rose to 20.2, up from less than 19 a year ago. The number of incoming students scoring 21 or above surged from 9 to 90 compared with last year. Our BBA in Business Analytics and Innovation was the most competitive programme in JUPAS, with a 77-to-1 application-to-admission ratio. The average JUPAS score for the School of Data Science rose sharply from just over 18 to 20.8.
Chinese Mainland Gaokao scores saw similar surges. The highest admitted score was +129 points above the Batch 1/Special Admission cut-off score, 18 points higher than in 2025. Our cutline also reached a record high even with an increased non-local quota of 50%.
More importantly, our graduates’ employment rate exceeded 99% in the last two academic years, the highest among all UGC-funded universities.
The Inaugural Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class
To build on this momentum, we are expanding opportunities for every student. This academic year, we are launching the Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class, named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, to provide our highest-achieving students with personalised support and enrichment opportunities.
Research strength
We made great progress in research. This year, we received nearly HK$27 million from the Research Grants Council (RGC) for 49 projects, including the General Research Fund (GRF), Early Career Scheme (ECS), and the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS). Funding secured under the ECS scheme alone increased by nearly 30% year-on-year, reflecting the strength and promise of our early-career scholars.
Turning research into tangible outcomes
Funding matters most when it helps ideas move into practice. Lingnan’s innovation continues to translate into real-world impact. Following our debut at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2025, where we won 14 awards, we won 16 awards at the 2026 festival, again leading Hong Kong universities in total awards and gold medals. Among our gold-medal projects, GaitGPT also received the IFIA Best Invention Award and the Thailand Award for the Best International Invention and Innovation.
Even in space, our research team provides vital carbon emissions data to MUSICO, which is operated by Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong, in support of national carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals.
Closer to home, Lingnan’s “GeoAI Smart Mosquito-Borne Disease Prevention and Control Solution”, invented by Professor Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head of the Division of Science and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar), received the “AI+ Social Impact Award” at the AI+ Innovation Awards 2026, a reminder of how innovation can directly serve community needs.
A new milestone: LU Xcelerator (LUX)
As the new academic year begins, I am delighted to announce that we have officially launched the LU Xcelerator (LUX) on 21 August 2026, an IP-driven entrepreneurship centre that marks an important milestone as we approach Lingnan’s 140-year legacy. With LUX, we are strengthening Lingnan’s role in deep-tech innovation and translational research. LUX will help turn discovery into impact, supporting our faculty, researchers, students and alumni in pursuing innovation that serves people and society, here in Hong Kong, across the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.
Talent and academic standing
Progress in teaching and research depends, above all, on people. Our efforts to strengthen Lingnan’s academic profile are attracting outstanding talent from around the world. Since launching the Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment initiative in January 2024, we have welcomed nearly 40 exceptional scholars. We continue to attract leading academics to join the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS), further strengthening international collaboration and our research and innovation environment.
Today, over 20% of our professors are recognised among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% scholars. In addition, 35 Lingnan scholars are listed in the latest “World’s Best Scientists 2026” rankings by Research.com, recognition that speaks to our research contribution and our commitment to “Liberal Arts + Technology”.
Individual honours and achievements
Since my April 2026 letter, many colleagues have received well-deserved recognition. I would like to highlight a few:
I will have more exciting news to share in the next letter to Lingnanians.
Remembering our origin
As we look ahead, it is also important to keep sight of where Lingnan began. In May, Lingnan opened a new University History Exhibition Hall in the Lau Chung Him Building on our Tuen Mun campus, as we approach the 60th anniversary of our re-establishment in Hong Kong (2027) and the 140th anniversary of our founding in Guangzhou (2028). Featuring carefully curated archives and photographs, the Hall traces Lingnan’s journey from its 1888 origins through relocation, re-establishment, and growth, helping students, alumni, and the public better understand our roots and educational ethos.
Facilities that support learning and campus life
To provide a better environment for teaching, learning and research, we continue to expand and improve our facilities. Last year we launched Lingnan HPC NexT, our high-performance computing centre to support advanced research and accelerate AI innovation. Its next phase will go into operation soon.
This academic year, we are opening the newly acquired T-Plus, a nearby off-campus complex, and we are constructing a new science building, the Lingnan Education Organization Building, expected to be completed in 2028.
We have also made practical improvements to support day-to-day campus life. The Fast-Food Section of our Canteen (Tai Ning Hall) has been renovated, and new services are now provided by different caterers. The University has collaborated with the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association to operate an on-campus convenience store, “UMart”, at the G/F of the Lau Lee Yuen Haan Building, offering new services to our community while supporting disadvantaged individuals in rejoining society. We have also launched 24/7 souvenir vending machines to make official souvenirs easily available to community members and visitors.
Starting the year with a purpose
At the start of the year, I would like to return to our motto: “Education for service” (作育英才，服務社會). It is a simple principle, but it sets a clear standard for how we teach, learn, conduct research, and contribute to society.
I wish every member of the Lingnan community a healthy, fulfilling and productive year ahead.
Sincerely,
Joe Qin
President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science