Lingnan University has marked a historic milestone with its worldwide first for SDG 4: Quality Education in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025. This is the first time a Hong Kong higher education institution has reached the top position internationally in any SDG category, and demonstrates the University's valuable contributions to advancing quality education and advocating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, expressed his delight, saying "The University is greatly encouraged by this outstanding achievement. Being No. 1 in the world for Quality Education confirms Lingnan’s unwavering commitment to delivering top-tier education on a global scale. It also highlights Lingnan's dedication to fostering lifelong learning opportunities across diverse sectors of society through innovative teaching, effective knowledge transfer, and active community engagement. Moreover, Lingnan is one of the first universities in Hong Kong to provide free access to different versions of ChatGPT for staff and students, with the recent introduction of the DeepSeek option further improving research and work efficiency. These initiatives not only reflect our leadership by supporting inclusive, high-quality education but also our broader mission of creating a transformative societal outcome. Lingnan's excellence in research, teaching, and community outreach continues to drive real progress in advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.”
President Qin noted that Lingnan University was placed first among the eight publicly funded universities in Hong Kong for “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). This latest position again affirms that Lingnan’s excellence in quality education is recognised both locally and internationally.
THE Impact Rankings rate universities all over the world based on their steps toward achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and this year, 2,526 universities from 130 countries/regions participated, 1,975 pursuing the most competitive goal, SDG 4: Quality Education. Lingnan gave a strong performance throughout, and also climbed 100 places from last year, coming between 101 and 200 worldwide in the overall Impact Rankings.
