The Chinese University of Hong Kong — Comprehensive FAQ

This article answers the most common questions about CUHK (the Shatin campus — not including CUHK Shenzhen) in Q&A form. Every key figure carries its as-of date and an official source; "see" links jump to the relevant file in this volume. Compiled: 1 July 2026.

# Q1. When was CUHK founded?

1963. According to CUHK's official website^※, the University was formed in 1963 through the merger of three existing colleges — New Asia, Chung Chi and United — and was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1963^※ at the City Hall. It is Hong Kong's second university (after HKU, founded 1911). For the pre-history and the three-college merger, see History.

# Q2. Why is it called a "Chinese" university?

The name answers the founding mission: in a Hong Kong where the existing university taught in English, to found one that would make Chinese the primary language of instruction, preserve and promote Chinese culture, and bring together China and the West. The stated aim is "to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West" (Introducing CUHK^※). See History.

# Q3. Where is the campus, and how big is it?

In Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (Shatin, N.T.^※). The campus covers roughly 137.3 hectares^※ (another official page gives 138.4 hectares^※), sits on a hillside overlooking the sea, and is the largest and greenest university campus in Hong Kong.

# Q4. How many students are there?

On the UGC-funded programmes measure (as at 30 September 2024^※): 18,438 undergraduates and 4,650 postgraduates, 23,088 in total. This measure excludes the large number of self-financed taught master's students; counting those, the full figure is roughly 30,000. For the methodological trap, see Key Figures at a Glance.

# Q5. How many staff are there?

Per CUHK's Human Resources Office^※, full-time staff number 8,000+. The University has not published a single official "student-to-staff ratio" figure in recent years, so do not cite any precise ratio.

# Q6. Who leads the University? (by title)

Three pillars of governance (Governance^※): the Chancellor is ex officio the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR; the Council is the supreme governing body; the Senate is the supreme academic body. The chief administrative officer is the Vice-Chancellor and President — the current incumbent is the ninth to hold the office (the inventor of the NIPT non-invasive prenatal test), appointed on 8 January 2025^※ for a five-year term. The full list of office-holders is in Governance and Past Vice-Chancellors.

# Q7. How many faculties and how many colleges?

8 faculties (Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, Social Science) plus 9 colleges (New Asia, Chung Chi, United, Shaw, Morningside, S.H. Ho, CW Chu, Wu Yee Sun, Lee Woo Sing), per Facts & Figures 2024/25^※. See Key Figures at a Glance and The Eight Faculties.

# Q8. What are the motto, emblem and colours?

The motto is 博文約禮^※ ("Through Learning and Temperance to Virtue", from the Analects); the emblem is the mythical bird with its head turned back (风, granted by the UK College of Arms in 1967^※); the colours are purple and gold^※ (purple for loyalty, gold for fortitude). See Symbols.

# Q9. How does the University rank worldwide?

Latest listings (as at June 2026): QS 2027 — 18th in the world^※ (first-ever global top-20 finish; an all-time high); THE 2026 — 41st^※; U.S. News 2026–2027 — 28th globally^※ (an all-time high); ARWU 2024 — 3rd in Hong Kong. Rankings shift year to year; see Key Figures at a Glance and the rankings module.

# Q10. Has CUHK produced a Nobel laureate?

Charles K. Kao, the University's third Vice-Chancellor, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics^※ (for optical-fibre communications). He had earlier founded the Department of Electronics at CUHK; the current (ninth) Vice-Chancellor is likewise an internationally known scholar, in the field of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). See Firsts and Superlatives.

# Q11. Are the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and the Shatin campus the same thing?

They are not the same legal entity. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, was established in 2014^※ as an independently operating institution; in this volume, unless stated otherwise, all figures refer to the Shatin campus. The relationship between the two is covered in the internationalisation module.

# Q12. What has changed with the non-local student quota?

The cap on non-local students in UGC-funded programmes in Hong Kong was raised from 20% to 40% starting in the 2024/25 academic year^※, and to 50% from the 2026/27 academic year^※. See Key Figures at a Glance.

# Q13. How large are the libraries and collections?

Seven libraries; 2,592,841^※ print volumes and 6,168,047 e-books (Facts & Figures 2024/25). See Key Figures at a Glance.

# Q14. What is the calibre of admitted students?

For 2024: 3,019^※ students admitted via JUPAS; >99% of offers went to Band A applicants; 50% of Hong Kong's top-100 scorers were admitted (the highest such share of any local university). See Key Figures at a Glance.