The Chinese University of Hong Kong — General FAQ

This article covers common questions about CUHK (the Sha Tin campus, excluding The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen) in Q&A form. All key figures are dated and linked to official sources; "see" pointers lead to the relevant files in this volume. Compiled: 1 July 2026.

# Q1. When was The Chinese University of Hong Kong founded?

1963. According to the CUHK website^※, the University was formed in 1963 by the merger of three colleges — New Asia College, Chung Chi College and United College — and was formally inaugurated on 17 October 1963^※ at City Hall. It was Hong Kong's second university, after HKU in 1911. For the pre-history of the founding and the merger of the three colleges, see Historical Development.

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

The name answers the founding mission: to establish, in a Hong Kong where HKU already taught in English, a university that was primarily Chinese-language, dedicated to preserving and advancing Chinese culture, and bridging East and West. Its stated aim is "to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West" (Introducing CUHK^※). See Historical Development.

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

In Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong (Shatin, N.T.^※). The campus covers about 137.3 hectares^※ (another page of the official site says 138.4 hectares^※). Set between hills and sea, it is the largest and greenest university campus in Hong Kong.

# Q4. How many students are there?

On the UGC-funded programme count (as at 30 September 2024^※): 18,438 undergraduates, 4,650 postgraduate students, 23,088 in total. This figure excludes the large number of self-financed taught master's students; on a full self-financed basis the total is roughly 30,000. For the pitfalls of these definitions, see Key Numbers Dashboard.

# Q5. How many staff are there?

According to the online edition of CUHK Facts & Figures^※, there are 8,394 full-time staff (1,729 teaching, 1,863 research, the rest technical, administrative and support staff); the Human Resources Office^※ overview page says "8,000+". The University has not published a single "staff-student ratio" figure in recent years — do not cite any precise ratio.

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

Three pillars of governance (Governance^※): the Chancellor, an office held ex officio by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR; the Council, the supreme governing body; and the Senate, the supreme academic body. The chief executive is the Vice-Chancellor and President — currently the ninth Vice-Chancellor (the inventor of non-invasive prenatal testing, NIPT), in office since 8 January 2025^※, for a five-year term. For the full list of past holders, see Governance and Past Vice-Chancellors.

# Q7. How many faculties and colleges are there?

8 faculties (Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science, Social Science) + 9 colleges (New Asia, Chung Chi, United, Shaw, Morningside, S.H. Ho, Lee Woo Sing, Wu Yee Sun and CW Chu), per F&F 2024/25^※. The five-year strategic plan published in August 2026 announced the establishment of a tenth college (a postgraduate college); the year of establishment is undecided — see The Strategic Plan Examined. See also Key Numbers Dashboard and Overview of 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 phoenix with a turned head (granted by the College of Arms in 1967^※); the colours are purple and gold^※ (purple for loyalty, gold for perseverance). See Symbols.

# Q9. How does it rank internationally?

Latest rankings (as at September 2026): QS 2027, 18th in the world^※ (first time in the global top 20, a historic high); THE 2026, 41st in the world^※; U.S. News 2026–2027, 28th globally^※ (a historic high); ARWU 2026, 101–150^※; THE Asia 2026, 10th^※. The THE 2027 world rankings are expected in October 2026. Rankings shift from year to year; for details see Key Numbers Dashboard and the rankings section.

# Q10. Has CUHK produced a Nobel laureate?

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

# Q11. Are CUHK (Shenzhen) and the Sha Tin campus the same thing?

They are not the same legal entity. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen was established in 2014^※ as an independent institution; unless otherwise stated, all data in this volume refer to the Sha Tin campus. For the relationship between the two, see the internationalisation section.

# Q12. How has the non-local student intake cap changed?

The cap on non-local students in Hong Kong's UGC-funded programmes rose from 20% to 40% from the 2024/25 academic year^※, and further to 50% from the 2026/27 academic year^※. The 2026 Policy Address also announced an increase in UGC-funded research postgraduate places across Hong Kong from about 7,200 to 9,600 by the 2030/31 academic year. See Key Numbers Dashboard.

# Q13. What about the libraries and their collections?

7 libraries; 2,592,841^※ print volumes and 6,168,047 e-books (F&F 2024/25). See Key Numbers Dashboard.

# Q14. How strong is the intake?

For 2026: according to a Ta Kung Wen Wei report of 5 August 2026^※, 2,855 students were admitted through JUPAS, almost all of them Band A applicants; of that year's 24 HKDSE top scorers, 12 entered CUHK Medicine. For 2024: 3,019^※ students were admitted through JUPAS; Band A applicants made up over 99% of admissions; and 50% of Hong Kong's top 100 students were admitted — the highest share in the city. See Key Numbers Dashboard.