Hong Kong universities’ performance in the latest global rankings reflects the city’s globally recognized academic ability as well as its mature mechanisms for cultivating high-quality professionals, the city’s educators said.

They also proposed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region offer university students more practical experiences through deeper integration into the international market and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Five subjects offered by Hong Kong tertiary education institutions were listed among the world’s top 10 in the 2026 World University Rankings by Subject released on Wednesday by UK-based education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

A total of 266 subjects from Hong Kong universities were on the list this year. Among them, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) retained second spot worldwide for dentistry, and fifth for education and training.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) tied with the National University of Singapore (NUS) for sixth spot in nursing. The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) ranked seventh worldwide for education and training, jumping five spots.

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) ranked 10th globally, and the top within Asia in performing arts.

A total of 83 subjects offered by Hong Kong universities were ranked among the world’s top 50.

The highest-ranked subjects in other local universities include data science of artificial intelligence (25th) of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, hospitality and leisure management (15th) of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, linguistics (36th) of the City University of Hong Kong,  the Hong Kong Baptist University’s classics and ancient history (38th).

Lingnan University’s philosophy was among Asia’s top 20, and its communication and media studies was ranked 11st in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan category.

ALSO READ: HK universities lead Asia’s Top 10 rankings

Hong Kong Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said the rankings show that the SAR’s post-secondary education is widely recognized internationally, and the government will continue to leverage its advantages of diversity and internationalisation, supporting institutions in expanding international exchanges. In addition, it will promote the “Study in Hong Kong” brand to the world to provide support for Hong Kong’s development into a hub for high-calibre talent, she added.

Lawmaker Ken Wong Kam-leung said that Hong Kong’s subjects in the professional and medical fields, such as dentistry, medicine, nursing, education, and law, continue to rank among the best globally, reflecting the maturity of Hong Kong’s mechanisms for cultivating high-quality professional talent.

Wong noted that HKAPA has, for the first time, entered the global top 10 in the performing arts discipline and ranked first in Asia, which reflects international recognition of Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic education.

This shows that Hong Kong has the conditions and strength to fulfill its role as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange, Wong added.

Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, proposed that the Hong Kong government should further promote the industrialization of culture, and create more diverse employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for graduates.

For example, he said, the SAR government could attract more large-scale international performances to Hong Kong, and allow local students to gain more hands-on experience in world-class productions.

READ MORE: SAR’s education hub dream: It’s time for a new strategy

Given Hong Kong’s limited market, the government needs to assist top-tier performing arts and professional practitioners in integrating into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and expand the platforms for talent development through dedicated funds or exchange programs, he added.

The 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject compared over 21,000 academic programs from more than 1,900 institutions in over 100 countries and regions, covering 55 academic subjects and five subject areas.

The rankings are based on academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, productivity and impact, and international research network.

Lu Wanqing contributed to the story

Contact the writers at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com