Media

HKU Named as the Most Trusted University by Reader's Digest

23 Apr 2008

 

HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui received the Platinum Award of the Reader's Digest Trusted Brands from Ms Vivian Choi, Director, Media Research, The Nielsen Company at the award presentation ceremony

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been awarded the "Platinum Trusted Brand" again in the category of "universities" in Hong Kong, according to one of the most representative and transparent branding surveys in Asia.  This is the highest award among all the universities in Hong Kong.

In the survey results announced today (23 April) by Reader's Digest, HKU won the Platinum Award in this year's Trusted Brands Survey.  HKU has won the award two years in a row since the category of "universities" in Hong Kong was introduced to the Survey for the first time last year. 

The award is based on responses received from 1,000 telephone and postal interviews conducted across different sectors of Hong Kong society.  Respondents are asked to rate a university they name based on 6 factors: trustworthiness, credible image, quality, value, understanding of customer needs and innovation.

In the "universities" category, the Platinum Award is granted to a brand that has achieved a score of more than three times the nearest competitor in the category, the Gold Trusted Brand Award.

HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui was very pleased with the award, which he felt reflected the continued trust and confidence of the Hong Kong people in the University. 

"This award is indeed an honour to the University.  We are grateful to the community, our students and their parents for the confidence and trust they place in us.  I am proud to say that HKU continues to live up to its time-honoured tradition of nurturing outstanding talent for society," said Professor Tsui.

"Looking forward, HKU will continue to build the trust of the community and our international standing, by striving for new heights of academic excellence and with innovations in teaching and learning to meet the needs of a globalised economy," said Professor Tsui.

Ms Fiona So, Regional Research & Advertising Services Director of the Reader's Digest Association Far East Limited said: "we sincerely congratulate HKU for the award.  The Reader's Digest Trusted Brands survey aims to honour those products and services which have consistently delivered on their promises and met or surpassed the expectations of consumers."

"The brands in this survey are Asia's very best.  They occupy a trusted and cherished place in the daily lives of our Reader's Digest readers. They are brands you can count on.  And because the results of this survey are determined entirely through consumer voting, they have tremendous credibility," she added.

Currently in its 10^th anniversary, the Reader's Digest Survey is conducted in partnership with The Nielsen Company, the world leader in international media research and analysis.

Respondents are asked to name, unprompted and top of mind, the single most-trusted brand in each of the 43 categories including university. They are also asked to rate the brands based on 6 factors: trustworthiness, credible image, quality, value, understanding of customer needs and innovation. The final results are calculated based on both the qualitative and quantitative scores.

Conducted across Asia, the Survey sampled a total of 1,000 people in each of the 8 regions: Hong Kong, Mainland China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.  Half of the questionnaires were conducted via mail last October, with the rest through random phone-interviews with the general public during September and October last year.

For the announcement made by Reader's Digest today, please visit :- http://www.rdasiatrustedbrands.com/ 

Contacts for media enquiries:

Reader's Digest:-  Mr. Javier Lam [Tel:2384 0094 / 9830 0409]

HKU:-  Ms. Cherry Cheung, Senior Manager (Media), HKU [Tel: 2859 2606 / Email cherry.cheung@hku.hk] or Ms. Denise Wong, Manager (Media) HKU [Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: denise.wong@hku.hk]