Media

Twelve distinguished scholars from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have been named by the international academic website Research.com among the top 100 best scholars globally in their respectively disciplines in 2024. Among them, five professors have been recognised as the highest-ranked in Asia within their fields out of a total of 26 disciplines, further showcasing HKU's academic excellence.

The five top-ranked professors in Asia are HKU President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Xiang Zhang in physics, Professor Kwok-Yung Yuen in microbiology, Professor Guochun Zhao in earth science, Professor Alec Stone Sweet in law and Professor Tak Mak in molecular biology. 

Professor Paul Yip ranks first in China and 72nd globally in the Humanities and Social Sciences discipline. 

Additionally, Professor Guan Yi holds the top position in Immunology in China and ranks 131st among his peers worldwide. HKU holds seven of the highest ranked scholars in China in 26 disciplines, making the University home to the highest number of leading scholars in the country.

The rankings are determined by a scientist's D-index (Discipline H-index), which solely considers publication and citation data within a specific discipline. This recognition highlights the significant contributions of these professors to their fields and the substantial impact their work has had on society. It also demonstrates HKU's dedication to research excellence and innovation, inspiring the University to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and making a lasting, positive impact on the world.

The HKU professors listed among the best scientists in their fields are:
Chemistry
Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart (21st globally, 2nd in China)
Chair Professor, the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Professor Chi-Ming CHE (71st globally, 5th in China)
Zhou Guangzhao Professor in Natural Sciences and Chair Professor, the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Earth Science
Guochun ZHAO (8th globally, 1st in Asia)
Chair Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science

Professor Min SUN (20th globally, 4th in China)
Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science

Engineering and Technology
Professor Chuyang TANG (63rd globally, 7th in China)
Chair Professor of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Environmental Sciences
Professor Peng GONG (76th globally, 3rd in China)
Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Chair Professor of Global Sustainability 

Immunology
Professor GUAN Yi (131st globally, 1st in China)
Daniel CK Yu Professor in Virology and Chair of Emerging Viral Diseases, School of Public Health, HKUMed

Law
Professor Alec STONE SWEET (86th globally, 1st in Asia)
Chair of Comparative and International Law, Faculty of Law

Material Science
Professor Hongjie Dai (11th globally, 2nd in China)
Chair Professor, the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Microbiology
Professor Kwok-Yung YUEN (8th globally, 1st in Asia)
Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases and Chair of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine,  HKUMed

Molecular Biology
Professor Tak MAK (10th globally, 1st in Asia and in Canada)
Honorary Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed
Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics and Immunology, University of Toronto 

Physics
Professor Xiang ZHANG (82nd globally, 1st in Asia)
President and Vice-Chancellor; Chair of Physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science

Social Sciences and Humanities
Professor Paul S. F. YIP (72nd globally, 1st in China)
Director, HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention; Chair Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration; Associate Dean (Knowledge Exchange and Development), Faculty of Social Sciences

For media enquiries, please contact:
Communication and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: melwkwan@hku.hk)
Ms Jaymee Ng (Tel: 3910 3612 / Email: ngjaymee@hku.hk)
Mr Kenneth Choi (Tel: 3917 2607 / Email: khkchoi@hku.hk)