• About HSMC – Facts and History

    • Introduction

    Front view of HSUHK Block N

    Click here for PPT about HSUHK.

    The roots of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) stretch back to 1980 when Hang Seng School of Commerce (HSSC) was established, with funding from the S H Ho Foundation, the Ho Tim Charitable Foundation, Dah Chong Hong Limited, several Hang Seng Bank founding directors and Hang Seng Bank Limited. The institution was incorporated as a limited company by guarantee and has been operating independently of any other organisations. From 1980 to 2009, HSSC was a pioneering and leading provider of post-secondary diploma programmes in business and related areas.

    In response to the Chief Executive’s Policy Address in 2009 which highlighted the growing significance of quality private universities in Hong Kong, HSSC was re-structured in 2010 and became Hang Seng Management College (HSMC), a non-profit private university-level institution registered under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (Cap. 320) to offer bachelor’s and above degree programmes in diversified disciplines.

    After a rigorous international accreditation process, on 30 October 2018, HSMC was granted approval by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to change its name from “Hang Seng Management College” to “The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong”.

    HSUHK aspires to be a leading non-profit private liberal-arts-oriented university in the region, recognised for excellence in teaching, learning and research, and for contributions to advancing our society and the world. HSUHK has six Schools (Business, Communication, Decision Sciences, Humanities and Social Science, Translation and Foreign Languages, and Transdisciplinary Studies), with around 6,700 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students and over 230 full-time academic staff members at present.

    HSUHK offers a wide range of 4-year bachelor’s (honours) degree programmes and master’s degree programmes. Many of these programmes are unique and the first of its kind in the region. All programmes were accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) and recognised widely around the globe.

    The “Liberal + Professional” Education Model

    Adopting a unique “Liberal + Professional” education model, HSUHK places its highest priorities on quality teaching and students’ all-round development. HSUHK believes the purpose of undergraduate education is not mainly to help students acquire more knowledge and better job prospects after graduation, but also to cultivate their personal values, interests, and transferable competencies. The transformative power of this educational model will facilitate students’ realisation of their full potential.

    In our educational model, drawing inspiration from Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, the “Liberal” education at HSUHK is committed to nurturing students’ freedom to think and thrive in the global village of the 21st century. Our aim is to empower students to pursue their aspirations by fostering core transferrable competencies such as critical thinking, creativity, interpersonal communication/collaboration, caring attitude, moral reasoning, and social responsibility. “Liberal” also signifies a broad-based, cross-disciplinary approach that connects knowledge domains, facilitates thinking, and solves problems. “Professional” in this model represents the incorporation of professional subject elements in many of our major programmes, which equip students with transferrable professional competencies, professionalism and ethics that are required in future careers options.

    In our curriculum design, there is a good balance of major studies, common core curriculum and free electives with measurable learning outcomes, with ample development opportunities and experiential activities which form students’ holistic educational experience. These opportunities and activities include residential college experience, internship, service-learning, leadership training, global exchange and independent research, among others. This enables our graduates to tackle the complex challenges of their future life/work with confidence and fulfilment.

    HSUHK adopts many core liberal arts education elements in its education process. Some distinctive features include:

    • A primary focus on undergraduate education.
    • Platinum award winning green campus facilities with extensive bamboo features.
    • Innovative degree programmes.
    • A cross-disciplinary “FuturEdge” Common Core Curriculum.
    • A Residential College System combining living and learning.
    • Interactive small-class teaching.
    • Close student-teacher relationships.
    • Teachers’ guidance and mentorship for individual students in and outside classrooms.
    • An Honours Academy, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, dedicated to the incubation of future public leaders.
    • Extensive outreach and experiential learning opportunities.
    • The “One Student One Internship” scheme, which provides every student full-time internship opportunities local or overseas.

    Desired Graduate Attributes (iGPS)

    The University aims to nurture students possessing the following “desired graduate attributes: iGPS”:

    1. Intellectual Competence (i) : a solid foundation in relevant academic disciplines, and the ability to think critically, to solve problems analytically and proactively, and to engage in lifelong learning.
    2. Generic Skills (G) : mastery of skills in:
      • languages in both English and Chinese (Cantonese and Putonghua);
      • the use of information technology and data analysis tools;
      • interpersonal communication;
      • teamwork and leadership.
    3. Personal Development (P) : development of self-awareness, ethical values, emotion management, personal effectiveness, work attitude and character.
    4. Social Engagement (S) : willingness to serve the community and a commitment to acting for the betterment of society.

    The acronym iGPS also carries the symbolic meaning of “I’ and the “GPS’; with “i’ referring to the individual student and “GPS’ taking on the metaphor of “Global Positioning System’, which can guide the development of the student through the diverse educational experience at HSUHK.

    Recognitions and Awards

    With the concerted efforts of the University community, HSUHK has achieved a number of important accomplishments.

    Academic and Research related

    1. HSUHK has been recognised in the 2025 Top Universities and Top Scientists Rankings conducted by Research.com, ranking 22nd in Social Sciences and Humanities, and 33rd in Economics and Finance among the top universities in China.
    2. The Master of Science in Global Supply Chain Management programme, offered by the School of Decision Sciences, ranked 84th globally in the QS International Trade Rankings 2025 announced by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The programme also ranked 4th and the 7th in Hong Kong and the Greater China region respectively.
    3. HSUHK is the first institution in the Greater China Region to become a member of the prestigious global initiative, the Climate-U Network, in 2025, as a part of its ongoing effort to promote climate action and sustainability.
    4. The School of Business was awarded the AACSB International accreditation in 2023, making HSUHK the first self-financed university in Hong Kong to earn this professional accreditation, placing it among the top 6% business schools in the world.
    5. HSUHK was ranked 7th (overall) in the ASEAN+ region, the 1st in the Greater China region, the 1st in Employability, the 3rd in Research and the 5th in Community Engagement in the 2023 AppliedHE ASEAN+ private university ranking by the Singapore-based AppliedHE.
    6. HSUHK was ranked among the top 200 universities globally for “Quality Education” and “Decent Work and Economic Growth” in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, reflecting that the University is regionally recognised as a pioneer in responsible management and sustainability education.
    7. Approximately HK$172.81 million in funding has been awarded to the University by the Research Grants Council for 200 projects since the 2014-15 academic year. HSUHK has received the highest number of awarded research projects out of all eligible local self-financing degree-granting institutions over the past 11 years.

    Non-Academic related

    1. HSUHK is the first higher education institution in Hong Kong to receive the highest BEAM Plus Platinum recognition from the Hong Kong Green Building Council, with all of its five new buildings having received such recognition, which affirmed the University’s commitment to environmental protection and campus sustainability. With its extensive bamboo planting and use of bamboo building materials and furniture, the University is known as “Junzi University”, reflecting its aspiration to realise the virtues that bamboo personifies: integrity, humility, grace and resilience.
    2. HSUHK’S Creative Humanities Hub received the Gold Award at the Universal Design Award Scheme 2024-25 by the Equal Opportunities Commission, recognising the University’s commitment to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion.
    3. The HSUHK campus was among the 55 buildings in Hong Kong to receive the “GBA Low Carbon Buildings TOP 100 Award” in 2022, showing the University’s effort in promoting low-carbon development in the region.

    About HSUHK (for media use)

    The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) is a non-profit private liberal-arts-oriented university with six Schools (Business, Communication, Decision Sciences, Humanities and Social Science, Translation and Foreign Languages, and Transdisciplinary Studies), and over 6,700 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students. With its unique “Liberal + Professional” education model, HSUHK nurtures young talent with critical thinking, innovative minds, caring attitudes, moral values and social responsibility.

    Aspiring to be a leading private university in the region, HSUHK prioritises stellar undergraduate education, top-quality faculty members, award-winning green campus facilities, innovative degree programmes, a unique residential college system that combines living and learning, interactive small-class teaching, close student-teacher relationships, impactful research, and excellent student development and support services.

    HSUHK also ranked 7th (overall) in the ASEAN+ region, the 1st in the Greater China region, the 1st in Employability, the 3rd in Research and the 5th in Community Engagement as per the 2023 AppliedHE ASEAN+ private university ranking by the Singapore-based AppliedHE. Additionally, HSUHK was ranked among the top 200 worldwide on “Quality Education” and “Decent Work and Economic Growth” in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2021.

    HSUHK was recognised in the 2025 Top Universities and Top Scientists Rankings conducted by international academic platform, Research.com, and was ranked 22nd in Social Sciences and Humanities, and 33rd in Economics and Finance among the top universities in China. The University’s MSc in Global Supply Chain Management programme was ranked 84th globally in the QS International Trade Rankings 2025 announced by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The programme was also ranked 7th in the Greater China region and 4th in Hong Kong. The School of Business obtained AACSB International accreditation, a distinction achieved by only 6% of the world’s leading business schools.