The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has fallen off an internationally recognized list of the top 50 universities around the world.
The slip comes at a time of mounting concern that academic freedoms at the city’s most reputed institutions may be compromised amid an increasingly politicized environment.
This week, Times Higher Education (THE) announced their 2020 list for the year’s World Reputation Rankings. HKU, which ranked 44 last year, fell to the category of 51-60 this year.
Three other universities, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University and Polytechnic University were also ranked on the list. Besides Polytechnic University, which made the cut for the first time this year, the two other universities also fell in ranking.
According to Times Higher Education, the list is based on the world’s largest invitation-only opinion survey of senior and published academics.
Two top universities in mainland China, Tsinghua University and Peking University, were also far ahead of those in Hong Kong, placing 13th and 16th respectively.
Read more: Netizens get creative with Photoshop after HKU appeared to crop activist Edward Leung out of a photo
Since the passing of the national security law, controversial staff changes at universities have prompted concern that institutions are attempting to silence voices supportive of the pro-democracy movement.
In July, HKU voted to fire law professor Benny Tai, who also took a leading role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Tai lamented the decision as marking “the end of academic freedom in Hong Kong.”
Hong Kong Baptist University has also declined to renew the contract of a lecturer, Shiu Ka-chun, a pro-democracy lawmaker who did time in jail for his participation in the 2014 protests.
Last week, HKU announced the appointment of two mainland Chinese professors as vice-presidents despite objections from the student union.
According to reports, one of the professors, Max Shen, was a former member of the Chinese Communist Party, sparking concerns about potential political intervention in the institution.
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