Hong Kong: a first class venue for our first World 100 conference

Higher Stakes: Managing University Reputation in a Competitive World, HKU, 22-23rd June

Katherine Ma presenting at the World 100 Conference in Hong Kong

This first World 100 year's conference at the University of Hong Kong has hopefully set the trend and high standards for an intelligence-based gathering of top university communicators and leaders. Known for excellent higher education, and for being a gateway to the East and West, the University of Hong Kong was an ideal venue for our two day international conference. Delegates also had the chance to visit either the Chinese University of Hong Kong or Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to experience the diversity and success of this distinctive part of China.

With more than 100 delegates enrolled, the conference already felt like a key point in the higher education calendar. But the presence of the two main higher education journals, The Times Higher Education and The Chronicle of Higher Education, together with The British Council and the Hong Kong Secretary for Education, showed that the World 100 group had achieved recognition and support at the highest level.

Highlights included strategic and visionary talks from the Vice-Chancellors of The University of Hong Kong, Warwick and Auckland, and a lively session on rankings. You can see more photos from the Conference on Flickr and read the press coverage here.

Prof. Nigel Thrift presenting at the World 100 Conference in Hong Kong

Discussion groups allowed time for reflection and sharing of experience, amongst some of the many directors and leaders who attended, with subjects around rankings, inspiring staff, creating a strong University brand and the pressures on Universities in an increasingly globalised environment.

With the conference arranged back to back with our Chinese study tour, directors of communications from UCL, King's and Glasgow also went on to visit two other world-ranked Universities of Peking and Tsinghua to meet senior staff and continue the reputational debates.


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