Lingnan University Hong Kong

A Liberal Arts Education for the 21st Century: Lingnan University draws on its long heritage to provide the Liberal Arts education of the future

Lingnan University, which is situated in Hong Kong’s New Territories, knows what it means to offer a Liberal Arts education -- it’s been doing just that for over a hundred years. Founded in 1888 in Guangzhou, southern China, the University offered a Liberal Arts education along the lines of those available at American colleges as far back as 1918.

The University’s focus on Liberal Arts helps students identify their personal goals and acquire the transferable skills to succeed in a wide variety of professions including finance, entrepreneurship, social services, and the cultural sector.  LU programmes are interdisciplinary by nature and allow students to acquire a broad-based knowledge while specialising in a particular field. Lingnan University is the first government-funded university in Hong Kong to provide a Liberal Arts education.

Lingnan’s Liberal Arts programmes allow students to examine the world from different disciplinary perspectives, a process which adds depth to their intellectual pursuits. Lingnan’s Integrated Learning Programme, Core Curriculum, and its Science Unit, provide students with a coherent, humanistic, whole-person education.

The University’s Liberal Arts education equips students to excel in their careers. Employer feedback has praised the “soft” skills of graduates, noting their exceptional language ability, their international outlook, and their teamwork.  

The University’s Liberal Arts education does more than prepare students for the labour market. “Beyond the economic experience, we make our students at Lingnan human,” says Professor Leonard Cheng, Lingnan’s President. “We believe in excellence with a soul. Our students have professional skills, they have integrity, and they make their decisions after taking ethical considerations into account,” Professor Cheng says.

Lingnan’s relatively small size leads to close staff-student relationships. There are small classes, and a student-oriented faculty which is committed to student development. A knowledge of community life is an essential part of a Liberal Arts education, so Lingnan provides hostel accommodation for all students.  Lingnan is the first Hong Kong university to achieve full accommodation for all undergraduates.

Lingnan values its students, and the University received the highest score in the category for “undergraduate satisfaction with the quality and value which they have gained from their teaching and learning experience” in a report by the University Accountability Agreements. Lingnan also achieved the second-best score in “undergraduate satisfaction with their overall learning environment” category.

Forbes named Lingnan as a “Top 10 liberal arts college in Asia” in 2015. The 21st century sees Lingnan continue to build on its long legacy of offering the best in a Liberal Arts education.