Lingnan University is one of the eight UGC‑funded public universities in Hong Kong, located in Tuen Mun, New Territories. It is recognized for its emphasis on high‑quality education, small class sizes, and global engagement, and is a leading institution in the humanities, business, and social sciences, with its digital transformation and interdisciplinary strengths.
Lingnan University adopts a research-intensive liberal arts education model that integrates Chinese and Western academic traditions, with a strong focus on whole‑person education. Beyond academic training, the University aims to nurture graduates with critical thinking skills, ethical values, and a strong sense of social responsibility, equipping them to navigate in the digital era and contribute meaningfully to society.
Lingnan University has set a strategic goal to become a research‑oriented liberal arts university in the digital era, advancing excellence in teaching, learning, research, and community engagement. Guided by its mission of “Education for Service”, Lingnan seeks to enhance interdisciplinary scholarship, global connectivity, and societal impact while maintaining its distinctive liberal arts character.
Lingnan University comprises three Faculties, three Schools, 21 academic departments, 19 research institutes and centres as well as two language centres. The University offers more than 30 undergraduate programmes across a broad range of disciplines, with a strong focus on student–faculty interaction facilitated by its small‑class teaching model. Lingnan has established a research institute in Shenzhen to focus on knowledge transfer in the Greater Bay Area.
In addition to undergraduate education, Lingnan provides a diverse portfolio of taught master’s programmes, research master’s degrees, and PhD programmes. As of Term 1 of 2025/26, the University’s total student population exceeded 8,000.
Lingnan University also offers 11 dual and double degree programmes at the taught postgraduate and doctoral levels, in collaboration with universities and institutions in the Chinese Mainland, Europe, North America, and Asia. These programmes are designed to strengthen international academic collaboration and provide students with cross‑institutional and cross‑cultural learning opportunities.
History Sources:
Lingnan University traces its origins to 1888, when the Christian College in China was founded in Guangzhou by the American Presbyterian Church. The College admitted its first cohort of 30 students on 28 March 1888. In 1893, it became independent of the Church and was governed by a board of trustees based in New York. Amid political instability and growing anti‑foreign sentiment in China, the College temporarily relocated to Macau in 1900. In 1903, it adopted the English name Canton Christian College and the Chinese name Lingnan Xuetang, marking the first use of the name “Lingnan.” The institution returned to Guangzhou in 1904, where it established a permanent campus at Kangle Cun, Henan.
During the early 20th century, the College expanded steadily. In 1912, its Chinese name was changed to Lingnan Xuexiao, and by 1918 it had begun offering university‑level programmes. Its academic standing gained international recognition, with overseas universities acknowledging the eligibility of Lingnan graduates for postgraduate study. In 1927, following regulatory changes introduced by the Nationalist Government, governance was transferred to a predominantly Chinese board of trustees, and the institution formally adopted the name Lingnan University. Its curriculum was broadened beyond arts and sciences to include disciplines such as agriculture, commerce, engineering, and medicine, alongside primary and secondary education. By the 1930s, Lingnan had become a prominent higher education institution in southern China.
The outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 forced Lingnan University to relocate. In 1938, the University moved to Hong Kong, where it continued classes by leasing part of the campus of The University of Hong Kong. The College of Agriculture of Lingnan University operated a teaching and experimental farm in Lam Tei, Tuen Mun. Following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941, the University relocated inland to Shaoguan and later to Meixian in Guangdong Province, maintaining teaching and research under difficult wartime conditions.
After Japan’s surrender in 1945, Lingnan University returned to its Guangzhou campus and underwent reconstruction. Under new leadership from 1948, the University experienced renewed academic development by recruiting many nationally renowned scholars from Northern China. However, nationwide higher education reforms implemented in 1952 led to the cessation of the operation of Lingnan University on Chinese mainland. Its campus was reassigned to Sun Yat‑sen University, and its academic units were merged into existing or new institutions.
Efforts to revive Lingnan began in Hong Kong, led by alumni committed to preserving its educational legacy. In 1967, Lingnan College was established, initially operated from Lingnan Middle School at 15 Stubbs Road, Hong Kong. The College gradually expanded its facilities and academic offerings, gaining recognition from overseas universities. In 1978, Lingnan was formally recognised as a registered post‑secondary institution and began offering government‑subvented programmes under the Chinese name Lingnan Xueyuan.
Throughout the 1980s, Lingnan strengthened its academic foundations through curriculum reform, departmental restructuring, and the expansion of general education and social science programmes. External academic reviews in the late 1980s concluded that Lingnan’s academic standards were comparable to those of institutions funded by the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee (UPGC). In 1991, Lingnan was approved as a degree‑conferring institution, launching its first bachelor’s degree programmes in translation and social sciences. Additional degree programmes in Chinese and business administration followed in 1994.
To support further development, Lingnan relocated to its present campus in Tuen Mun in 1995. The University was granted self‑accrediting status in 1998, and in 1999 it was formally renamed Lingnan University, restoring its historical university title. Entering the 21st century, Lingnan expanded its postgraduate offerings and reinforced its distinctive liberal arts education model, introducing initiatives such as the Integrated Learning Programme to promote whole‑person development.
In 2023, a new chapter began in Lingnan University's history with the appointment of Professor S. Joe QIN as President. His leadership marked the beginning of a transformative era, steering the University toward becoming a comprehensive institution in arts and sciences for the digital age, with a strong emphasis on impactful research and innovation. Institutional reforms strengthened leadership and governance, while new academic units and research platforms were established, including the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Lingnan Institute for Advanced Study, the School of Data Science, and the Lingnan HPC NexT high performance computing center.
List of Presidents of Lingnan University since 1888: YearSupervisor / PresidentTenure1888 - 1893Dr. Andrew P. Happer (哈巴)Christian College in China (格致書院) in Guangzhou1893 - 1895Dr. Benjamin C. Henry (香便文)Christian College in China (格致書院) in Guangzhou1896 - 1899Dr. Henry V. Noyes (那夏理)Christian College in China (格致書院) in Guangzhou1899 - 1907Dr. Oscar F. Wisner (尹士嘉)Canton Christian College (格致書院) /
Lingnan Xuetang (嶺南學堂) in Guangzhou and Macao1908 - 1924Dr. Charles K. Edmunds (晏文士)Lingnan Xuetang (嶺南學堂) /
Lingnan Xuexiao (嶺南學校) in Guangzhou1924 - 1927Dr. James McClure Henry (香雅各)Lingnan Xuexiao (嶺南學校) in Guangzhou1927 - 1937Dr. CHUNG Wing-kwong (鐘榮光)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Guangzhou1938 - 1948Dr. LEE Ying-lam (李應林)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Guangzhou and Hong Kong1948 - 1952Dr. CHEN Su-ching (陳序經)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Guangzhou1952 - 1967(N/A)Merged under Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou (廣州中山大學)1967 - 1968Dr. Nai-hsin CHIEN (錢乃信) /
Dr. Howard G. Rhoads (Acting) (路考活 (代))Lingnan College (嶺南書院) re-established in Hong Kong1968 - 1969Dr. Howard G. Rhoads (Acting) (路考活 (代))Lingnan College (嶺南書院) in Hong Kong1969 - 1972Dr. James K.C. JUAN (阮康成)Lingnan College (嶺南書院) in Hong Kong1972 - 1973Prof. Yuk-chau MAK (Acting) (麥吳玉洲 (代))Lingnan College (嶺南書院) in Hong Kong1973 - 1981Prof. Raymond HUANG (黃勵文)Lingnan College (嶺南書院 / 嶺南學院) in Hong Kong1981 - 1983Dr. Chi-to HUANG (黃啟鐸)Lingnan College (嶺南學院) in Hong Kong1983 - 1995Dr. John T.S. CHEN (陳佐舜)Lingnan College (嶺南學院) in Hong Kong1995 - 2007Prof. Edward CHEN Kwan-yiu (陳坤耀)Lingnan College (嶺南學院) / Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Hong Kong2007 - 2013Prof. CHAN Yuk-shee (陳玉樹)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Hong Kong2013 - 2023Prof. Leonard K CHENG (鄭國漢)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Hong Kong2023 - PresentProf. S. Joe QIN (秦泗釗)Lingnan University (嶺南大學) in Hong Kong
Campus
Main Campus Lingnan University is located in the Fu Tei area of Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, at 8 Castle Peak Road, on an 11‑hectare campus. Situated about 2 km north of Tuen Mun Town Centre, the University combines modern academic facilities with a scenic and relatively quiet environment, while enjoying convenient access to public transport, including the MTR (Siu Hong Station) and the Light Rail. The establishment of the Shenzhen Bay Control Point has further enhanced connectivity with the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), facilitating academic exchange and enabling easier travel for students from the Chinese Mainland. Venue / Building DescriptionChan Tak Tai AuditoriumOpened in 1999, it serves as the central venue for cultural activities at Lingnan University.
The auditorium is divided into two levels, with box seats and stalls seating, accommodating up to 1,030 people. It is equipped with a comprehensive rigging system and advanced sound and lighting facilities. The auditorium is suitable for hosting a wide range of cultural performances, seminars, and university events.Patrick Lee Wan Keung Academic BuildingThe Patrick Lee Wan Keung Academic Building is a five-storey, multi-purpose academic facility at Lingnan University. The ground floor houses several lecture theatres and a café, serving both academic and daily campus needs. From the first to the fifth floors, the building accommodates the Fong Sum Wood Library, the Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall, the Leung Fong Oi Wan Art Gallery, and administrative departments. The University Library underwent a major renovation in recent years, enhancing its learning spaces, digital facilities, and study environment. The Art Gallery within the building regularly host exhibitions and cultural activities, contributing to campus life and promoting engagement with the arts.Indoor Sports ComplexThis is a two-storey indoor sports complex equipped with a variety of facilities, including:
The multi-purpose Jackie Chan Gymnasium, which can be configured to accommodate six badminton courts, two volleyball courts, one basketball court, or one handball court. Two table tennis rooms. Two squash courts. The Mr and Mrs Lam Kau‑Yui Fitness Centre. One outdoor tennis court. The Tin Ka Ping Swimming Pool, a 50‑metre outdoor swimming pool.Wu Jieh Yee Lingnan HubA building with staff quarters and co-working space that encourages interactions between staff and students, designed in accordance with the Sustainable Building Design Guidelines of the Buildings Department.Lingnan Education Organization Building