PolyU has once again demonstrated its global research excellence and academic standing in the latest list of the World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists 2026 compiled by Stanford University. A total of 481 PolyU scholars have been recognised across career-long or single-year citation impact, placing PolyU second among Hong Kong universities for the number of listed scientists.

Among them, 274 scholars were honoured for their career-long citation impact, based on publications spanning from 1960 to 2025. PolyU leads Hong Kong across 27 sub-fields (including sub-fields in which PolyU is tied with other local institutions), including Building and Construction, Materials, Energy, Civil Engineering, Operations Research, Nursing, and Optoelectronics and Photonics, and has the highest number of top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide in the sub-fields of Building and Construction, Operations Research, and Sport, Leisure and Tourism.

Moreover, six PolyU academics achieved global top 10 rankings in their respective sub-fields:

• Ir Prof. C.S. Poon, Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering and Distinguished Research Professor (Building and Construction, Rank 6)

• Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President and Chair Professor of Structural Engineering (Civil Engineering, Rank 7)

• Ir Prof. T.C. Edwin Cheng, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Fung Yiu King – Wing Hang Bank Professor in Business Administration and Chair Professor of Management (Operations Research, Rank 7)

• Prof. Zhu Zi-Qiang , Chair Professor of Electrical Machines and Control Systems (Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Rank 7)

• Prof. Qihao Weng, Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence (Geological and Geomatics Engineering, Rank 7)

• Prof. Jean Claude Georges Bünzli, Adjunct Professor of the Department of Chemistry (Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Rank 9)

In addition, 21 PolyU scholars are ranked in the global top 50, with the University boasting the highest number of scholars ranked in the global top 10 and top 20 among local institutions.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, said, “The number of PolyU scholars included in the list once again ranks second among Hong Kong institutions, providing strong recognition of their outstanding achievements in advancing knowledge creation and generating significant academic impact.”

He added that as PolyU approaches its 90th anniversary next year, it has launched the “90 Scholars for PolyU’s 90th Anniversary” recruitment initiative, targeting 90 world-leading scholars over the next three years to build a solid foundation for future research breakthroughs while supporting Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub. He noted that PolyU will continue to leverage its strengths in interdisciplinary research and promote the translation of research outcomes to address national development needs and global challenges.