School: University of Hong Kong
Location: Hong Kong
Undergraduate program: Bachelor of Arts
Graduate programs: Master of Architecture, Master of Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy
Number of students: 458
Number of faculty: 41
Notable alumni: Architect Dennis Lau, former Hong Kong Institute of Architects president Vincent Ng, Rocco Yim of Rocco Design Architects, Eone Timepieces founder Nick Gu, conservation expert Katie Cummer
Website: arch.hku.hk
Strengths: A forward-thinking curriculum, access to an array of interdisciplinary research labs, an intriguing and inspiring locale
The overview: While it was introduced in 1950, HKU’s architecture program is, like modern-day China, topical and engaging, aiming to immerse students in “an active culture of service, scholarship and invention.” The BA “crosses the divide between arts and sciences” with “problem-based learning in the design studio.” The MArch has a multidisciplinary curriculum focused on “current design and production technologies, within an understanding of the historical and theoretical culture of architecture.” Three new architectural research centres are augmented by a new architectural gallery and a heavy architectural construction workshop. In the state-of-the-art HKUrbanLab, architecture students and faculty collaborate with researchers from conservation, construction and real estate, landscape studies and urban planning to address the most pressing issues in the field. The school also sees Hong Kong and the populous Pearl River Delta as one of the most inspiring living labs in the world today. International exchanges pair with top schools in North America and Europe, and study travel affords opportunities like spending a semester at the school’s campus in Shanghai or in Myanmar to address building and global citizenship challenges in very different environments. The BA is awarded in Architectural Studies. All classes are taught in English.