Hong Kong’s pursuit of top university rankings comes at a cost

The latest rankings confirm what many in Hong Kong already know: the city’s universities are exceptional. Five institutions continue to sit among the world’s top 100, reflecting decades of investment, academic ambition and hard work. Yet behind the rankings triumph lies a question that receives far less attention: what happens to the people responsible for that success? As universities compete ever harder for rankings, grants and prestige, academics face growing pressure to produce results on...