The rise of Asia’s universities has been one of the most significant developments in the recent history of higher education. The region has increased its representation from a quarter to a third of all institutions listed in the THE World University Rankings over the past five years.

While the region’s performance mirrors global shifts in GDP, the higher education story is also one of strong public investment in the sector, a commitment to internationalisation, and strong cultural capital attached to the importance of universities.

But issues such as an uncertain geopolitical outlook, vast income differences across the region, and the economic and social aftershocks of a global pandemic will shape the next phase of Asia’s growth up to the midpoint of the 21st century.

Hosted in partnership with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the THE Asia Universities Summit 2023 will focus on the fundamental question – is there such a thing as a distinctly “Asian” university in such an economically, culturally and socially diverse region? What will it mean to be an Asian university in 2050?