The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has risen two places to rank #16 in the high-profile annual Global Employability University Survey and Ranking this year, as reported by the New York Times. HKUST remains No. 1 in Greater China.

The survey polled 4,500 recruiters and executives from 20 countries including the United States, China, Japan, Britain, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and others from Europe, over half came from the leading 1,000 companies. The majority thinks that a global university model will arise, and that universities of tomorrow should prepare students for the realities of work with a balanced mix of theoretical and practical training as they evolved towards a fundamental reshuffle. The survey has also noted that universities with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) spectrum of subjects do much better in this ranking.

The New York Times – which reported the result conducted by Emerging, a French human resources consultancy, and Trendence, a leading German research institute, said Asian institutions have continued to rise in the esteem of employers to make up one fifth of the top 150 which produce the most employable graduates – doubling the region’s presence on the list back in 2011. Last year, HKUST was ranked #18.

Click here for the HKUST press release.