RAE 2020 is part of UGC’s ongoing efforts to assess the performance of the eight UGC-funded universities in research over a period of 6 years from year 2015 to year 2020. It is a criterion-referenced assessment exercise with three elements:

• research outputs in terms of originality, significance and rigor;
• impact in terms of reach and significance; and
• environment in terms of vitality and sustainability.

The Faculty of Arts was represented as 11 units of assessment (UoAs), out of a total of 41 UoAs set up for RAE 2020. Among these 11 UoAs, 8 of them (History, Linguistics & Language Studies, Chinese Language & Literature, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Anthropology, English Language & Literature, Translation) did particularly well in Research Outputs, Impact, and Environment. (For further information, please visit the UGC website.)

As Professor David Huddart from the UoA of English Language & Literature put it, “It was heartening to see that all UoAs in the Humanities panel performed well. We noted that particular research areas covered by our UoA were foregrounded as world-leading and we will aim to maintain excellence.”

Notably, over 60% of cases submitted by the Faculty of Arts were judged as making outstanding impact in terms of their reach and significance. 5 out of 13 impact cases are rated as world leading, one of which, for instance, is on “Capacity Building Support Towards the Realization of LGBT Equality” submitted by the UoA of Religious Studies. Another such case is the world-renowned CHANT database that has significantly broadened public access to ancient Chinese texts.

On several occasions, Dean Max Tang has thanked and congratulated all staff members, from academic to administrative, for making this round of RAE a resounding success in the Faculty of Arts. “We have every reason to be proud of what we have achieved,” he said. “Together we will scale new heights in the coming years.”