The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong.[7] HKU was also the first university established by the British in East Asia. As of June 2022, HKU ranks 21st internationally and third in Asia by QS, and 30th internationally and fourth in Asia by Times Higher Education. It has been ranked as the most international university in the world as well as one of the most prestigious universities in Asia. Today, HKU has ten academic faculties with English as the main language of instruction. The University of Hong Kong was also the first team in the world to successfully isolate the coronavirus SARS-CoV, the causative agent of SARS.