Over the past century HKU has evolved from a minor institution in a far-out colonial outpost to the top university in Asia, located in the heart of the continent's financial capital. Since it was founded, the University has sought to transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries. Its motto has two parts, one Chinese and one Latin, reflecting its scholarly blend of East and West.鈥淪apientia et virtus鈥漷ranslates as wisdom and virtue, while鈥渕ingde gewu鈥漨eans to manifest virtue and to investigative things.