The University of Hong Kong is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. Its motto is "Sapientia et Virtus" in Latin, meaning "wisdom and virtue". The official language of instruction is English. The University is referred by Quacquarelli Symonds as a "world-class comprehensive research university" and was ranked 24th in the 2009 THES - QS World University Rankings , making it 2nd in Asia (after University of Tokyo). In 2009, it was ranked the 1st in Asian universities by Quacquarelli Symonds.