The University of Vienna is one of the oldest universities in Europe and a prestigious hall of learning. The university that Qian Zhongshu describes in the novel Fortress Besieged is based on Humboldt University, which turned out to be the birthplace of Marxism. George Washington University attracts teaching and research elites and cooperates with many US government departments and international institutions in studying international affairs and policies. The recognition of a Nobel Prize in disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology or medicine represents an objective scientific and technological accomplishment, behind which must lie some indicators of a first-rate university. Academic and higher education must be independent of external forces. In addition to academic freedom, university personnel in Hong Kong are protected by teachers' unions, which are supported by law. Soulware is an ideal that places a high premium on the profession of teaching and research, academic quality and social benefits.