HKUST Alumni, Summer 2017

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

ALUMNI I

CONTENTS

..

01

Foreword

12

World Stage

By President Tony F Chan A round-up of recent alumni activities,

02

Feature

joined by cities around the world members in towns and

Alumni Emily Nason, Benjamin

Au Yeung and Kit Wong are all high-

14

In

the Frame

flying achievers in their respective Meet current student Sandra fields. They talk to Alumni about Sobariska and recent graduate how building strong academic Johannes Jaeger of Hack Horizon

-•

foundations has helped them in the first TravelTech hackathon ever

their ongoing success held on a plane

w

08

Edge

15

Happenings

_THE

_{HONG KONG}

Chair Professor of the Division of The latest updates and event

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

Life Science Professor Qian Peiyuan news from alumni groups _{AND TECHNOLOGY}

has received China's most prestigious

Class Not

es

natural science award for a

19

published by

breakthrough that could save Where are they now? Catch up on Development & Alumni Office

the maritime and energy industries the personal and professional The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology billions of dollars every year announcements of fellow alumni Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2358 6158 Fax: (852) 3743 0939

10

25th Anniversary

22

Giving Back

Email: alumni@ust.hk Website: alum.ust.hk

Celebrations

The Alumni Endowment Fund has

m

HKUST celebrated its silver jubilee reached its target of HK$25

with more than 500 days of million. Here's how you can make celebrations. We look back at a valuable contribution to the

[i)~

some of the many highlights University

I

FOREWORD

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I I

Our journey to greater success ...

Dear alumni,

T

he marvelous celebrations for our 25th anniversary have now come to an end, following more than 500 days of events. HKUST has been on an incredible journey from its birth in 1991 as the city's first research-focused university, with a bold aim to drive and diversify the city's economy while making a positive impact on society. Now, in 2017, I am proud to say our achievements rival many of the top mature universities in the world.

We are turning to set our sights on even greater success, and to this end it is important for us to focus on HKUST's continuing development, both regionally and internationally. In February, HKUST launched its next 5-year Strategic Plan. The Plan highlights fresh areas of focus in the face of changing times, and specific objectives toward which our University can formulate its actions to achieve them.

HKUST aspires to become not only a hub for the world's greatest minds, but also a leading science and technology university nationally - a place that is a catalyst for socially responsible innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders with the vision, drive and tenacity to tackle the wide range of issues that society faces in the years ahead, while implementing valuable solutions to truly change lives.

With a view to achieving this, a host of initiatives are already in full swing, bringing together the efforts of every HKUST member. It's important to highlight the critical role that our alumni are playing in shaping our success on this world stage.

Without a real passion for your profession, it's possible to make a living but more challenging to excel. AJways

I was delighted to speak with executive committee members from a number of student societies at my residence in May

aim high, and never concede that something is beyond your reach. The achievements of three alumni featured in our cover story are eloquent testimony to this. Emily Nason, Benjamin Au Yeung and Kit

Wong may all have trodden very different paths, but their bond with their alma mater, HKUST, has stood them in excellent stead for life as leading scholars and educators, as the trio explain on page 2.

Summer is fast approaching, I hope everyone in our community enjoys a happy and relaxing few months ahead, as HKUST prepares for the start of its new academic year. I am sure it will be our best yet.

Best regards,

Professor Tony F Chan

I

2 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

_F

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_ATURE

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alking around the university campus with Professor Emily Nason, associate dean of undergraduate student affairs at the School of Business and Management, it's hard to maintain conversation for more than a few minutes at a time. It's not because she is hard to talk to - it is because of the number of students who come over to say hello to her. This is perhaps not surprising: Emily has been awarded numerous accolades for her work since she returned to her alma mater as an assistant professor in 2005. These include being named Favorite Mentor seven times and winning the Best Ten Lecturers election three times.

Emily manages the popular Global Business Program (GBUS) alongside other teaching and administrative responsibilities. But that's just the start. "I see the core of my work now really as being an educator, and that includes being a mentor as well," she says. "I want students

to see that I don't just care albout how much they learn, but also about their personal development. We start building cross-year mentorship

I

FEATURE

from year one to encourage GBUS students in different years to talk to each other. We also have a Career Mentorship Program for all business

school undergraduates, and many mentors are alumni."

The resonance of teaching and mentorship with Emily stems from

her lifelong love of "studying and the educational environment". But it was only after arriving at HKUST that the world of academia opened up to her. "I never came across it until I came here and met professors,"

she says. "I found out what it would take to pursue it as a career."

Her journey to arriving here was an unconventional one. Wrth excellent HKCEE exam results, she was invited to talk to Professor Joseph Uan, associate dean of undergraduate programs for HKUST at the time, about her university options in 1994. The three-year-old institution had yet to build its reputation, and was an unknown quantity for Emily. "Joseph told me the story of the founding team and the vision to start a world-class

university. It really impressed me; I gave up a full scholarship to study at Imperial College London and put HKUST as first choice."

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I

a

I

"If you see meaning

in your work, it will

inspire you to keep

going"

- Emily Nason

I I II II Ill II II Ill II Ill II I I I I I I I Ill I I I I II I I I I 1111111111111111

Benjamin Au Yeung, or

'Ben Sir' (2005 PhD in

Humanities), uses humor to engage and inform

4 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

After completing her PhD at University of California, Los Angeles, Emily knew where her heart lay. "I love the culture at HKUST, and the

environment here is very collegial - I think that is very important. I always wanted to come back."

And the secret that she imparts for her success? "There have been so many reunions recently, including the 20th reunion of my uni classmates," she says. "A lot of people have commented, 'Emily, how do you

have so much energy? You seem to really like your job.' And I do. No job is easy. But if

you see meaning in your work, it will inspire you to keep going."

Talking the talk

You might not immediately recognize the

name Dr Benjamin Au Yeung, but if you live in

Hong Kong you surely know him as 'Ben Sir'. A senior lecturer at the Chinese Language and Uterature Department of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Benjamin is an authority on the simultaneous significance and hilarity of colloquial Cantonese. His engaging brand of "edutainment" has seen him sell out stadiums and host several shows on Hong Kong television station 1VB.

''The Hong Kong audience holds a high expectation of a performer - one has to be entertaining but also say meaningful things," he notes. "A lot of pressure."

Benjamin thrives on pointing out the ingenuity involved in the plentiful ways to be crude in Cantonese. It's a strategy that produces a love-hate reaction; last year, he published a book in Cantonese called Foul Language. After a complaint by a member of the public, it has been banned from sale to children under 18. "So far I haven't made any comment aside from the standard

'disappointed and unhappy'," he says conspiratorially. "In my upcoming shows I will share my further comment."

FEATURE

I

Benjamin is a traditional lecturer on linguistics and also a light-hearted 1V personality. In his role at CUHK, he says that he sees no distinction between the two. "I treat the students as if they are my [1V] audience and I treat my audience as if they

are my students. As a teacher you have to interpret your kind of knowledge and

transform it into a way that your students can swallow.''

Benjamin, who undertook his PhD at

HKUST, recently returned to his alma mater

to give a series of talks on the "deeper meaning behind the magic, the energy of

I

FEATURE

Cantonese." But, surprisingly for someone so passionate, he was not always set on pursuing either Chinese or even academia as a career. He began his working days as a PE teacher, before majoring in English for his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. 'Then I asked myself, if I am going to spend years on academic study of a language, why do it in a foreign language?" he says. "By

choosing my mother tongue, I can spend more time digging into the theoretical level."

He came to HKUST to work with his then-supervisor, Professor Samuel Cheung. "HKUST allowed us lots of flexibility - I

couldn't find any examples of that kind of flexibility during a part-time PhD in any other school in the 2000s," he recalls.

Despite the nature of his work, Benjamin

is not overly romantic about Cantonese. "Just shouting out that Cantonese is

important is not enough," he says. "Other dialects like Shanghainese or Teochew also have their own history, their own tones. What is so special about having nine tones?

In theory it's stupid. You can see two sides

to the phenomenon. To put it into the academic terms, we have to 'create value' for Cantonese."

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I 5

you can know

the power of

our language''

- Benjamin Au Yeung

6 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

Benjamin wishes to impart a

"consciousness of the properties" of Hong Kong's mother tongue, at a time when it's more in need than ever. "If you can understand Cantonese in this deep way," he says, "you can know the power of our language."

Electric current

Just like Benjamin and Emily, alumnus

Professor Kit Wong is a leader in his field who has maintained an enduring connection

with his alma mater over the years. This is even more notable considering there are continents separating him and the

University; Kit is full professor and chair in wireless communications at University College London (UCL).

Kit gained his BEng, MPhil and PhD degrees in electrical and electronic engineering at HKUST between 1996 and 2001, and has since cultivated a strong connection to the alumni network, with a history of taking a leading role in organizing it in the UK.

This long-lasting link to the school

is, in no small part, thanks to the strong

encouragement of the University in the early days of his career. "My final year supervisor Professor Ross Murch changed my life,"

says Kit. "He made me gain so much interest in electronic engineering. I told him I

wanted to stay to do a Master's, and that's what happened. I didn't think about going anywhere else to do my PhD because he trained me, he raised me. There are no

words to describe how grateful I am." Kit's research interests lie in the fields of wireless communication, 5G and the Internet

of Things, as well as ways to make wireless communication more efficient. His work led

him to be awarded the prestigious 2013 IEEE

Signal Processing Letters Best Paper Award for a paper published in 2009. He has also been made an IEEE Fellow for contributions to multi-user communication systems, class of 2016. "Some are only able to get [this fellowship] by retirement age, but I was lucky enough to get it by 42," he says. "I am very grateful for the opportunities I had at my

alma mater; it allowed me to achieve this outstanding research."

Kit is also appreciative of the ongoing

support granted to him through the alumni

Benjamin gives a talk on Cantonese and phonetics to students (top); Kit talks at the 25th Anniversary Celebrations in London (above)

I

FEATURE

"

Profess r

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- Kit Wong

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II II I I I 111111111111111

network. He first got involved after gaining his PhD and getting a job with HKU, which

involved spending a year in the US. Shortly after his contract came to an end, SARS

hit Hong Kong and led him to search for a job abroad. ''That is how I ended up in the

UK," he says. "I didn't know how long I was

going to stay, but that time changed me as a person. I had to become much more mature."

Kit recalls struggling at first to

communicate in London as a non-native English speaker. "It was very difficult for the

first few years, so the alumni network was

lifesaving to be honest. They provided us

with real support - people with similar minds,

who had studied at the same place; we have a story to share. They offered advice you could trust about life abroad, and the

gatherings provided some relaxing moments

for me to speak Cantonese."

Kit continues to go from strength to strength, with stints at research and

scientific development company Bell Labs

in the US and the University of Hull in the

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I

7

1

UK already under his belt. But he maintains

that his strong academic start at HKUST formed the springboard for his success. "They provided me with professional and

soft skills: how to have a discussion with

other researchers, how to exchange ideas. The training there really allowed me to mature."

The University may have formed a firm foundation to help Emily, Benjamin and Kit

climb to their current heights, but one thing is certain: the best is yet to come. "

8 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

_EDGE

_!

Mysteries of the deep

Chair Professor of

the

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rofessor Qian was honored with a second-class prize at the 2016 Natural Science Awards, presented by the State Council of China, in January. It's the top natural science award in the country - only 42 were given out in 2016. The prize winners were invited to a grand ceremony in Beijing, at which President Xi Jinping and Premier Li

Keqiang were present.

Qian also won the State Council accolade for his discoveries about the role of biofilm

in controlling the community structure of marine ecosystem.

"Biofilm is made of bacteria and organic matters that lie on surfaces. It's on walls, it's on us - it's what coats your teeth when you haven't brushed

them," explains Qian. Biofilm is also found on surfaces underwater such as the undersides of ships - and this is where the core of Qian's work lies.

Toxic problem

Since 1997, Qian

and his team (comprised of several former students and postdoctoral fellows,

including Dr Xu Ying, Dr Wang Yong and

Dr He Lisheng) have been studying the effect of biofilm signals on the colonization of marine benthos - organisms that live on or near the seabed, such as corals and shellfish. Such signals encourage the organisms to gather and multiply.

Benthos is a huge problem for the maritime industry - when organisms such as barnacles cling onto hulls, they can significantly slow ships, increasing fuel costs. In the 1970s a popular 'anti-fouling' agent called TBT (tributyltin) was painted onto boats to repel such creatures. But TBT is highly toxic, and was completely banned in 2013.

"The problem is that people have gone back to using copper and alternative

pesticides - whatever they can grab from

the shelf," says Qian. "But we all know

these are basically toxic; whatever they're adding is not necessarily any better than

TBTwas."

Breakthrough moment

After almost two decades, Qian and his team made a huge breakthrough. They identified that a class of compounds called butenolides impacted biofilm, repelling

benthos without any toxic properties. "We consider butenolides to be today's most promising non-toxic anti-fouling compound," says Qian.

The most important part of the discovery is its application. "For the maritime industry alone, the cost of

benthos is about US$18 billion [per year]." says Qian. "Including other industries such

as power plants, it's even more. Huge numbers."

As well as slowing ships, benthos can impact power supplies. Numerous nuclear and coal power plants in locations

including Japan, the US, Canada and India have shut down in recent years after large swarms of creatures such as jellyfish and mussels jammed water intakes used for cooling.

Naturally, interest in the new product is immense. "Everyone knows there is an urgent need," says Qian. Last year, SeaSafe Marine Ltd launched using funds from the Hong Kong government's

Technology Start-up Support Scheme for

Universities, and the company is already manufacturing various non-toxic ant i-fouling coating products.

Qian - who admits he has no interest in becoming a businessman - has entrusted running of the business to one of his former students, who already owns several small companies in Shenzhen. The Chinese Navy is now preparing to test the paint on its boats.

Learning lessons

Qian is clearly grateful to HKUST

for providing an excellent research environment. "They are hands-off so we can focus on whatever we want to work on," he says. "The financial support

is generous - for

the last few years we have been productive in terms of the number and also quality of publications."

Qian is also glad of the chance for numerous international collaborations. "We recently worked with Scripps Institute of

Oceanography in the US, a top-notch institute in ocean science," he says. "We learned some new cloning techniques from them, but after a while we improved

them to make them better. Now others use our systems."

Qian's overarching message about

his research is loud and clear - the ocean is vastly important, and we need to start

protecting it urgently.

"The estimation of the number of species in the ocean is huge," he says. "So far we know fewer than 20 percent of them. And the ocean has lots of other resources, as well as being a very good absorber and regulator of heat. If we destroy the marine ecosystem, we destroy our planet." Thankfully, Qian is one person

who is steering the planet firmly in the

I

10 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

25th

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS I

Marking a milestone

2016 marked HKUST's quarter-century anniversary. We held a rolling series of events to celebrate the silver jubilee for more than 500 days

-a fitting tribute to this moment in our ever-evolving story.

Thanks to the ongoing endeavors of our community, both near and far,

the University continues to bolster its strong position on the global stage

· · • HK

us

T - something encapsulated in our anniversary slogan: "Innovating Today,

Imagining Tomorrow". Now, as we turn towards the next 25 years, we take a look back at

the highlights of the 25th anniversary celebrations.

0

25th Anniversary

Celebration Banquet

More than 1,400 government officials, community leaders, academics, faculty,

alumni, staff and students congregated at Hong Kong Convention and

Exhibition Centre.

8

Inaugural

Times

Higher Education

Asia

Universities

Summit

About 50 university leaders came

together to share their insights into

nurturing creativity and innovation.

E)

Global Celebrations

Alumni, students and academics joined

gatherings and seminars in London, San Francisco, Beijing and Singapore.

0

Distinguished

Lecture Series

More than 25 eminent speakers participated in the series, including nine Nobel or Turing Prize winners.

OAlumni

Endowment Fund

(AEF)

The AEF achieved its target of raising over HK$25 million by 2016, thanks to

the keen support of alumni.

0

Launch of 25th

Anniversary Book

Prometheus in the Sky

The book covers 25 inspirational

stories from distinguished researchers at all four schools.

8

Team HKUST

at

the

Hong Kong Marathon

More than 1,800 alumni, students, staff and faculty joined the annual Hong Kong Marathon in 2016 and 2017.

AL

H

MNI

e

END WMENT

FU D

t

I

25th

ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATIONS

Reaching over 5,000,000 people around the world ...

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I I I

I

0

Looking Back at the

University's Early Years

This talk by HKUST's founding president Professor Chia-Wei Woo and five other

early leaders focused on personal

reminiscences and institutional memories of the University.

f)

The Intimacy of

Creativity World

Premiere Concert

This concert marked an artistic collaboration

with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

at Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

G

The 17th Asian

Physics Olympiad

About 200 secondary school students

from 26 Asian countries and regions joined the event's inaugural Hong Kong edition.

G

The 57th International

Mathematical Olympiad

More than 600 secondary school

students from 100 countries and regions

joined the largest and highest-level

global international mathematics

competition.

G

Run for 1-HKUST

More than 200 faculty, staff and students

showcased the fantastic 1-HKUST spirit

... during more than 500 days of celebrations

at this campus run.

Change and iustainabte World 1111 Chu 11XI

"'

G)

25th Anniversary

Exhibition:

Transforming Lives

The public exhibition featured innovative,

impactful ideas and projects by HKUST.

4D

HKUST 25 Projects

To solicit public support, we launched an online showcase of innovative ideas

from University members who have

contributed to wider society.

G

Mentorship Program

Students from 52 secondary schools

were invited to become mentees,

inspiring them to unleash their potential.

e

Serve 25 Campaign

More than 450 students volunteered to contribute 25 hours of their time to

12 1 HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

Global celebrations

end

on a high note

-

"41, 0 ..

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Sino Group

•

Alumni in Shenzhen

put their best foot forward and pulled on their gloves for a

busy day out cleaning beaches in

nearby Dongchong and Xichong

in February. The team filled more than 90 rubbish bags with beach

debris, which together weighed almost one ton, highlighting their desire to raise

The HKUST 25th

- ... - • anniversary global celebrations ended on a high note. University

President Professor Tony Chan and Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Dr Eden Woon joined

•

Alumni in Shanghai continue to enjoy a plethora of events and gatherings. In

alumni, faculty and students in Singapore in January for a gala dinner. Before dinner guests took part in a seminar, hosted by the School of Social Science and Human~ies. Special thanks go to global event sponsor DJI and Singapore event

WOR

L

D ST

A

G

E

I

partner Sino Group. In February,

alumni in Singapore gathered for the inaugural Alumni Leadership Week, hosted by MBA Career Services, participating in a range of development initiatives including sessions on wellness, coaching,

creative thinking and conflict

Adapting to student

lif

e

Carrie Ng and Andy Chow, two active HKUST

alumni based in London, met with new students and shared useful advice based on their personal student

experiences. Students soaked up valuable tips and life

lessons on how to adapt to their new living environment during

the worthwhile and well-attended session in April.

December, the president of etiquette school Academie

de Bernadac shared insights on conducting oneself in a manner fit for aristocracy. This was followed by a sharing session for South Korean

students of the MSc in Global Management program.

Meanwhile, the spring banquet in March brought together more than 160 alumni

for a lively celebration

In the Toronto spirit

The Christmas

~

.L

~

spirit was in full

~

""'!II" ,

swing in Toronto at the alumni gathering in December. The merry group all decided to don festive red scarves while enjoying a relaxed catch-up over a delicious group lunch. Old memories were

During the Toronto alumni spring dinner in March, participants enjoyed the chance to get

together and exchange updates,

while discussing their plans

for hosting many more alumni

events in the months and years

l

woRLD

STAGE

Australian activities

•

Alumni in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney were delighted to meet with Professor Chan and Dr Woon during the pair's visit to Australia last November to discuss collaboration with partner institutions there. Alumni also congregated in Sydney the following month to celebrate Christmas and the new year alongside friends both old and new.

In th

e

loop

•

Professor Chan, Dr Woon and faculty met university alumni

and students in Tokyo and Kyoto during their trip to Japan in April. Alumni enjoyed reconnecting with

each other during the informal gatherings, as well as learning of the University's latest updates and developments.

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 113

Sharing in Atlanta

~ Ahead of their return

1111=

from exchange-out

at GeorgiaTech and _ , , Emory University in Atlanta, several students joined a meet-up with alumni

Sunshine state

~ The past few

1111=

months have been

- - - •, extra fruitful for

~ alumni in northern California. At a family dinner

held in November, many new faces joined the regulars. In January, alumni met with start-up founders from Hong Kong and

representatives from the Hong Kong Science and Technology

for a sharing session. Students

talked of their experiences in Atlanta and also received useful advice

•

In January, alumni in Beijing held a reunion buffet dinner ahead of

the lunar new year. The game Who is the 007? elicited laughs and groans, with an (un)lucky person picked in each round to share their most embarrassing experience at HKUST with the group.

Park Corporation, to get up to speed on movements in this

fast-paced industry. In February, Ivanhoe Chang, director of the

Hong Kong Economic and Trade

Office in San Francisco, attended a group dinner, a highly beneficial

e""n;ng during

-which many new l°' · ~

connections were · forged among alumni.

C!I'"

.

·

(

I

14 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

'

IN THE FRAME

I

(

I

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Hacking the hackathon

Meet Sandra Sobanska, a third-year global

business and information systems student, and Johannes Jaeger,

a recent graduate in the same subject. This student-and-alumnus duo, al

ong with two team members in

London, are the organizers of Hack Horizon,

the

world

'

s first TravelTech hacka

t

hon

t

o have taken place

on a plane

. Over three days in May, 32 top developers, designers and business gurus journeyed from Hong

Kong to L

ondon on a mission to reinvent the end-to-end experience of international travel

How did you get involved in hacking and hackathons?

Sandra: In my second year I heard about hackUST, the hackathon at HKUST. It looked cool, but I thought it wasn't for business students like me - that it was for coders. My friend was an organizer and he told me they needed business people. After that I decided to learn coding on my own and it wasn't long before I started exploring the world of start-ups.

Johannes: My first exposure to hackathons was also hackUST. I continued attending hackathons and won several, including the

world's largest, after which I started organizing them. I was behind

Hack Junction 2016, Europe's largest-ever hackathon, and hackUST 2016 - Greater China's biggest hackathon - alongside Sandra.

What was the idea behind Hack Horizon?

S: We wanted it to reinvent hackathons. We noticed that companies usually organize hackathons just to benefit their own ends -to recruit new hires or just to get a stack of innovative ideas - but they rarely have

the teams work on it later. The problem with typical hackathons is that you get locked up in a room for two days and you have no idea what the real world is thinking about your idea. We wanted to immerse the hackers in that customer experience of international travel and talk to customers on the way.

J: We partnered with the biggest players in

travel to equip the hackers with the

latest insights and challenges from the ~spective areas. We wanted to buil'd a framework for our talented participants to form

genuine connections that could go be~ nd the hackathon itself and ir{to~ re projects.

Has the University been supportive of your endeavors?

S: Right from the start there has always been a lot of support; both financially and in terms of having people to talk to. That's how I went to the US to take part in and subsequently win the Global Health Technologies competition at Rice University.

What did the teams come up with during your three-day event?

S: The winning idea was an in-flight entertainment platform connected to your mobile, which allows you to book trips, accommodation and more while you are on the flight. The judges felt it was the easiest thing to implement with the current structure. We had many other great pitches - from baggage tracking with blockchain technology to an app that helps parents track kids making journeys on their own.

J: Traditionally, airlines, airports and hotels need long lead times and large budgets in order to challenge the status quo - but we've

shown that in just 80 hours, 32 talented individuals can identify

major customer pain points, build out a prototype and pitch a sound

business model. Today this is a common practice in industries such

as finance but we now want this to be the norm for the travel sector. What did you learn from this and what will you do

S: There's a message in this - there are always w to change

something, even if

y

are still just a student.

I

Never think that you are too young to

do anything.

J: Our co-founders in London have both organized hackathons on a train, a bus and now on a plane. I guess the next

Step

Is to ring Mr Musk

tb

discuss what it takes to bring the Aaef<athon concept into space. "

I

HAPPENINGS

Convocation commitments

Convocation

rHIU-ffl*~ffa(lf

The HKUST Convocation held its

AGM in March, which saw Alvin Lam,

BBA(FINA) re-elected as chairman for 2017-19. Assisted by an energetic committee, he strives to support

HKUST's growth and its wider community by encouraging goodwill among

members - all HKUST graduates are members of the Convocation; nurturing good relations between the University and the public; contributing fundraising efforts; and promoting University

ventures. To get involved or to find out more, email

convocation@ust.hk.

Engaging events

The four pillars of the HKUST Alumni Association

(A 1) continue to

engage the alumni

community on a regular basis.

Banking and finance professionals shared insider

tips on getting ahead in their respective industries with alumni at a sharing session organized by the Career Advancement Team in January. The team is arranging

sessions with professionals

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I 15

coming months.

The Community Service

Team hosted the A1 Social Leaders Program Graduation

Ceremony in late February to recognize the contributions of

40 pairs of volunteer buddies. The six-month program has generated more than 500

volunteer-hours altogether, as well as strengthening bonds between alumni and high

school students for long-term

social engagement.

To provide a more diverse platform for alumni

entrepreneurs to exchange their

experiences, the Entrepreneur

Circle Team organized its annual

get-together in March, with more

team continues to organize numerous gatherings for people working in start-ups across different industries.

The Alumni Engagement

Team whipped alumni into shape with a signature high intensity interval training (HIIT) session. The professional HIIT coaches shared tips and demonstrated key techniques and postures for optimizing performance during this vigorous workout.

Stay tuned to learn more about all their forthcoming activities - particularly 1!)

11

.. ,

Iii

the signature • 'le·

annual dinner in •

16 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

_HAPPENI

_NGS

I

Medical

experience

To encourage students' entrepreneurial aspirations, the Development and Alumni Office and the Entrepreneurship Center together invited three talented alumni to an entrepreneur luncheon to discuss their experiences of starting up a business in the

medical sector. The event kicked off with an inspiring discussion between Albert Au of acesobee, Isabel Lo of Mindvivid and Langston Suen of Sonikure Technology, moderated by fresh

biotechnology graduate Chris Chan. The session concluded

with lively discussions between

speakers and students over a group lunch.

..

,~

Masquerade mystery

Everyone at the MBA Alumni Association annual dinner masquerade in February got into the spirit during this night of mystery. The keynote annual event was attended by Sean Ferguson, director of the MBA programs. Alumni of different generations and professional backgrounds sported masks to add an air of intrigue to proceedings.

Team HKUST returned to showcase the 1-HKUST spirit at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in February. Our runners were delighted to have the opportunity to get together to compare results after the race at the HKUST booth near

the finish line. Special thanks goes to Li-Ning Company Ltd, which sponsored running T-shirts for us for the second consecutive year.

Dragon boats make a splash

Paddlers from the Alumni Dragon Boat Club had a fierce yet friendly race on Lake Biwa in Shiga this May. It was a perfect opportunity for them to get prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival on May 30. During the off-season, dragon boaters maintained

their fitness with vigorous CrossFit workouts under head

coach Roy Chan. These consisted of a mix of aerobics, calisthenics and weightlifting for three months. Join them if

--I

HAPPENINGS

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 117

A golfing gala

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_f

₊

_~

_*~~&

_~

_-

_~~

_~

The first golf tournament ever co-organized by the Alumni Golf Club and the HKUST

Alumni Association took place at the Phoenix Hill Golf Club in Dongguan in

April, followed by an enjoyable gala dinner in the evening. There are more events in the pipeline, and the Alumni Golf Club

and Alumni Association both encourage fellow alumni to get in the swing and join

forthcoming events - no matter if you are a beginner, a pro or somewhere in the middle.

2011

~~-~llJt~m

The past couple of months have been particularly active for members of the EMBA Alumni Association. The association held its annual meeting in Shenzhen at the end of last year, on the theme of When Science Meets Fashion. The East China division brought together a host of members at its spring dinner in Shanghai to cheer for the Gobi Challenge 12 team. Then, in March this year, the association hosted a welcome dinner in

Beijing for representatives from the University. The EMBA Table Tennis Club also took on fierce competition at the Vast Table Tennis Tournament for business schools in China.

Celebrate good times

The chemistry class of 1997 were thrilled to reunite at the University in February

for a celebration of the 20th anniversary of their graduation,

professors. On a tour around the campus, alumni were amazed at how the facilities had advanced over the last two decades. It was a perfect opportunity to reminisce over the good old days.

Our first batch of undergraduate alumni, the class of 1994, had a wonderful reunion in April. Back in 1991, they boldly chose HKUST for their university studies. At that time, the campus was still in the making and there was only one student hostel. Now, 23 years on from their graduation, many in the group have maintained close bonds over the years, and the smiling faces on show at the reunion

are a testament to the strength of their enduring friendships!

Engineering success

To understand more about the daily operation of the Legislative

Council, the Engineering Enterprise Management Alumni Association organized a tour of the LegCo complex in late February. Back in November, the campus seafront was overwhelmed by members who spent an enjoyable weekend barbecuing and mingling.

18 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

Screen time

The Computer Science and Engineering Alumni Association hosted its AGM together with

a special sharing session, Lighthouse of IT Trends - Be Ready for 2017. Alumni and

students spent the evening learning from entrepreneurs and IT experts who divulged

insider knowledge on hot industry topics including computer vision, fintech, big data,

II

I!)

,

.

machine learning and entrepreneurship.

To make the most of the great weather, members of the Mainland Alumni Association arranged a vigorous hike around Lantau

Island during one sunny Sunday in January. Legs were aching by the end of the excursion, but smiles remained.

The group aims to arrange more of these rewarding trips in

the future.

New lease of life

Serve

and volley

Members of the Volleyball Alumni Team hold fun and

informal volleyball games on

the public beach at Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, from time

to time. Drop by and say hi

if you happen to see them

there one afternoon.

The Biochemistry Alumni Association officially changed its name to Life Science Alumni Association in January. The group's first activity under its new moniker was hiking the Dragon's Back

l]]"'ll'(?I!)

in March. Keep up to speed with forthcoming events via

11·

,

Facebook - search for "Life Science Alumni Association, • :

HKUST" and hit the like button.

Iii

HAPPENINGS

I

Despite its relative infancy, the

Alumni Wine Association has garnered extensive support and has seen a steady growth in members. Both the Wine Tasting 101 workshop and the Left

-Bank Bordeaux mini-competition received overwhelming

responses. The association also strives to provide special offers

to members. Join its monthly wine workshops and

gatherings ~ after all,

[!]II[!]

the more wines you •

taste, the more you •

will learn.

[!l

Congratulations to Stefan

Lam of the MBA Alumni

Toastmasters Club, who recently won first place at the Area International Speech Contest. Club members King Lee and Mercy Liu also won first place in the Area

Mandarin Contests. The club recently hosted a negotiation workshop conducted by a general counsel from a Fortune 500 corporation, and an inspiring seminar on participating in the North Pole

marathon, conducted by

the winner of the Marathon Grand Slam Club. The public speaking club meets in Central regularly on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.

-.

.

Iii

.

~

Iii

.

I

CLASS NOTES

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 119

Talk of the town

Life moves pretty fast. We've all gone in different directions since graduation,

~

mi

with many great stories to tell and lessons to share. Class Notes is the perfect way to update your former classmates about what you're up to now - your personal

milestones, adventures and professional achievements.

Alan Sze

1994 BEng COMP

Having a big family - my son Carlos and twin daughters Andrea

and Suki - is something of an

unexpected gift in my life! Special

thanks go to my wife Kany!

Liu

Han

2014MScGCS

I enjoyed my time at the University

as a social science postgraduate student. To continue my interest, I am going to pursue my PhD

in sociology at the University at Albany in New York.

Albert Au (center)

1995 BEng COMP, 2003 MBA

II

I am hoooced that my start-,p acesobee has cecel"8d The

Best ICT Start-up Gold Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards

• • 2017. Since the company was established in 2015, we

[!I

have been striving to develop a comprehensive electronic

healthcare record platform across borders to allow patients, healthcare service providers and insurance companies to facilitate personal

healthcare information management.

James

Ma

2013 PhD SOSC

I am presently assistant professor

in the Division of Business and

Management of United International

College in Zhuhai, China.

Whitney Tso

&

Gareth Mak

2009 BBAMARK/ 2008 BEng ELEC We had a wonderful wedding on January 14, 2017.

Vincent Cheng

1999 BSc BICH, 2001 MPhil BICH

I am delighted to have been

appointed principal of Jockey Club Ti-I College in 2016. Blessed with

the support and enlightenment

of my former senior colleagues,

I have been able to overcome all

those challenges and develop my own vision in education since I

embarked on my teaching career after graduation. It is my mission

to contribute to educating our

future generation with a more

20 I HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017

Ill

Lumos, the

"'met

™"1ed by ITT{ start-op Lunan Labs,

won~

• the Beazley Designs of the Year Award in the transport category, r:, . among 70 other innovations, chosen by The Design Museum in 1.:.1 the UK. More than 15,000 helmets have been sold to date.

>.:'

..

Chen

Ying

2014MScEHS

I finally found my Mr Right, He Jitang, and we got married on June 3, 2017.

CLASS NOTES

I

Wayne Cheung & Emily Hui

2007BBAIS

We met each other during our university years and eventually tied the knot on January 10, 2016. Our pre-wedding photos were taken on campus where we have a lot of fond memories.

I went back to New York after graduating from HKUST. Currently I am vice president of finance and operations at OffrBox.com. We are an early-stage real-estate tech start-up empowering real-estate

investors to search, make direct offers to sellers and close contracts quickly online.

ii

[!]

my own fI love fashion very much ashion brand onane d dayhav. Ne olong drw I am one eamed steof p havcloser ing - I ;.:a:, . opened a boutique called Missy upon graduation and have

I

CLASS NOTES

HKUST ALUMNI SUMMER 2017 I 21

Leo Cheung

2002 MScMATL, 2004 MSc MECH

Since 2014 I have been serving as a blog writer member for the Public Affairs Forum of the Home Affairs Bureau. Apart from this, I am also a member of the Panel of Film Censorship Advisers of the Film Censorship Authority and a member of the TVB Public Viewers Panel. Thank you HKUST for enlightening my sense of

social awareness to serve our

community.

Abel Lam

(

b

e

low

,

right)

2007MALIBS

m

I= dalghted

to"""'~

firnt "'re ITT the 0-ITTg

Scm>

~ and Technology Teacher Award at the HK Youth Science and

r:a

·

:

Technology Innovation Compe@on in recognition of my science

[!l

.

·

pedagogy. I enjoy teaching science through singing songs with students, and am active in various media to promote it.

It's your move

Join

our

Relocation Program

Moving to a new city or country is both an exciting and a stressful experience. The ongoing HKUST Relocation Program helps alumni and exchange-out students settle in smoothly after a move by connecting them with friendly alumni in

their new home.

Relocation hosts are there to help provide newcomers with useful advice, and as a guest we'll put you in touch with hosts. We have a growing network of alumni in more than 100 countries and cities around the world, and we'd

love you to be a part of it. If you're interested in joining the program as either a guest or host, find

out more using the QR code below.

More details

alum. ust. hk/your-networks/relocation-program

I am excited to share with you news of my marriage to Raymond on October 23, 2016.

AL

H

MNI

END WMENT

FU D

Giving Back

Your Support, Our Future

Generous

donations

from

our alumni are already

ha

v

ing a huge impact

on

th

e

Uni

ve

rsit

y

,

as

the

Alumni

Endowment Fund r

eac

h

es

HK$25 million.

We're proud to reveal that the HKUST Alumni Endowment Fund

(AEF) has recently reached a total of over HK$25 million - an

ambitious target that we have only achieved with the support of

you, our alumni donors. A big thank you to all who have helped

HKUST to reach this wonderful milestone, just in time for

the 25th anniversary of the University.

Accumulated donations of HK$10,000 or above:

your name on a seat in the Citigroup Lecture Theater (LT-A)

Plaques in other locations and naming opportunities on

campus can be given as thanks for donations of other

amounts. For further details, email alumni@ust.hk.

Alumni Endowment Fund Donation Form

Last name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ First name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Alumni are our most valuable stakeholders, and we're openly

relying on you to ensure the University reaches new heights for the next 25 years and beyond. In appreciation of the generous

ongoing support, alumni donors with contributions over certain

amounts are able to make their permanent mark on campus with a named plaque.

Accumulated donations of HK$50,000 or above:

your name on a desk at the Chevalier Learning Commons in the Library

Donate now!

alum. ust.hk

/

supporting-hkust

Email _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Mobile _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Mailing addre s s

-I would like to donate HK$ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D One-time D Monthly for _ _ _ months D Monthly until further notice

D Remain anonymous

I would like to pay the above donation by

D Credit card Visa / Mastercard (please select)

Holder's name

-Card no. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Expiry date _ _ _ _ _ _ (month) I _ _ _ _ _ (year)

Card security no. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (last 3 digits to the right of signature box) D Crossed check (check no.

-Please email, fax or post this form to us. For checks, please make payable to "HKUST'' and mark your full name and mobile number on the back. Development and Alumni Office, HKUST, Clear Water Bay, HK

Tel: (852) 2358 8131 Fax: (852) 3743 0939 Email: give2ust@ust.hk

The personal data collected (name and contact details) will be used by the Development and Alumni Office as well as internal departments for direct marketing and non-direct

marketing purposes. We will do this through various communication channels such as direct mail, email, telephone and SMS using your personal data. The personal data collected

will be treated in strictest confidentiality. The University will not disclose any personal data provided by you to any external bodies or organizations unless you have been previously

informed. Should you have further enquiries, please email us at alumni@ust.hk.

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