This is HKUST (1994 September)

I

OCATED at

the geographical

heart

of Asia,

Hong

Kong

is justly

famed as one of the unique and special

places in the world.

A vibrant modern

ciqr of six million

people,

Hong

Kong

has no natural

resources to speak of other than its superb

harbour. Yet it is the world’s third largest

financial centre and tenth largest trading

partner. It is home to more than 700 banks and interna-

tional corporations.

Whiic Hong Kong’s return to Chinese so\Tereignty in

1997 has captured

the m:orld’s attention,

;. more far-

reaching

transition

has already

begun.

With labour-

intensive

factory-floor

manufacturing

relocating

elsewhere,

Hong

Kong’s economy

is shifting towards

upstream

industrial

activities

as IveIl as scyhisticated

products

and services.

Hong Kong is also beginning

to create a capacity for

technological

innovation

that will be needed for contin-

ued economic

growth in the 2 1st century.

Hong Kong’s commitment

to its future can be seen

in a host of new initiatives and ventures. But nowhere is

this commitment

more evident than in its bc,ld creation

of a world-class

university

dedicated

tll science,

engineering,

and management.

BUILDING

A UNJVERSITY

T

HE story of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology begins with the late Sir Edward Youde, Governor of Hong Kong from 1982 to 1986, Sir S. Y. Chung, and the people of Hong Kong who foresaw the need in the territory for an educational institution to lead the way in the areas of science and technology vital to the region’s economic future.

In March 1986, the Hong Kong Government set in motion an order to establish a committee to work out in detail the creation of a new university. In September of that year, the new university’s Planning Committee held its first meeting, with Sir S. Y. Chung as Chairman.

In October 1986, the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club presented to the Government a dramatic proposal to help fund the university’s construction cost with a donation of HKS 1.6 billion (later increased to HK$1.926 billion, in addition to a Government allocation of HK$1.622 billion). The Jockey Club’s offer and its willingness to manage the entire construction project made it possible to trim three years off the projected timetable-the new university would open in

1991 rather than 1994, and would enrol7,OOO students by 1996. With the formal incorporation of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on 10 April 1988, the University Council came into being. Sir S. Y. Chung was appointed its first Chairman, Sir David Wilson, Youde’s successor as Governor and Chancellor of Hong Kong’s two other universities, became HKUST’s Chancellor as well.

The University’s founding chief executive, Professor Chia-Wei Woo, had been designatedvice-Chancellor and President in November 1987 while serving as President of San Francisco State University. A physicist, and the first person of Chinese descent ever appointed to head a major American university, Professor Woo returned to Hong Kong and took up his new position in September 1988.

As academic planning accelerated, growth projections and staff requirements were progressively refined. Preliminary models for schools and departments were drawn up with the voluntary assistance of a netwrork of distinguished academics in North America, and plans for the University’s administrative organisation, central facilities, and support services were developed.

Meanwhile, architectural and engineering con- sultants commis- sioned by the Jockey Club had been at work on

the physical plans and site formation for the University campus, In The University’s Opmiftg Cermx~r~y on

November 1989 the first contract was let to commence the building IV October 1991 ums a gala @fair. of the campus on a spectacular 60-hectare site on the waterfront of

one of Hong Kong’s most attractive residential areas.

Situated on a steep slope beside the shore, the campus grounds were terraced to afford buildings on all levels with unobstructed panoramic views of the sea. The main academic complex itselfwas to be located on the highest level of the slope, with student residential halls and outdoor sports facilities placed close to the \n.ater and the natural marina.

Without exception, the contractors and consultants said it was the fastest construction project they had ever worked on. In order for the University to open on 2 October 1991, a scheme of“fast track” construction had been adopted, mandating that design and construc- tion proceed concurrently, with design keeping only one step ahead. The master plan further mandated that the Universitv be built in three phases, with the first two phases constituting a core campus accommodating 7,000 students, and the final phase providing a fLm_u-e expansion of capacity to 10,000 students.

Phase I of the campus was handed over to the University jl August 1991, barely in time to be outfitted for HKUST’s first student intake-a feat deemed “little short of miraculous” by knowledgeable observers.

The opening of the University was celebrated on 10 October 1991. Pride at what had been accomplished in so short a time, together with bright hopes for the fixture, was the order of the day. Only five years had elapsed since the first meeting of the Planning Committee. In another five years the University would be in full stride with well-established teaching and research programmes, an enrolment of 7,000, and a faculty of 640.

r

r

‘HE speed with which the campus was constructed and the rapid

- growth of the University during its first years are one of the most striking aspects of the creation of HKUST. Only in Hong Kong, it is said, could this take place. Yet speed alone has never been the aim. The real achievement of the University is to be found in the escellence of its faculty, the quality of its facilities, and the perfor- mance of its students.

Visitors to HKUST are often overwhelmed by the beauty of the architecture in its natural surroundings. But beyond this first impression, the campus reveals itselfto be truly functional. Carefully planned facilities such as

l a well-stocked library built on the latest information technology

l a high-speed fibre-optic network linking computing re- sources in all parts of the campus and reaching out to all corners ,of the world

l teaching and research laboratories equipped with state-of- the-art instrumentation and devices

create an environment for learning that is quite unique in the region.

As a result, admission to HKUST is highly sought. For its first intake of students in 1991, the University had more than 10,000 applicants for 590 undergraduate places. It selected-and continues to seek--highly qualified men and women who have inquiring minds, broad interests, and leadership abilities. The University’s goal is to engage them in a continuous dialogue and to help them become versatile, innovative, and caring citizens of society.

For its faculty, HKUST has mounted an extensive international recruitment campaign. Tapping the resources of a worldwide net- work of advisors, the University has succeeded in assembling an exceptionally able and distinguished group of scholars-pioneers drawn to the challenge of building a new university from the ground up.

Beginning with a founding faculty of 100, the University continues to add new faculty members at a steady rate as student enrolment climbs toward its current target of 7,000. This recruitment campaign will result in more than 10 new appoint- ments per month at least through 1996.

Today, every faculty member at HKUST at the rank of Lecturer/Assistant Professor or higher holds a doctoral degree from an established university. Some 60% of the faculty hold doctorates from the following institutions:

Caltech London

Cambridge Michigan Carnegie Mellon Minnesota

Chicago MIT Columbia Northwestern Cornell Oxford Harvard Princeton Illinois Purdue Stanford Toronto UBC UC Berkeley UCLA USC Washington Yale

L

TEACHING

f-

r

IHF Hong Kong University of Science and Technology consists _ of four schools:

l School of Science . School of Engineering

l School of Business and Management l School of Humanities and Social Science

I The Schools of Science, Engineering, and Business and I Management pro\ ide first degrees and graduate programmes

through to the doitorute. The School of Humanities and Social Science provides general education for all undergraduates and i enrols graduate students up to the doctoral level.

The undergraduate curriculum is founded on a credit-based system, striking a compromise between the sharp focus prevalent in traditional Chinese and British universities and the broad approach characteristic of American universities. To ensure overall breadth, undergraduates arc required to take one-third of their credits outside their major department, including 12% of their courses in the School of Humanities and Social Science.

At HKUST, the practice of .-. ,.. . _ --T--rrui

’ -, rr i “continuous assessment” in teaching . .

..: L _{utilises homework, periodic tests, and} classroom discussion to ensure that students make sustained progress in learning and self-expression.

Undergraduate

Degrees School of Science Biochemistq Biolog! Chemistq Mathematics Physics Biotechnology*

Materials Science and Engineering* School of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Civil 8i Structural Engineering Computer Science

Electrical & t.lectronic Engineering Industrial Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Computer Engineering* Manufkturing Engineering* School of Business & Management

Accounting Economics Finance

Information and Systems Management Management of Organisations Marketing

School of Humanities & Social Science Humanities Social Science Chinese Studies* * Interdisciplinary programme BSC BSc BSc BSc BSc BEng BEng BEng BEng BEng BEng BEng BBA BBA, BSc BBA BBA BBA BBA

Gradsate

Degrees

1

‘, :.:’ ‘: !

Graduate programmes leading to the Master of Science (MSc), Master ofArts (MA), and Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA) degrees are “taught degrees ” in that they are based on course work, although a project report may also be required. The Master of Philosophy (LMPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are research degrees. Graduate degrees may be earned through part-time as well as full-time study.

In addition to programmes in traditional academic disciplines, HKUST offers interdisciplinary programmes leading to degrees in Biotechnology (MSc), Computer Engineering (BEng), Manufac- turing Engineering (MSc), Materials Science and Engineering (MSc) and Chinese Studies (MA).

MPhiI, PhD MPhil, PhD MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc MSc MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc, MPhil, PhD MSc MBA, PhD MBA, PhD MBA, PhD MBA, PhD MBA, PhD MBA, PhD MA, MPhil, PhD MA, MPhil MA

I-

RESEARCH

_ r J ESEARCH is at the heart of the University’s creative endeavours.

r

-- .4 commitment to the creation of new knowledge forms an essential part of the intellectual climate at HKUST. At the same time, a dedication to service brings a commitment to mission- oriented research in areas critical to Hong Kong and the region’s economy.

Research at HKUST is undertaken in many different settings- but across denartmental boundaries in specialised institutes, centres, and laboratories. These “organised research units” provide faculty and students with a wide range of opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary projects and to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to real-world problems.

Focused work in these centres of excellence will yield significant contributions to the

region’s economic growth, as well as attract the external support and collaboration needed to fitlfil the University’s mission.

In the absence of national and major corporate R&D labo- ratories in Hong Kong, HKUST has built its own organisation to interface with the community.

I The University’s R&D adminis-

$,,

1.:. tration is carried out by its

g: ;,>. _h ;‘. _{Research and Development Branch working through the Research} Centre, the Technology Transfer Centre, and the Office of Contract and Grant Administration.

Expediting technology transfer is the specific mission of the HKUST RandD Corporation Ltd, a company wholly owned by the University but managed by an independent Board of Directors dominated by business leaders. As a commercial entity, the RandD Corporation provides for exploitation of business opportunities arising from research conducted not only at HKUST but around the -.

RGANISED research units currently in operation at HKUST (in

the order of establishment) and their areas of concentration:

Biotechnology Research Institute

Biomedical instrumcnration and diagnostics; drug delivery and dcvelopmrnt; agricultural and environmental bioengineering; genetic engineering of biomacromolecules; biosensor develop- ment; immunology; molecular genetics of plants.

Hongkong Telecom Institute of Information Technology

Light\\,a\-e rechnolog\r; ncn\xxk technology; wireless communica- tion; video technology.

Sino Software Research Centre

Lowcost Internet access; Chinese-language interface support; heterogeneous database management technology; intelligent video manipulat!on tools; system requirements modeling.

Advanced Materials Research Institute

Electronic nanostructure: thin film scicncc, semiconductor clusters, theoIT of materials; optical magnetic: lasers and photonics, liquid cryst& magnetic materials; synthetic composite: polymer synthesis, metals and composites. biomaterials.

Centre for Economic Development

Regional economic development and transition; business and industrial development in the PRC; data bank and librar\i of relevant st.-ttistics.

Centre for Asian Financial Markets

i<no\\ Icdgs base to support analysis of financial products introduced in Asian markets; data sets and teaching materials; academic inter&c nrith government and business leaders.

Institute for Environmental Studies

Air pollution; marine pollution; water and wastewater treatment; scdimcnt stud&; remote sensing; wind tunnel technology; solid and liquid waste management; hazardous waste management.

Institute for Infrastructure Development

Full-scale structure and control tests; geotechnical centrifuge modeling, structural systems design and renewal strategies; infrastructure systems planning and management.

Institute for Micro Systems

Advanced microelectronic materials; micromechanical devices, sensors, and actuators: flat-panel display technology; nanotech- nologics and devices; integration of circuits and systems.

Hainan Institute

Research, development, and senfices focused on China’s Hainan Pro\%nce: Jgriculture and fisheries; behavioural science; economics and finance; environment; infrastructure development; technology transfer; executive education programmrs.

Central Facilities

y-

jr

N addition to departmental laboratories, HKUST has created a .&umber of centralised facilities used for teaching and research by scholars from various disciplines. These fxilities also invite use by researchers from other institutions and by client organisations in industrv.

Two notable examples are the Materials Characterisation and Preparation Centre and the Microelectronics Fabrication Centre. Other facilities currently under design or construction include an advanced engineering materials centre, a 128-node parallel supercomputer, an environmental wind tunnel, and all ocean-colour satellite receiving station.

A com;dete cltm-room tw~ironnmtfor microelectrorric yrocessi~rg is provided by the

Microelectronics Fabrication Centre. Nove,cl scmicondwtor devices, higher speed trmsistors

arzd imtegratcd circuits, imovntive microsmsors atnd micro-nctzrotors, md applicohort-specific

ACADEMIC

SERVICES

University Library

r

! CCLTYING a central location on campus, the HKUST Library

.J

commands five floors with a spectacular view of the sea. Much more than a repository of books and periodicals, the HKUST Library is one of the first of a new generation of electronic libraries making extensive use of the information technology that is transforming traditional library facilities.

Through the Idbrary Online System accessible from every part of the campus, users can search the Library’s catalogue of holdings in both English and Chinese. Also available for perusing are the catalogues of other tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, as well as numerous library catalogues and databases overseas.

As of 1994, three years after the University’s opening, the LibraiT’s collection consisted of 300,000 volumes, 3,000 journal subscriptions, and 2,900 journals in full-text electronic format. In addition, 40 databases on CD-ROM ranging from scientific and technical dictionaries to PC-SIG and Shakespeare could be consulted over the campus network. Another 42 databases were available for use in the Library, including 5 full-text image databases, stored on 1,646 discs. With continual acquisitions, the Libraly’s collection is expanding at an explosive pace.

Centre of Computing Services and Telecommunications

- r Y KUST’s computing environment, developed and managed r

rc by the Centre of Computing Services and Telecommu- nications, filly supports the teaching, research, and administrative activities of the campus.

Modeled on a distributed client-server architecture, the computing environment is distinguished by an advanced networking infrastructure found on few campuses. The network backbone is a collection of high-speed fibre distributed data interface (FDDI) rings, each running at 100 megabits per second. The FDDI rings are interconnected b!r a gigaswitch, giving an aggregate network bandwidth of 3.6 gigabits per second.

The campus network itself is connected to Harnet (the Hong Kong .4cademic & Research Network) via a 1.544 megabits-per- second circuit, and to the Internet via a dedicated 64 kilobits-per-

second circuit to the United States. Expansion is under way. All campus microcomputers and scientific workstations are connected to the network. Powernil server computers provide campus-wide network services, making electronic mail and a full range of software applications available not only in offices and laboratories, but in student dormitories and staff apartments as well. In addition, a number of “computer barns” in various locations on campus provide PC, Macintosh, and Unix workstation facilities for undergraduate teaching and student use.

Lanpage Cen

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IHE Language Centre offers language courses for students and - staff of the University who wish to improve their proficiency in English, Chinese, and other languages.

First-year undergraduates in need of English-language training are required to attend the Language Centre’s programme of instruction. These classes provide practical language tuition with particular reference to English for academic purposes. In addition, the Language Centre offers courses designed to meet the needs of specific groups of graduate and undergraduate students, as recommended by academic departments.

The Language Centre has three 24-booth audio-visual language laboratories for use by class groups. These laboratories are augmented by a Self-Access Centre offering a growing collection ofwritten and taped materials in a variety of Asian and other languages. The Self- Access Centre has within it an l&booth language laboratory and full listening and viewing facilities.

The Language Centre also operates a Writing Centre where students are trained in academic and professional writing through workshops and individual tuition.

Educational Technology Centre

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1 HE Educational Technology Centre embodies the

i

-

University’s commitment to high standards and up-to-date methods both in teaching and in the communication of research results.

The Centre provides a comprehensive service for all academic and research staff. It maintains a wide range of resources related to instructional media and assists academic staff in producing various teaching and learning materials, including slide presentations, overhead transparencies, video tapes, and printed materials. In addition, the Centre provides high-speed, high-volume reprographic and offset printing services.

The Centre also selves as a resource for information on teaching methods, instructional formats, and materials related to research on teaching. It organises seminars and workshops on topics such as selection and use of mediated instructional materials, production of teaching and learning packages, and methods of soliciting student feedback on teaching effectiveness.

FACTS & FIGURES

Enrolrnent l 4,361 undergraduate and 886 graduate students in 1994-95.

. 7,000 (full-time equivalent) students by 1996-97.

Financial

l

assistance

Corporate and foundation support for merit scholarships and student loans reached Halo.5 1 million in 1994-95.

.

Virtually all full-time research graduate students are supported.

Faculty

l

.

.

383 in August 1994; 640 by 1996-97.

32% grew up in Hong Kong, 23% on the Chinese Mainland, 12% in Taiwan.

66% ofthe faculty hold doctorates from the following institutions:

Research

l Interdisciplinary research at HKUST focuses on:

. campus l . . Caltech Cambridge Carnegie Mellon Chicago Columbia Cornell Harvard Illinois London Michigan Minnesota MIT Northwestern Oxford Princeton Purdue Stanford Toronto UBC UC Berkeley UCLA USC Washington Yale

Advanced materials Information technology Asian financial markets Inli-astructure development

Biotechnology Manufacturing Economic development Micro systems Environmental studies Scientific computation HaUlan Software engineering Grants and contracts totaling HK$80.6 million were awarded to HKUST in 1993-94, the third year of the University’s operation, rising to more thanHK$100rnillionin1994-95.HKUST’ssuccess rate in competition for grants from Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council is 60-70%.

60 hectares, located on the scenic Clear Water Bay peninsula in East Kovirloon, about 20 minutes from Kai Tak International Airport and the city centre. Student accommodation: 1,722 places in undergraduate residence halls; 356 in graduate residence halls. More student housing will be built. Stti apartments: 158 for research and support staff; 182 for senior staff, plus 66 under con- struction and 156 under planning.